{"surveyDate":"2026-10-08","runTimestamp":"2026-10-08T08:03:20.711Z","methodologyVersion":"3.1","instrument":{"model":"gpt-5.5-2026-04-23","promptHash":"73b989e80daef7cb","reasoningEffort":"xhigh"},"metros":[{"metro":"New York, NY","status":"verified","price":4.05,"reportedPrice":4.05,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/new-york/new-york","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 29 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Philadelphia, PA","status":"verified","price":2.98,"reportedPrice":2.98,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/pennsylvania/philadelphia","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 28 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Atlanta, GA","status":"verified","price":2.65,"reportedPrice":2.65,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/georgia/atlanta","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 18 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Miami, FL","status":"verified","price":2.83,"reportedPrice":2.83,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/florida/miami","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 35 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Dallas, TX","status":"verified","price":2.1,"reportedPrice":2.1,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/texas/dallas","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 34 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Chicago, IL","status":"verified","price":2.87,"reportedPrice":2.87,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/illinois/chicago","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 49 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Kansas City, MO","status":"verified","price":2.29,"reportedPrice":2.29,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/missouri/kansas-city","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 19 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Columbus, OH","status":"verified","price":2.48,"reportedPrice":2.48,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/ohio/columbus","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 26 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Los Angeles, CA","status":"verified","price":3.56,"reportedPrice":3.56,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/california/los-angeles","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 40 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Seattle, WA","status":"verified","price":4.28,"reportedPrice":4.28,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/washington/seattle","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 15 tracked locations; high but within plausibility band; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Denver, CO","status":"verified","price":2.6,"reportedPrice":2.6,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/colorado/denver","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 18 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."},{"metro":"Phoenix, AZ","status":"verified","price":3.04,"reportedPrice":3.04,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/arizona/phoenix","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-08","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Primary pinned city page; app-sourced city-wide McChicken average across 38 tracked locations; not delivery, coupon, meal, or bundle pricing."}],"spec":{"reading":null,"status":"carried","appliedGrams":139.46,"rawExcerpt":null},"wage":{"usdPerHour":32.6,"month":"2026-09","fetchedAt":"2026-10-08T08:00:50.921Z","source":"FRED AHETPI (api)"},"nationalEstimates":[{"estimate":2.86,"source_url":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds-menu/mcchicken","as_of":"2026-09-07","description":"MenuPriceTracker U.S. national average McChicken price; page says 5,037 neighborhoods tracked, 13,575 locations in FAQ, app-sourced, last updated September 7, 2026."}],"regimeEvents":[{"date":"2026-10-01","event":"McDonald's corporate pricing statement said AI does not set, change, or dynamically determine menu prices; franchisees independently set restaurant prices, with corporate tools and recommendations available as pricing context only.","source_url":"https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/how-mcdonalds-sets-prices.html?trk=public_post_comment-text"},{"date":"2026-10-06","event":"AP reported a lawsuit over a McDonald's AI pricing-recommendation tool allegedly used by U.S. franchisees; flagged as pricing-regime/legal context, not a confirmed McChicken menu-price change.","source_url":"https://apnews.com/article/bb78e854b11b54b394603effa7550bbe"},{"date":"2026-10-06","event":"McDonald's Monopoly promotion began nationally with instant-win food prizes that include McChicken; flagged as promotion context only and not used for standard à-la-carte menu prices.","source_url":"https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/monopoly-returns-mcdonalds-bigger-prizes-rewards-easier-gameplay.html"}],"qualityNotes":"All 12 observations use the pinned MenuPriceTracker city pages fetched on 2026-10-08; each page displays app-sourced prices updated October 2026. The values are city-wide averages rather than single-store quotes, so within-metro dispersion is the main reliability limitation; Seattle and New York are the high end but remain inside the stated plausibility band. No delivery-platform, meal, bundle, coupon, or prohibited content-farm prices were used, and no verified U.S. McChicken reformulation or portion-size change was found in the searched 14-day window.","outcome":{"status":"published","mciMinutes":5.2,"panelPriceUsd":2.85},"usage":{"inputTokens":114091,"outputTokens":8478}}