{"surveyDate":"2026-10-12","runTimestamp":"2026-10-12T08:03:02.223Z","methodologyVersion":"3.1","instrument":{"model":"gpt-5.5-2026-04-23","promptHash":"6230be71a3ebdb56","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":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 29 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue item but avg exceeds $3; prices/participation vary; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Philadelphia, PA","status":"verified","price":2.98,"reportedPrice":2.98,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/pennsylvania/philadelphia","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 28 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Atlanta, GA","status":"verified","price":2.65,"reportedPrice":2.65,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/georgia/atlanta","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 18 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Miami, FL","status":"verified","price":2.83,"reportedPrice":2.83,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/florida/miami","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 35 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Dallas, TX","status":"verified","price":2.1,"reportedPrice":2.1,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/texas/dallas","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 34 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Chicago, IL","status":"verified","price":2.87,"reportedPrice":2.87,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/illinois/chicago","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 49 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Kansas City, MO","status":"verified","price":2.29,"reportedPrice":2.29,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/missouri/kansas-city","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 19 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Columbus, OH","status":"verified","price":2.48,"reportedPrice":2.48,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/ohio/columbus","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 26 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Los Angeles, CA","status":"verified","price":3.56,"reportedPrice":3.56,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/california/los-angeles","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 40 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue item but avg exceeds $3; prices/participation vary; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Seattle, WA","status":"verified","price":4.28,"reportedPrice":4.28,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/washington/seattle","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 15 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue item but avg exceeds $3; prices/participation vary; near top of plausibility band; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Denver, CO","status":"verified","price":2.6,"reportedPrice":2.6,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/colorado/denver","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 18 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue Under $3 item; not meal/deal/coupon."},{"metro":"Phoenix, AZ","status":"verified","price":3.04,"reportedPrice":3.04,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/arizona/phoenix","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-12","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned page citywide average across 38 tracked locations; app-sourced. McValue item but avg slightly exceeds $3; prices/participation vary; not meal/deal/coupon."}],"spec":{"reading":null,"status":"carried","appliedGrams":139.46,"rawExcerpt":null},"wage":{"usdPerHour":32.6,"month":"2026-09","fetchedAt":"2026-10-12T08:00:48.790Z","source":"FRED AHETPI (api)"},"nationalEstimates":[{"estimate":2.86,"source_url":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds-menu/mcchicken","as_of":"2026-10-05","description":"MenuPriceTracker national average price for a McDonald's McChicken; page reports range $1.00-$5.79 across 13,575 locations / 5,037 neighborhoods, app-sourced."},{"estimate":2.86,"source_url":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds-chicken-menu","as_of":"2026-09-16","description":"MenuPriceTracker Chicken & Fish category national-average McChicken price; page lists McChicken avg $2.86 with $1.00-$5.79 range."}],"regimeEvents":[{"date":"2026-10-01","event":"McDonald's published a corporate pricing statement saying AI does not set or dynamically change menu prices, pricing tools provide restaurant-specific recommendations, and franchisees independently set final prices.","source_url":"https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/how-mcdonalds-sets-prices.html?trk=public_post_comment-text"},{"date":"2026-10-05","event":"McDonald's > NEXT FAQ identifies chicken as a menu priority through 2030 and says the Make It Golden systemwide commitment launched on Founder's Day; no McChicken-specific reformulation or portion change was reported.","source_url":"https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/what-is-mcdonalds-next.html"},{"date":"2026-10-06","event":"AP reported a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging McDonald's AI-enhanced pricing tool recommends menu prices to franchisees; McDonald's denied automated, coordinated, or fixed pricing. Flagged for pricing-regime review only.","source_url":"https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-ai-pricing-lawsuit-competition-franchisees-bb78e854b11b54b394603effa7550bbe"}],"qualityNotes":"All 12 observations use the pinned MenuPriceTracker city pages, each of which states app-sourced prices updated October 2026 and was fetched on 2026-10-12. The source reports citywide averages, not guaranteed same-day kiosk prices at a single restaurant; no delivery platforms or disallowed content farms were used. Hardest metros were New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix because their averages exceed the nominal McValue Under $3 label, so they were retained as local app-sourced prices and flagged in notes.","outcome":{"status":"published","mciMinutes":5.2,"panelPriceUsd":2.85},"usage":{"inputTokens":120205,"outputTokens":10063}}