Bozeman, Mont. — A federal egg price-fixing settlement is drawing fresh attention in Bozeman as shoppers see prices remain close to the national average.The Department of Justice announced a lawsuit and settlement this week with several major egg distributors. The settlement requires distributors to pay $3.3 million in costs and donate 53 million eggs to local food banks and nonprofit organizations.  According to court documents, Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch and Centrum Valley Holdings L.L.C. were accused of planning to raise egg prices through Urner Barry, a publication company that provides market data for stores across the country on items such as eggs.  Egg prices peaked in March of 2025 at as much as $8 before dropping to about $2.50 nationally.  In Montana, some stores sell them for even less.  At Town and Country Foods in Bozeman, shoppers are seeing lower prices than in other parts of the country.  The store's president explained that sourcing eggs locally in Montana from farmers helps steady the market.  “I Would say 90% or more of the eggs we sell come from Montana farms. So, our market is a little more stable,” said Travis Frandsen.  Frandsen says Montana egg prices have closely mirrored the national average. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics, the national average for eggs as of May 2026 is $2.19 per dozen. “Two to three bucks for a dozen eggs is pretty common,” said Frandsen.  Even while Montana egg prices remain stable, some Bozeman residents say they still remember the higher prices from the past few years.  Morgan Gary, a local horse trainer, says he raises his own chickens as a way to put money back in his pocket.  “It definitely saves you a lot of money. I mean, you can always turn them into meat birds in the end but, like, five chickens, when it’s warm and they’re young, they’re going to lay five eggs a day. So, you’re getting three to four dozen a week just doing that,” says Gary. Gary says collecting eggs at home can give people more control when national producers set prices.  “If you want the price of eggs to stay down, then you need to raise your own chickens and keep the price of the eggs, you know, coming in. Because if we just rely on the mass egg producers, they’ll dictate their own prices,” says Gary.  The settlement put a national case back in the spotlight while Bozeman shoppers and producers continue to watch egg prices locally.