[12] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Simon Heavisides gave this release an 8 out of 10, describing the album as "cinematic" and praising vocalist Craig Finn's delivery and lyrics.

[4] Editors at Paste chose this as one of the 10 best albums of the month,[13] and critic Eric R. Danton called it "their most musically expansive effort" in his 7.9-out-of-10 review.

[5] Pitchfork Media's Stephen M. Deusner gave this release a 7.6 out of 10 for having "songs about desperation with no direction, alienation with no reconciliation, isolation in a crowded bar".

[6] At PopMatters, Chris Conaton rated The Price of Progress a 7 out of 10, calling it "a worthy addition to the Hold Steady’s now-hefty catalog".

[7] Atari of Sputnikmusic rates this album a 3.9 out of 5, calling it "a joyous, no-frills rocker that reminds you why you fell in love with The Hold Steady in the first place", but also critiquing that "there are also several moments on The Price of Progress that don’t quite land".