Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner Declines | News Release

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for your friends and family will cost less than it did last year, marking the third consecutive year of declining prices. American Farm Bureau Federation’s 40^th The annual Thanksgiving dinner survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of the Thanksgiving staples that make up a classic holiday feast for 10 people, which is $55.18, or about $5.52 per person.

This is a 5% decrease from 2024. The three-year decline doesn’t completely erase the dramatic rise that led to a record-high cost of $64.05 in 2022.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – dropped dramatically in price, helping reduce the overall cost of the dinner. The average price of a 16 pound frozen turkey is $21.50. That’s $1.34 per pound, down 16% from last year. While the wholesale price of fresh turkeys has increased through 2024, grocery stores are offering Thanksgiving deals and attempting to draw consumer demand back to turkeys, driving down retail prices for the holiday bird.

Farm Bureau volunteer buyers checked prices the first week of November. Grocery stores often offer whole turkeys at even lower prices in the days before Thanksgiving. The average per pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys declined further during the second week of November, according to the latest USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data.

AFBF economist Faith Parham, Ph.D. “It’s encouraging to see some relief in the price of turkey, as it is typically the most expensive part of the meal,” he said. “Farmers are still working to rebuild turkey flocks that were devastated by avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen. The combination will help ensure that turkeys will remain an affordable option for families celebrating Thanksgiving.”

The shopping list from Farm Bureau’s informal survey included turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all in sufficient quantities for 10 servings.

The price of half the ingredients surveyed declined, including dinner rolls and stuffing. Low wheat prices helped reduce the cost of goods requiring flour.

Items like fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes increased – with a veggie tray up by more than 61% and sweet potatoes up by 37%. Natural disasters partly contributed to the increase. For example, North Carolina, the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the country, suffered damage from the storm. Additionally, fresh produce prices are highly volatile, and even minor supply-chain disruptions from weather, labor shortages, transportation delays or regional production setbacks can lead to sharp, short-term spikes in prices. A continuing shortage of farm workers and rapidly rising farm wages also played a role in rising produce costs. It is important to note that fresh vegetables and potatoes are traditionally low-cost items, so an increase of just a few cents can dramatically affect the year-to-year cost change percentage.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “We are fortunate to live in a country that is able to have such an abundant food supply and for that we should be grateful.” “Despite the modest decline in the cost of a Thanksgiving meal, I know food prices are a real concern for many families, including those in rural America. We lost 15,000 farms last year due to factors including historically low crop prices, high supply costs and trade uncertainty, which are hurting farmers and ranchers. Every farm lost is another step toward overdependence and dependence on other countries for our food.

“We urge Congress to pay attention to the challenging economic conditions facing farmers to ensure that farm families can continue to grow the food we all depend on, not just at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.”

In recognition of the change in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau Values ​​Survey also includes boneless ham, russet potatoes and frozen green beans in the expanded menu. Adding these food items to the classic Thanksgiving menu increases the total cost by $21.91 to $77.09.

This year’s national average cost was calculated using surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers check prices in person and online using grocery store apps and websites. They looked for the best possible prices without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or joint purchase deals.

The AFBF Thanksgiving Dinner Survey was first conducted in 1986. Informal surveys provide a record of comparative holiday meal costs over the years. Farm Bureau’s classic survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow consistent price comparisons.

personal prices

• 16-pound turkey: $21.50 or $1.34 per pound (down 16.3%)
• 14-ounce cube stuffing mix: $3.71 (down 9%)
• 2 Frozen Pie Crusts: $3.37 (.8%)
• Half Pint of Whipping Cream: $1.87 (3.2% more)
• 1 pound frozen peas: $2.03 (17.2% more)
• 1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.56 (14.6% less)
• various. Food preparation ingredients: $3.61 (4.7% less)
• 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.16 (up .1%)
• 1 gallon of whole milk: $3.73 (16.3% more)
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes: $4.00 (37% more)
• 1-pound veggie tray (carrots and celery): $1.36 (up 61.3%)
• 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.28 (down 2.8%)

regional average

AFBF analysis revealed regional differences in food costs. The cost of the classic meal was most affordable in the South at $50.01, followed by $54.38 in the Midwest, $60.82 in the Northeast and $61.75 in the West. The extended meal (Classic Meal plus boneless ham, russet potatoes and green beans) was the most affordable in the South at $71.20, the Midwest at $76.33, the Northeast at $82.97 and the West at $84.97.

Read the full analysis of the 2025 Thanksgiving dinner cost survey in the Market Intel report here.

To download the soundbytes selected in the survey, click here.

AFBF also conducts an annual summer cookout survey before the July 4th holiday. Be sure to keep an eye out for it at the end of June 2026.