The overall cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will be lower than last year thanks to cheaper turkeys.
The American Farm Bureau Federation said that the cost of the annual holiday dinner for 10 will be $58.08 or about 5% cheaper than 2023. However, the overall cost is still high compared to five years ago.
Every year since 1986, shoppers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico collect prices for a set menu:
- Turkey $25.67 (16lb)
- Cubed stuffing $4.08 (14oz)
- Sweet potatoes $2.93 (3lb)
- Dinner rolls $4.16 (dozen)
- Frozen peas $1.73 (16oz)
- Fresh cranberries $2.35 (12oz)
- Celery $.84 (1/2lb)
- Carrots $.84 (1/2lb)
- Pumpkin pie mix $4.15 (30oz)
- Crust $3.40 (2 shells)
- Whipping cream $1.81 (1/2pt)
- Whole milk $3.21 (1 gal)
The AFBF said that seven items — turkey, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, carrots and celery, pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts and whole milk — went down in price.
But four items — dinner rolls, fresh cranberries, whipping cream and cubed stuffing — went up.
One odd data point was discovered, fewer turkeys were produced in 2024, attributed to bird flu outbreaks. Typically, fewer turkeys would increase prices, but demand for turkey fell this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the per capita demand for turkey was 13.9 pounds this year, a pound less than last year causing the price to fall.
This is just the average price for the dinner. There will be some regional variations.
In the West, the cost will be at least 15% higher, or about $67.81 to feed 10. In the South, it will be around $56.81, while in the Northeast, it will be $57.36.
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