Thanksgiving Dinner Costs Less Than 2023

The annual Thanksgiving feast will cost you less than last year, but it will still be more expensive than before the pandemic.

That’s according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 39th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey.

The survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of a holiday feast for 10. Nationwide, the average is $58.08, or about $5.80 per person. This represents a 5% decrease from 2023, which in turn was 4.5% lower than 2022. The Northeast fared better than some areas of the country, with an average price of $57.36, second to the South at $56.81. A Midwest meal costs $58.90, while the West saw the most expensive results at $67.05.

The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all in quantities sufficient to serve a gathering of 10. Turkey prices helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $25.67, or $1.60 per pound, down 6% from last year.

Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices November 1-7, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. According to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys declined further during the second week of November.