It will cost less to provide a traditional Thanksgiving feast to family and friends this year than it did last year, according to the 40th annual analysis released Wednesday by The American Farm Bureau Federation.
Each year, the Farm Bureau estimates the cost of feeding 10 people a Thanksgiving dinner featuring the same Thanksgiving staples.
These items include: “turkey, cubed stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, celery, carrots, pumpkin pie mix and crusts, whipping cream and whole milk.”
This year, Thanksgiving dinner will cost $55.18, a decline of about 5% from the $58.08 tab in 2024.
The price of the turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and dinner rolls accounted for the lower cost, offset partially by the higher cost of sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, celery, milk, and whipping cream.
The cost of making a pumpkin pie was essentially unchanged.
While turkey prices fell over the past year, the cost of side dishes containing fruits, vegetables and potatoes rose as severe weather such as the hurricane damage suffered in North Carolina, limited crop yields.
In a separate analysis, the Farm Bureau added ham, Russet potatoes, and frozen green beans to the shopping list in order to reflect a wider variety of Thanksgiving favorites. When these items are included, the cost of Thanksgiving dinner falls from $77.37 to $77.09.
There is a regional difference in pricing with either list. People living in the South and the Midwest pay less for their meal than they do in the Northeast and West.
[AI image of meal by Grok.]
