According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 39th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey, cooking and serving a typical Thanksgiving feast will cost less than last year, but it will still be more expensive than before the pandemic.
The survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which is $58.08 or about $5.80 per person. This is a 5% decrease from 2023, which was 4.5% lower than 2022. Two years of declines don’t erase dramatic increases that led to a record high cost of $64.06 in 2022.
Despite the encouraging momentum, a Thanksgiving meal is still 19% higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact inflation has had on food prices – and farmers’ costs – since the pandemic, according to AFBF.
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a vegetable tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all in quantities sufficient to serve a gathering of 10.
Most ingredients in the survey saw a decline in prices, including fresh vegetables, according to ABFB. The drop in prices reflects price volatility in crops this year. The cost of whole milk nationally, for example, dropped more than 14% year over year, driven by favorable weather contributed to the decline in milk pricing.
Items such as dinner rolls and cubed stuffing each saw an 8% increase because higher labor costs, among other drivers, are increasing the cost of processed food. Cranberry prices increased almost 12% year-over-year. In 2023, cranberries had the second largest decrease in price of any products in our basket at 18%. The increase this year puts cranberry prices closer to historic norms and, excluding last year, is the least expensive year since 2015.
In recognition of changes in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also includes boneless ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans in an expanded menu. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increased the overall cost by $19.26 to $77.34.
This year’s national average cost was calculated by AFBF using surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked 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 combined purchase deals.
AFBF analysis revealed regional differences in the cost of the meal. The cost for the classic meal was the most affordable in the South at $56.81, followed by the Northeast at $57.36, the Midwest at $58.90, and then a significant jump in the West at $67.81. The expanded meal (classic meal plus boneless ham, Russet potatoes and green beans) was the most affordable in the South at $81.07, the Northeast at $81.37, the Midwest at $83.04, and least affordable in the West at $94.09.
