Farm Bureau: Cost of Thanksgiving meal dips for third straight year
American Farm Bureau Federation created this chart showing a decline in the cost of the Thanksgiving meal.
The American Farm Bureau Federation said the cost for a Thanksgiving dinner is down 5 percent this year to an average of $55.18 for classic dishes for 10 people.
This is the third straight year the cost has gone down but it remains higher than four years ago. Last year the cost was $58.08, and it was $61.17 in 2023. In 2022, the cost was $64.05, according the Farm Bureau survey.
In the Northeast and New York the average Thanksgiving meal is higher – $60.82 for the Northeast region and $66.06 in New York.
“Here in New York, where prices are higher than both the national and Northeast regional averages, we continue to experience issues like labor shortages, rapidly increasing farm wages and rising production costs, which affect prices in the grocery store, as well as a higher-than-average cost of living,” said New York Farm Bureau Director of Communications Amanda Powers. “It’s also important to note that higher retail prices do not mean more money in farmers’ pockets. Farmers are price takers, not price makers. So, while we are encouraged by the overall national decline in Thanksgiving meal ingredients, food prices in New York remain higher for consumers in grocery stores — and farmers continue to struggle with increased expenses producing our food.”
This is the 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey where Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers from all 50 states and Puerto Rico visit their local grocery store to survey the prices of items used in a classic Thanksgiving feast.
They report local prices for turkey, cubed stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, celery, carrots, pumpkin pie mix and crusts, whipping cream and whole milk.
Farm Bureau reported that four of the items dropped in price this year – the main turkey dish, cubed stuffing, fresh cranberries and dinner rolls. However, five items – sweet potatoes, frozen green peas, a vegetable tray of carrots and celery, whole milk and whipping cream – rose in price. Pumpkin pie mix and pie shells remained virtually unchanged from 2024.
Prices for ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans were added to the survey in 2018 to reflect a wider variety of Thanksgiving favorites. When including the additional items, the meal cost rises to $77.09, or $7.71 per person. The updated Thanksgiving dinner is virtually unchanged from last year – only 28 cents cheaper than 2024 – due to increases in all three additional ingredients.
The cost for a 16-pound turkey is an average of $21.50, down 16% from 2024. Side dishes are up in terms of the share of the total basket. Price increases for fresh produce and key baking ingredients reflect higher costs throughout the supply chain, Farm Bureau stated.
“Farmers who grow the fruits, vegetables and potatoes for many Thanksgiving staples continue to face elevated expenses for fertilizer, fuel, machinery, labor and land, which tightens already narrow margins and limits production capacity,” according to Farm Bureau.
Persistent labor shortages and higher wage requirements have increased production expenses for growers of many fruits and vegetables, and these higher on-farm costs eventually factor into grocery store prices, Farm Bureau said.
“We lost 15,000 farms last year because of factors including historically low crop prices, high supply costs and trade uncertainty, which continue to squeeze farmers and ranchers,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Every farm lost is another step toward consolidation and reliance on other countries for our food.”
Duvall continued, “We urge Congress to address the challenging economic conditions facing farmers to ensure farm families can continue growing the food we all rely on, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.”
