Special Poll
Thanksgiving dinner is getting a bit more budget-friendly this year, though prices are still higher than they were a few years ago. According to the annual American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Thanksgiving dinner survey, the cost of a classic holiday feast for 10 people has dropped to $58.08—less than $6 per person. That’s a 5% dip from last year’s $61.17 and a sign that some relief is reaching shoppers’ wallets.
This marks the second consecutive year of lower Thanksgiving costs after prices hit an all-time high in 2022, when the same meal cost $64.05. For much of the last decade, the price hovered around $50, so while we’re still not back to pre-pandemic norms, the downward trend is a welcome shift.
Not everything on the Thanksgiving table is contributing to the savings, though. Prices for turkey, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts, whole milk, and even the veggie tray have all dipped this year, helping trim the overall bill. However, certain staples are creeping up in cost. Dinner rolls and cubed stuffing are leading the charge with an over 8% increase compared to last year, driven by inflation and supply chain challenges. Fresh cranberries, too, have jumped 12%, though that’s a rebound after an 18% price drop from 2022 to 2023.
Turkey remains the star—and the biggest expense—of the meal. A 16-pound bird takes up roughly 44% of the total cost for a 10-person feast, a share that has held steady since the AFBF began tracking prices in 1986.
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, your location might also determine how much you’ll spend. Folks in the West face the highest costs, with the average dinner priced at $67.81, a full 15% above the national average. The Midwest isn’t far behind at $58.90, while the Northeast comes in slightly cheaper at $57.36. The South offers the best deal, with a feast costing just $56.81—almost $11 less than in the West.
While some items have eased in price, others remind us that inflation’s grip isn’t entirely gone. So, whether you’re swapping fresh cranberries for canned or rethinking that extra tray of rolls, there’s still a way to enjoy a delicious holiday meal without breaking the bank.