Despite a year marked by consumer wariness around grocery inflation, the cost of cooking a Thanksgiving dinner has gone down compared to 2024 thanks to the holiday’s centerpiece: the turkey.
The American Farm Bureau Federation said the average cost of preparing a “classic holiday feast” for 10 people this year is $55.18, or about $5.52 per person. This marks a 5% decrease from the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner in 2024.
The farm group said 2025 marks the third year in a row of decreased pricing from the record high cost in 2022 of $64.05.
Lower commodity prices and grocers' efforts to discount the meal have gone a long way to bring down prices. Sister publication Grocery Dive reports that several chains have implemented deals to nab budget conscious consumers, with Target for example offering a $20 Thanksgiving meal for four people.
The cost of a turkey decreased 16% from last year, according to AFBF, with the average price of a 16-pound frozen turkey totalling $21.50, or about $1.34 per pound. Though the spread of bird flu has raised costs for producers, prices have remained low as consumer demand continues a long-term decline.
A turkey is typically the most expensive part of a Thanksgiving meal, said AFBF economist Faith Parum.
“Farmers are still working to rebuild turkey flocks that were devastated by avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen,” Parum said. “The combination will help ensure turkey will remain an affordable option for families celebrating Thanksgiving.”
While items like dinner rolls and stuffing benefitted from decreased wheat prices and are cheaper this year, prices of fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes are up.
AFBF said the cost of the veggie tray skyrocketed 61% year over year, and sweet potatoes rose 37%. The organization said this was due to natural disasters, including hurricanes in North Carolina, which is the largest grower of sweet potatoes in the U.S.
The group also broke down the average cost per region, with the meal being most affordable in the South at $50.01, followed by the Midwest at $54.83, the Northeast at $60.82 and the West at $61.75.
AFBF has conducted the survey every year since 1986, focusing on prices for items including turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. It included average costs from all 50 states and Puerto Rico by checking prices in store and online.
