Lower Turkey Prices Make Thanksgiving More Affordable This Year
Americans will pay less for their Thanksgiving dinner this year. The average cost of staples that make up a classic holiday meal for 10 is $55.18, which is 5 percent less than last year, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation survey.
The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables — the turkey — dramatically decreased in price, which helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound frozen turkey is $21.50. This is $1.34 per pound, down more than 16 percent from last year. While the wholesale price for fresh turkey is up from 2024, grocery stores are featuring Thanksgiving deals and attempting to draw consumer demand back to turkey, leading to lower retail prices for a holiday bird.
“It’s encouraging to see some relief in the price of turkeys, as it is typically the most expensive part of the meal,” economist Faith Parum, Ph.D., said. “Farmers are still working to rebuild turkey flocks that were devastated by avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen. The combination will help ensure turkey will remain an affordable option for families celebrating Thanksgiving.”
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all in quantities sufficient for 10 servings. Half of the ingredients in the survey declined in price, including dinner rolls and stuffing. Low wheat prices helped bring down the cost of items requiring flour.
Items such as fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes increased. A veggie tray is up more than 61 percent, and sweet potatoes are up 37 percent. Natural disasters partly contributed to the increase. For example, North Carolina, which is the largest grower of the nation’s sweet potatoes, suffered hurricane damage. Additionally, fresh produce prices tend to be highly volatile, and even modest supply-chain disruptions, from weather, labor shortages, transportation delays or regional production setbacks, can trigger sharp, short-term spikes in prices. The of just a few cents can dramatically affect the year-to-year cost change percentage.
“We are blessed to live in a country that is capable of producing such an abundant food supply, and for that we should be thankful,” Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said. “Despite modest declines in the cost of a Thanksgiving meal, I know food prices are a real concern for many families, including in rural America.”
–Alan Goforth
