Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Cooking a Thanksgiving dinner will cost less than last year - marking the third straight year of price declines.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of Thanksgiving staples that make up a classic holiday feast for 10, which is $55.18 or about $5.52 per person — a 5% decrease from 2024.

In Michigan, the average price for Thanksgiving dinner is lower than the national average, at $51.80.

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. That is $1.34 per pound, down more than 16% 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.

Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices the first week of November. Grocery stores often feature whole turkeys at even lower prices in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

According to the most recent USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys declined further during the second week of November.

“Shoppers will see relief in the price of turkeys, which typically make up the highest cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner,” said Michigan Farm Bureau Livestock Specialist Pierce Bennett.

“Farmers are working hard to rebuild turkey supplies that were impacted by avian influenza, but a drop in demand for turkeys means it will remain an affordable option for families.”

“Turkey has accounted for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost in. However, this year, a 16-pound turkey only accounts for 39% of the cost of a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner, the lowest share since 2000.”

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.

The AFBF Thanksgiving dinner survey was first conducted in 1986. The informal survey provides a record of comparative holiday meal costs over the years. Farm Bureau’s classic survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.

Individual prices
-16-pound turkey: $21.50 or $1.34 per pound (down 16.3%)
-14-ounces of cubed stuffing mix: $3.71 (down 9%)
-2 frozen pie crusts: $3.37 (down .8%)
-Half pint of whipping cream: $1.87 (up 3.2%)
-1 pound of frozen peas: $2.03 (up 17.2%)
-1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.56 (down 14.6%)
-Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $3.61 (down 4.7%)
-30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.16 (up .1%)
-1 gallon of whole milk: $3.73 (up 16.3%)
-3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $4.00 (up 37%)
-1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): $1.36 (up 61.3%)
-12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.28 (down 2.8%)

“America has one of the most affordable and abundant food supplies in the world, driven by the efficiency and hard work of the U.S. farmer,” said Michigan Farm Bureau Industry Relations Specialist Theresa Sisung.

“While the cost of Thanksgiving dinner had declined for three consecutive years, prices at the farm have also fallen, and farmers receive less than 16 cents for every dollar spent on food.”

Items like fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes increased — a veggie tray is up more than 61% and sweet potatoes are up 37%. 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 continued shortage of farmworkers and rapidly increasing farm wages also played a role in rising produce costs. It’s important to note that fresh vegetables and potatoes are traditionally low-cost items, so an increase of just a few cents can dramatically affect the cost change percentage year-to-year.

“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,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“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. Every farm lost is another step toward consolidation and reliance on other countries for our food.”

Duvall also urged Congress to address the challenging economic conditions facing farmers to ensure farm families can continue growing the food families rely on.
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 increases the overall cost by $21.91, to $77.09.

Michigan’s total cost for the expanded menu came in at $73.96, which is $3.19 lower than the national average.

This year’s national average cost was calculated 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.

Main photo: AP