American Farm Bureau Survey Says Thanksgiving Meal Costs Less This Year, Representing Third Year of Declining Prices

But prices in New York higher than national and regional averages

Contact: Amanda Powers, Director of Communications

(518) 573-3617 (mobile) / apowers@nyfb.org

American Farm Bureau Survey Says Thanksgiving Meal Costs Less This Year, Representing Third Year of Declining Prices

Albany, NY — A Thanksgiving feast will cost less than last year, marking the third straight year of price declines, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)’s 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey. The survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of Thanksgiving staples that make up a classic holiday feast for 10. This year, the national average cost for 10 people is $55.18, or about $5.52 per person — a 5% decrease from 2024.

However, in the Northeast, that average is $60.82, or about $6.08 per person. And, in New York, the average is $66.06, or about $6.61 per person — nearly 20% higher than the national average and nearly 9% higher than the Northeast average.

In other regions, the cost for the classic meal is $50.01 in the South, $54.38 in the Midwest and $61.75 in the West.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables — the turkey — has substantially decreased in price, helping bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound frozen turkey is $21.50 ($1.34 per pound), down more than 16% from last year. In New York, the average price for a 16-pound frozen turkey is $28.27, or $1.77 per pound.

According to AFBF, 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. And, 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. Grocery stores often feature whole turkeys at even lower prices in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

“It’s encouraging to see some relief in the price of turkeys, as it is typically the most expensive part of the meal,” said AFBF Economist Faith Parum, PhD. “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. But items like fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes saw increases of up to 61%. Natural disasters such as hurricanes partly contributed to the increase. Additionally, fresh produce prices tend to be highly volatile, and even modest supply-chain disruptions — including weather events, labor shortages, transportation delays or regional production setbacks — can trigger sharp, short-term spikes in prices.

“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.”

AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “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. 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. 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 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.”

In recognition of changes in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also included an “expanded meal” option that includes boneless ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increases the overall cost by $21.91, to $77.09. Regionally, this expanded menu costs $71.20 in the South, $76.33 in the Midwest, $82.97 in the Northeast and $84.97 in the West. In New York, the expanded meal costs $87.86.

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.

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.

Average Individual Ingredient Prices, Nationally and in New York

·       16-pound turkey: $21.50 or $1.34 per pound (down 16.3%) — $28.27 or $1.77/lb. in NY

·       14-ounces of cubed stuffing mix: $3.71 (down 9%) — $4.15 in NY

·       2 frozen pie crusts: $3.37 (down .8%) — $4.18 in NY

·       Half pint of whipping cream: $1.87 (up 3.2%) — $1.89 in NY

·       1 pound of frozen peas: $2.03 (up 17.2%) — $2.52 in NY

·       1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.56 (down 14.6%) — $4.55 in NY

·       Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $3.61 (down 4.7%) — $4.32 in NY

·       30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.16 (up .1%) — $4.14 in NY

·       1 gallon of whole milk: $3.73 (up 16.3%) — $4.07 in NY

·       3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $4.00 (up 37%) — $4.08 in NY

·       1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): $1.36 (up 61.3%) — $1.43 in NY

·       12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.28 (down 2.8%) — $2.45 in NY

For a full analysis of the 2025 AFBF Thanksgiving dinner cost survey, visit fb.org/market-intel.

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New York Farm Bureau is the State’s largest agricultural lobbying/trade organization. Its members and the public know the organization as “The Voice of New York Agriculture.” New York Farm Bureau is dedicated to solving the economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural community.