Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 Costs $55.18, Down 5%

The American Farm Bureau Federation's 40th annual Thanksgiving survey reveals that a classic holiday dinner for 10 people will cost $55.18 this year, a 5 percent decrease from 2024 levels. Conducted by volunteer shoppers across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the survey tracks prices for traditional staples including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie mix, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, milk and vegetables during Thanksgiving week.

This marks the third consecutive year of declining costs for the core basket, though the total remains about 13 percent higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain disruptions. The survey highlights a mixed picture: prices fell for turkey, cubed stuffing, fresh cranberries and dinner rolls, with dinner rolls down 14.6 percent, stuffing down 9 percent and cranberries down 2.8 percent. However, increases hit produce-heavy items, including sweet potatoes up 37 percent, frozen green peas up 17.2 percent and a vegetable tray of carrots and celery up 61.3 percent. Whole milk and whipping cream also rose, while pumpkin pie mix and pie shells stayed flat.

Turkey, the centerpiece of the meal, now represents just 39...