Annual survey shows drop in Thanksgiving dinner cost for 2025
Updated: 7:50 PM EST Nov 20, 2025
This year’s Thanksgiving dinner may cost you a bit less, according to one annual survey.The American Farm Bureau Federation, a lobbying group that represents farmers in the U.S., released its 40th annual survey on the average cost of what they consider to be a Thanksgiving dinner. The survey pegs the 2025 cost of the holiday at $55.18 for 10 people, which is $2.90 less than last year. It’s the third straight year prices have declined in the report.The federation’s meal consists of a 16-pound turkey, 30 ounces of pumpkin pie mix, 14 ounces of cubed stuffing mix, a dozen dinner rolls, 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, three pounds of sweet potatoes, two frozen pie shells, a gallon of whole milk, a pound of frozen peas, a one-pound veggie tray, half a pint of whipping cream and miscellaneous ingredients needed to prepare the meal. To compile its report, the AFBF asks volunteer shoppers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico to complete surveys. Shoppers are asked to hunt for the best possible prices, but they cannot include special promotional coupons or combined purchase deals. Based on their data, prices rose in 2021 and 2022 but have been falling ever since. The 2022 price clocked in at nearly $9 more than the current price.While the price of most things changed by less than $1, the same cannot be said for turkeys or sweet potatoes. The cost of turkeys decreased from $25.67 last year to $21.50 in 2025. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes rose by more than a third, bringing the price to $4 this year.The AFBF says it cost $24.16 to buy the same ingredients in 1987, less than half of the modern day price. While it may seem like prices have drastically increased, they’ve actually dropped when adjusted for inflation. That aforementioned 1987 dinner would cost about $68 if it were purchased today.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
The American Farm Bureau Federation, a lobbying group that represents farmers in the U.S., released its 40th annual survey on the average cost of what they consider to be a Thanksgiving dinner. The survey pegs the 2025 cost of the holiday at $55.18 for 10 people, which is $2.90 less than last year. It’s the third straight year prices have declined in the report.
The federation’s meal consists of a 16-pound turkey, 30 ounces of pumpkin pie mix, 14 ounces of cubed stuffing mix, a dozen dinner rolls, 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, three pounds of sweet potatoes, two frozen pie shells, a gallon of whole milk, a pound of frozen peas, a one-pound veggie tray, half a pint of whipping cream and miscellaneous ingredients needed to prepare the meal.
To compile its report, the AFBF asks volunteer shoppers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico to complete surveys. Shoppers are asked to hunt for the best possible prices, but they cannot include special promotional coupons or combined purchase deals.
Based on their data, prices rose in 2021 and 2022 but have been falling ever since. The 2022 price clocked in at nearly $9 more than the current price.
While the price of most things changed by less than $1, the same cannot be said for turkeys or sweet potatoes. The cost of turkeys decreased from $25.67 last year to $21.50 in 2025. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes rose by more than a third, bringing the price to $4 this year.
The AFBF says it cost $24.16 to buy the same ingredients in 1987, less than half of the modern day price. While it may seem like prices have drastically increased, they’ve actually dropped when adjusted for inflation. That aforementioned 1987 dinner would cost about $68 if it were purchased today.