AFBF survey shows lower turkey prices and mixed trends for other foods
The 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation Thanksgiving dinner survey shows that cooking a traditional holiday meal will cost less than last year. The classic dinner for 10 people is priced at $55.18, or about $5.52 per person. This is a 5% decrease from 2024 and the third straight year of lower overall costs. However, these declines do not completely offset the record-high meal cost of $64.05 reached in 2022.
Turkey prices played the biggest role in reducing the total cost of the meal. A 16-pound frozen turkey now averages $21.50, or $1.34 per pound, which is more than 16% lower than last year. While wholesale prices for fresh turkeys increased, grocery stores offered strong seasonal promotions to bring shoppers back to turkey purchases. USDA data also shows that turkey prices dropped even further during the second week of November.
AFBF volunteer shoppers collected prices during early November, checking both in-store and online listings. The classic menu includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. About half of these items declined in price, including dinner rolls and stuffing. Lower wheat prices helped reduce the cost of foods that use flour.
Some foods increased in price, especially fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes. A veggie tray rose more than 61%, and sweet potatoes increased by 37%. These jumps were partly linked to natural disasters. North Carolina, the country’s top sweet potato producer, suffered hurricane damage. Fresh produce prices are often volatile and can be affected by weather, labor shortages, transportation delays, and other regional issues. Rising farm wages and labor shortages also contributed to higher produce costs.