According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 33rd annual survey of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, the average cost of this year’s meal for 10 individuals is $48.90, which is a 22-cent decrease from the $49.12 average last year.
“Since 2015, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner has declined steadily and is now at the lowest level since 2010,” said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton.
One food on most Thanksgiving tables -turkey- costs slightly less than last year, pricing out at $21.71 for a 16-pound turkey. This year’s survey results show that turkey prices are the lowest that they’ve been since 2014.
Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were a gallon of milk at $2.92; a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes at $3.39; a 1-pound bag of green peas at $1.47; and a dozen rolls at $2.25.
Several items had a slight price increase this year including cranberries, pumpkin pie mix and stuffing. A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries was $2.65; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.33; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing was $2.87; two nine-inch pie shells came in at $2.47 and a 1-pound veggie tray was $.75. A group of miscellaneous items including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) was also up slightly, to $3.01.
The AFBF thanksgiving dinner survey was first conducted in 1986. While the American Farm Bureau does not make any scientific claims about the data, it is an informal gauge of price trends around the nation. Farm Bureau’s survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.