Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering foods trends in North America, Europe, and the global food system
Get in touch with us nowAverage cost of a Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S. 1990-2024
2024 saw the average price for a Thanksgiving dinner decline to 58.08 U.S. dollars. In 2022, the average price for a complete Thanksgiving feast in the United States (U.S.) amounted to 64.05 U.S. dollars. The survey dinner includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of ten. Despite the recent decrease, there has been a general increase in the average cost for a Thanksgiving family dinner for over three decades. The most rapid increase happened between 2019 and 2022 when the average price grew by almost 40 percent.
Turkey prices during Thanksgiving in the U.S.
The price of a whole 16-pound turkey in the U.S. was 30.15 U.S. dollars in 2024. This is the highest retail price for a whole turkey since 2018. The price of a whole turkey has increased by close to nine U.S. dollars in comparison to 2021, which is a price increase of over 40.8 percent. Moreover, the average cost of a whole turkey varies among the different U.S. states. In California, for example, a whole 15-pound turkey costs on average 39.85 U.S. dollars, which is the most expensive among all selected states. The turkey is by far the most expensive ingredient for a ten-person Thanksgiving dinner. Several other typically purchased dinner ingredients, such as pumpkin pie mix, sweet potatoes, cubed stuffing mix, dinner rolls, and whole milk cost on average between 2.93 and 4.16 U.S. dollars.
Traveling during Thanksgiving in the U.S.
The national holiday of Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on November 26 in the United States. Close to one-third of Americans prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving at their relatives. Therefore, many Americans travel during Thanksgiving. The number of Thanksgiving holiday travelers in the United States is around 79.86 million. Since 2019, the amount of Thanksgiving travelers has fluctuated but increased by approximately two million. Cars are the preferred mode of transportation during Thanksgiving. Over 92 percent of the people who travel during Thanksgiving do so by car, while about 7.5 percent travel by airplane.
