A Thanksgiving Day meal will cost, on average, $58.08 for 10 guests this year, based on the 2024 American Farm Bureau Federation annual marketbasket survey.
According to AFBF Economist Bernt Nelson, the national average cost of this year's classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 is $58.08, down $3.09 or 5 percent compared to last year's average of $61.17. This year's feast will cost less than $6 per person for the meal, but the cost is still 19 percent higher than it was five years ago.
In Colorado, the average cost for a classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 is $74.75, which is $16.67 higher than the national average. In the Northeast, Midwest, and South, the average ranges from $56.81 to $58.90 for 10 guests, but in the West, the average is $67.81.
A quick check of selected shopping cart items in Sterling showed local prices are between or below the Colorado and national averages. The Journal-Advocate sampled seven items at the Sterling Walmart Supertstore that traditionally show up on Thanksgiving recipes and that could be matched with Colorado and national prices found by Farm Bureau shoppers.
"The turkey is traditionally the main attraction on the Thanksgiving table and is typically the most expensive part of the meal," Nelson said. "The American turkey flock is the smallest it's been since 1985 because of avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen, resulting in lower prices at the grocery store for families planning a holiday meal."
No explanation was given for wide disparities in some prices. For instance, sweet potatoes, a staple of Thanksgiving dinners for generations, are less than $3 for a 3-pound bag nationally, but $5.05 across Colorado and $4.88 in Sterling. And while some food prices in the Journal-Advocate's shopping card were higher than the national average, all were under the Colorado average.
The Thanksgiving survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual July 4th Cookout survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare a holiday meal at home. Volunteer shoppers across the country, including Farm Bureau members and others, collected data from stores in every state and Puerto Rico.