How Much Does Thanksgiving Dinner Cost in 2026? About $5.50 a Person
A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people cost $55.18 in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual survey. That's about $5.50 a person, and 5 percent less than in 2024. The 2026 figure comes out the week before Thanksgiving. Until then, 2025 is the best guide, and the bigger question is where you shop: the same 16-pound turkey can cost under $10 as a supermarket loss leader or over $60 as a heritage bird. Here's what the dinner costs, what moves the price, and how to pay less.
What's in the $55 dinner
The Farm Bureau has priced the same menu every year since 1986, so it's a useful benchmark rather than a description of your actual dinner. It covers a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and milk.
In Ohio's version of the 2025 survey, the turkey alone was $23.34, about $1.46 a pound, which is roughly 40 percent of the whole meal. The rest of the items each cost $1.50 to $4.20.
Real dinners cost more. Most families add a ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, a second dessert and drinks. A realistic spread for 10 is usually closer to $100 to $150.
Why the turkey price is weird
In 2025, wholesale turkey prices rose sharply because bird flu cut the number of birds, yet the price shoppers paid in the survey went down. That's because supermarkets treat turkey as a loss leader: they sell it at or below cost to get you in the door for everything else on your list.
That's why the cheapest turkeys usually come with a condition, such as a minimum spend or a loyalty card. A store selling turkey at 49 cents a pound if you spend $50 is making the money back on the other items. That can still be a great deal if you'd have spent the $50 there anyway.
Where turkey is usually cheapest
Typical per-pound prices for a frozen whole turkey in recent years:
| Where | Typical price per lb |
|---|---|
| Supermarket loss-leader deal (with minimum spend) | $0.49–$0.99 |
| Costco, Kirkland frozen | $0.99–$1.29 |
| Store-brand frozen at most supermarkets | $1.29–$1.69 |
| Butterball frozen | $1.29–$1.69 |
| Fresh or organic | $2.99–$4.49 |
| Heritage breed | $4.99–$6.99 |
The best time to buy is usually the weekend before Thanksgiving week. Promotional turkeys often sell out by the Tuesday before the holiday, and buying more than a week early may mean missing the promotions.
How to pay less
Buy the turkey frozen, a week early. A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds to thaw, so you have to buy early anyway.
Use the loss leader if the minimum spend is your normal shop. Don't buy things you didn't need just to unlock it.
Compare unit prices, not package prices. Stuffing, canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce come in a confusing range of sizes. See our guide to unit prices and shrinkflation.
Store brands for the basics. Canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix and pie crusts are near-identical to the name brands and often a third cheaper.
Ask guests to bring a side. The easiest saving of all.
Is Costco cheaper for a dinner for 10? For turkey, pie and rolls, usually yes; for small quantities of everything else, often not. Our page on whether Costco is actually cheaper breaks it down. The Priced app lets you scan an item and see what it costs elsewhere, which settles the question in the aisle.
If you're shopping late, check what stores are open on Thanksgiving before you head out.
Common questions
How much does Thanksgiving dinner cost in 2026?
The Farm Bureau's 2026 figure is released the week before Thanksgiving. In 2025 its classic dinner for 10 cost $55.18, about $5.50 a person, down 5 percent from 2024. A typical real-world spread for 10 costs $100 to $150.
How much does a turkey cost in 2026?
Frozen turkeys usually cost $0.99 to $1.69 a pound, or less as a supermarket loss leader with a minimum spend. A 16-pound bird is typically $16 to $27. Fresh, organic and heritage turkeys cost two to four times more.
When is the cheapest time to buy a Thanksgiving turkey?
Usually the weekend before Thanksgiving week, when promotions are running and stock is full. The cheapest deals often sell out by the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Why are turkeys so cheap at Thanksgiving?
Supermarkets sell them as loss leaders, at or below cost, to bring in shoppers who then buy the rest of the meal at full price.