Prices have continued to go down under the Biden Administration, and prices for a traditional Thanksgiving meal are just one example.
In Virginia, the average cost of a 10-person Thanksgiving meal is down approximately $10 this year.
According to an informal survey conducted by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 is $8.11 per person. In 2023, the cost was $9.13 per person.
Bernt Nelson, an American Farm Bureau Federation economist, said that the decreased overall price for a meal is a “solid reflection of the overall economy.”
The survey’s menu consists of turkey, ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, rolls, carrots, celery, cranberries, green beans, peas, milk and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
A dinner without ham, russet potatoes and green beans cost just $5.84 per person. Last year’s meal without those three ingredients was $66.88, or $6.68 per person.
This year, the average per-pound price for a whole frozen turkey during the data collection was $1.68, down from $2.18 in last year’s survey.
“Turkey is the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal and accounts for 33 percent of this year’s total price. Turkey prices have gone down significantly and that contributed to this year’s reasonable meal cost,” said Elijah Griles, VFBF video content creator.
“And as it gets closer to the holidays, shoppers may find deals on frozen turkeys and other holiday foods, so the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal could actually be even less.”
Prices reported by volunteer shoppers in Virginia were collected between Oct. 21 and Nov. 7 before major retailers began offering holiday discounts, promotional sales or coupons. Volunteer shoppers checked prices online and in person at 50 grocery stores throughout the state.
The locality with the highest cost for a traditional Thanksgiving meal was Essex County at $121.55. The locality with the lowest cost was Pittsylvania County at $57.29 for a 10-person meal.
Nationally, American Farm Bureau Federation’s survey found the average cost of its classic Thanksgiving meal for 10 was $58.08, a five percent decrease from 2023. The basic AFBF survey does not include ham, russet potatoes and green beans, which were added to the survey in 2018 to reflect more Thanksgiving favorites. With these items included in the AFBF findings, the national average cost for a traditional meal was $77.34, $3.73 less than the average cost of those items in Virginia.
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Crystal Graham
