The annual Thanksgiving meal price survey was released by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Photo via the National Turkey Federation

Those celebrating Thanksgiving won’t have to spend as much to feed a family this year.

According to the 39^th annual American Farm Bureau Federation Thanksgiving dinner survey, a classic feast for 10 people will cost $58.08, down 5% down from last year.

That price is still 19% higher than five years ago.

Over the decades the survey has been conducted, it’s found that turkey has accounted for an average 43% of the total dinner cost.

A 16-pound turkey accounts for 44.2% of a 10-person feast this year.

Differences in the grocery bill year-over-year closely follow the change in turkey prices.

The survey reported this year’s 6% decrease in turkey prices is “a bit of an anomaly.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture “turkeys raised” report, farmers raised 205 million turkeys in 2024, down 6% from last year and the lowest since 1985.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is attributed to the decline in turkeys raised this year.

Other Thanksgiving meal items that had price drops this year include sweet potatoes, frozen peas, a vegetable tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts and whole milk.

Dinner rolls, fresh cranberries, whipping cream and cubed stuffing rose in price, however.

In 2018, prices for ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans were added to the survey to reflect more favored Thanksgiving items, with all of them showing a year-over-year reduction in price.

With the additional items, the meal cost rises to $77.34, or $7.73 per person, with more leftovers.

The updated Thanksgiving dinner saw an 8.7% decrease in price from 2023.

While consumers are seeing more signs of retail food price stability, farmers are challenged by lower and more volatile prices at the farm gate.

Farmer product costs have risen steeply over the last few years, and the USDA projects national net farm income will fall by $6.5 billion in 2024.

To conduct the survey, volunteer shoppers from all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico visit their local grocery store, or the local’s store website, to survey the prices of food items used during Thanksgiving feasts.