How much does Thanksgiving dinner cost in 2026?

The latest hard number is the American Farm Bureau Federation's 40th annual survey (November 19, 2025): a classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $55.18, about $5.52 per person, down 5 percent from 2024 and the third straight year of declines. The 2026 survey lands in mid-November 2026, a week before Thanksgiving; this calculator prices your table from the itemized 2025 menu scaled to your guest count.

How much turkey do I need per person?

Plan 1.6 pounds of raw turkey per person: the Farm Bureau's survey prices a 16-pound bird for 10 servings, and that ratio holds up in practice with average appetites and modest leftovers. A 16-pound frozen turkey averaged $21.50 in 2025 ($1.34 a pound); a fresh bird ran about $2.05 a pound, or $11.30 more for the same 16 pounds.

Is cooking cheaper than buying a premade Thanksgiving meal?

Almost always, yes. Cooking the Farm Bureau classic menu costs about $5.52 a person. The cheapest grocery catering runs about $10 a person (Sam's Club's $100 feast for 10), Cracker Barrel's Heat & Serve is about $11, and Whole Foods and Costco land at $21 to $25 a person. One exception: Walmart's and Aldi's loss-leader holiday bundles have fed 10 for about $40 total, under $4 a person.

Does the calculator adjust for where I live?

Yes. The 2025 survey priced the same classic menu at $50.01 in the South, $54.38 in the Midwest, $60.82 in the Northeast, and $61.75 in the West, against the $55.18 national average. Pick your region and the ledger applies the survey's own regional ratio to your table.

How do I split the bill for a potluck?

The classic advice still works: the host provides the turkey and the guests bring the fixings. In the ledger above, set the number of contributing households and the calculator divides your table's total by it. Four households splitting a $55.18 classic dinner means the host's share drops to $13.79.

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Form TK-35 · The Thanksgiving Ledger

Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Calculator

The American Farm Bureau Federation has priced the same Thanksgiving menu every year since 1986. The 2025 edition: $55.18 for 10 people, about $5.52 a plate. Scale that itemized menu to your guest count, pick your turkey and region, and price the alternatives (catering, restaurant, potluck split) on the same page.

Source: AFBF 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey (November 19, 2025). The 2026 survey lands mid-November. Regional ratios and per-pound turkey figures are the survey's own; catering figures are labeled estimates from 2026 store menus.

Step 1 — Your table

Guests at the table: 10

Menu Classic ($55.18 for 10) Expanded (+$21.91 for 10)

Expanded adds a boneless ham, Russet potatoes, and green beans (the survey's own add-ons, $77.09 for 10).

The bird Frozen ($1.34/lb) Fresh ($2.05/lb)

Fresh price: Purdue's 2025 projection (per heritagediner.com). On a 16-lb bird, fresh adds $11.30.

Your region

Step 2 — Extras on top (your call)

Second pie ($) Appetizer tray ($) Drinks ($)

THE THANKSGIVING LEDGER

Table total$55.18

Per person$5.52

Survey benchmark, same table$55.18

The itemized ledger

Line item	Cost	Share

Step 3 — The alternatives

Catered comparison Contributing households (potluck split)

Step 4 — The savings plan

Thanksgiving cost questions

How much does Thanksgiving dinner cost in 2026?: The latest hard number is the American Farm Bureau Federation's 40th annual survey (November 19, 2025): a classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $55.18, about $5.52 per person, down 5 percent from 2024 and the third straight year of declines. The 2026 survey lands in mid-November 2026, a week before Thanksgiving; this calculator prices your table from the itemized 2025 menu scaled to your guest count.
How much turkey do I need per person?: Plan 1.6 pounds of raw turkey per person: the Farm Bureau's survey prices a 16-pound bird for 10 servings, and that ratio holds up in practice with average appetites and modest leftovers. A 16-pound frozen turkey averaged $21.50 in 2025 ($1.34 a pound); a fresh bird ran about $2.05 a pound, or $11.30 more for the same 16 pounds.
Is cooking cheaper than buying a premade Thanksgiving meal?: Almost always, yes. Cooking the Farm Bureau classic menu costs about $5.52 a person. The cheapest grocery catering runs about $10 a person (Sam's Club's $100 feast for 10), Cracker Barrel's Heat & Serve is about $11, and Whole Foods and Costco land at $21 to $25 a person. One exception: Walmart's and Aldi's loss-leader holiday bundles have fed 10 for about $40 total, under $4 a person.
Does the calculator adjust for where I live?: Yes. The 2025 survey priced the same classic menu at $50.01 in the South, $54.38 in the Midwest, $60.82 in the Northeast, and $61.75 in the West, against the $55.18 national average. Pick your region and the ledger applies the survey's own regional ratio to your table.
How do I split the bill for a potluck?: The classic advice still works: the host provides the turkey and the guests bring the fixings. In the ledger above, set the number of contributing households and the calculator divides your table's total by it. Four households splitting a $55.18 classic dinner means the host's share drops to $13.79.