Thanksgiving Meal Cost Increases by 14% in 2021

With Thanksgiving right around the corner you may find yourself at the grocery store this weekend picking up the required ingredients for the family favorites. Each year it’s interesting to see how prices compare to previous years concerning the cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner.

The Farm Bureau has conducted an annual survey for the last 36 years to track the average cost for a classic Thanksgiving feast. This year’s survey indicates that a feast fit to serve 10 is going to cost you, on average, $53.31.

This, of course assumes Uncle Ted doesn’t plow through the dressing like he did last year. But it is Thanksgiving after all and what’s a feast without loosening the belt a notch or three.

This adjusted cost averages to less than $6.00 per person, however, is an increase of 14% from last year’s average of $46.90. The main attraction being Turkey has seen an increase in cost of 24% alone. With that data coming from prices checked between October 26th and November 8th. Now, if you waited as far as November 12th-18th, you were likely to find better pricing, Farm Bureau says. With a sharp 18% drop in prices allowing the gobbler to be purchased for an average .88 cents per pound.

Naturally sources say the increase in price is attributed to supply chain disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. A trend of consumers cooking and eating at home more often has also led to increased supermarket demand and higher retail food prices throughout the last 2 years.