Inflation Indigestion: How Much Will a Thanksgiving Feast Run You in 2021?
November 18, 2021 
This year’s Thanksgiving Day meal with all the fixins might include something not so appetizing — an extra side of inflation. American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 36th annual economic survey indicates the average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 is $53.31 or less than $6 per person. This is a $6.41 or 14% increase from last year’s average of $46.90.
Not a surprise, the turkey costs more than last year, at $23.99 for a 16-pound bird. That’s roughly $1.50 per pound, up 24% from last year, but there are several mitigating factors.
Farm Bureau “volunteer shoppers” checked prices Oct. 26 to Nov. 8, about two weeks before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. Although the survey timeline is consistent with past AFBF Thanksgiving surveys, 2021 brought some unique differences.
“Several factors contributed to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” says AFBF Senior Economist Veronica Nigh. “These include dramatic disruptions to the U.S. economy and supply chains over the last 20 months; inflationary pressure throughout the economy; difficulty in predicting demand during the COVID-19 pandemic; and high global demand for food, particularly meat,” she explains. Further, “The trend of consumers cooking and eating at home more often due to the pandemic led to increased supermarket demand and higher retail food prices in 2020 and 2021, compared to pre-pandemic prices in 2019.”
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
In recognition of variations in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also includes ham, Russet potatoes, and frozen green beans. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increased the overall cost by $15.41, to $68.72.
According to AFBF, this year’s national average cost was calculated using 218 surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Volunteer shoppers checked prices in person and online using grocery store apps and websites. They looked for the best possible prices without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals.
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