Illinois Farm Bureau: Here’s The Cost For Thanksgiving Dinner

As I write this, we're exactly one week away from Thanksgiving 2025 here in Illinois, and there have been all sorts of articles and blogs published lately that devote themselves to the all-important topic at this time of year: Thanksgiving dinner food, and how much you'll be paying for it this year.

You can listen to whomever you choose, but the Illinois Farm Bureau has been doing that sort of thing for over 40 years, and they really take a close look at things before releasing their annual American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Thanksgiving Cost Survey.

Not to give everything away, but the Farm Bureau is saying that the 2025 Thanksgiving dinner in Illinois will mirror the national trend of declining prices.

Thanksgiving Dinner In Illinois Is Getting Less Expensive This Year

If you’ve walked through your favorite grocery store lately, you might’ve noticed something you don’t often see at this time of year--price tags that aren’t making your eyes pop out of your head. According to the Illinois Farm Bureau, Thanksgiving dinner prices here in Illinois continue to ease, which follows the national trend of declining holiday meal costs for the third straight year.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) annual Thanksgiving Cost Survey, now in its 40th year, says the national average cost of a classic feast for 10 people sits at $55.18. That’s about $5.52 per person, and a 5% drop from last year.

Here in Illinois, volunteers with the Illinois Farm Bureau found an even lower average. Just $49.20 for a full dinner for 10, or roughly $4.92 per person. For families watching every dollar, that’s welcome news.

Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan points out that while these price drops are encouraging, we’re still climbing out from under previous years’ historic spikes.

"Gathering around the table remains an important tradition, but families are still feeling the effects of inflation. And farmers aren’t immune either, they continue to face high input costs and global uncertainty. Like consumers, farmers are price takers and don’t determine the prices set at the grocery store.”

One Of The Biggest Reasons For The Price Drop Is The Star Of The Thanksgiving Day Table, The Turkey

The average price of a 16-pound frozen turkey in Illinois is $18.03, well below the national average of $21.50. Even though wholesale prices for fresh turkeys have ticked up, grocery stores are offering steep holiday discounts to lure shoppers back toward the traditional bird. Add that to falling demand and ongoing efforts to rebuild turkey flocks after avian flu outbreaks, and it’s created a surprisingly affordable centerpiece.

Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers gathered their numbers during the first week of November, which is before stores typically slash prices even further. USDA data shows that turkey deals only got better heading into the second week of the month.

Beyond the bird, Illinois shoppers are seeing below-national-average prices on stuffing mix, pie crusts, frozen peas, rolls, sweet potatoes, veggie trays, and fresh cranberries. Milk, whipping cream, and pumpkin pie mix are all right in line with national numbers.