As Americans gear up for Thanksgiving 2025, the cost of putting dinner on the table has inched higher once again. From turkey to sweet potatoes, most holiday staples saw modest to steep price hikes compared to last year. But not every item on the menu got more expensive. A few actually dropped in price, offering a little relief for budget-conscious shoppers.
CouponFollow's Thanksgiving Inflation Tracker compares prices for 10 popular Thanksgiving ingredients in 2024 and 2025, revealing which items are stretching consumers' wallets the most and where they can still find savings this holiday season.
The largest price jump came from turkey, which rose from $1.60 to $1.90 per pound, an 18.8% increase from 2024 to 2025.
Sweet potatoes saw the second-biggest rise, climbing from $0.98 to $1.10 per pound (12.2%).
The biggest price drop was in stuffing mix, which fell from $4.08 to $3.70 per 14-ounce box, a 9.3% decrease.
As inflation continues to impact grocery budgets, the cost of Thanksgiving dinner in 2025 is a mix of highs and lows. While some ingredients spiked in price, others came in cheaper than last year, giving shoppers a few chances to cut costs.
According to our analysis, grocery retailers have been working to balance higher wholesale costs with strategic price reductions ahead of the holiday. While USDA wholesale frozen turkey prices rose nearly 40% year-over-year, widespread retailer promotions kept the average retail price closer to $1.90 per pound in early November.
That's good news for families planning large gatherings. Even modest markdowns on high-volume items like turkey, dinner rolls, or stuffing mix can add up to meaningful savings for hosts feeding a full table of guests.
Thanksgiving 2025 will cost a bit more than last year, but shoppers can still find ways to save by focusing on discounted items and store-brand alternatives. With strategic planning and early shopping, it's still possible to enjoy a full spread without overspending—just budget a little more for that centerpiece bird.
We analyzed year-over-year price changes for 10 traditional Thanksgiving ingredients using authoritative public datasets and current retail pricing. Prices were sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) 2024 Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data accessed via the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) platform.
AFBF data provided Thanksgiving-specific item prices, while USDA and BLS/FRED data supplied year-round staples, including both 2024 and 2025 average retail prices for items like milk, butter, and potatoes.
Current retail prices for the same 10 items were cross-referenced with major grocery retailers between October 31 and November 3, 2025, reflecting pre-holiday, non-promotional pricing. Averages were weighted by estimated U.S. grocery market share, and year-over-year percentage changes were calculated to identify which Thanksgiving staples saw the largest increases or decreases.
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