Here’s How Much A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Costs In Iowa In 2024

Groceries feeling kind of pricey this year?

There's definitely a moment of nausea at the grocery store checkout on the pre-Thanksgiving haul. It really is that much but it's the holidays, so 'tis the season to go broke.

And if you feel like it's a particularly high price, you're not alone.

A survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation looked at how much every part of the country is paying for a traditional Thanksgiving spread (meaning turkey and 11 other items, like cranberries, cubed stuffing, dinner rolls, veggies, and dessert ingredients like pie crusts and whipping cream).

Good News For Iowa

The average price of a Thanksgiving meal nationally is down 5% from last year, in large part thanks to the price of turkey going down since last Thanksgiving.

The Midwest can expect an average price tag of $58.90 per person for the Thanksgiving spread.

If you're thinking 'gee that seems high', it could be way worse. Out West, the average Thanksgiving cost per person this year is $67.05.

The more expensive stuff this year are the processed items, specifically dinner rolls and cubed stuffing that have gone up 8% in price since last Thanksgiving. The report credits that to "nonfood inflation and labor shortages". Fresh cranberries are up 12% but, with the inflation adjustment, it's still the lowest cost for cranberries since 1987.

Sweet potatoes and whole milk had the biggest price drop since Thanksgiving 2023, dropping by 26% and 14% respectively.

Of course the costs will vary by family and by region, depending on whatever is on the menu for a household's Thanksgiving. Additional side dishes in the West can put the cost at nearly $100/person.