Michael R. Wickline

mwickline@adgnewsroom.com

Mike Wickline covers state politics, and he has covered the state Legislature for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since November 2000. He previously spent several years covering the Idaho Legislature for the Lewiston Morning Tribune.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many Arkansans are asking the question: How much will my Thanksgiving dinner cost?

According to new data from the Arkansas Farm Bureau, your Thanksgiving meal may cost less than it did in 2024.

The Farm Bureau released its findings from its annual Thanksgiving Dinner Survey, and it found that meal prices across the board are lower than it has been since before the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“It’s about a 20% drop from last year. I think we said it was around $71 last year and $56 this year,” Director of Commodity Economics with the Arkansas Farm Bureau, Tyler Oxner, said.

According to the survey, the total average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 10 in 2025 is $56.77, which is $5.68 a person. In 2024, the total cost was $71.29, which is $7.13 a person. The pricing decrease is also evident across various items.

“The protein is what we’re seeing the biggest decrease in. We got a 7% decrease in turkeys year over year. About a third of the price of last year’s ham,” states Oxner.

A 16-pound turkey cost $15.13, or $0.94 per pound. In 2025, that same turkey may cost $14.10 and .88 a pound.

The survey also reports that a 4-pound ham cost Arkansans $21 last year. Now it’s costing $14.07, a 34% decrease.

Several classic Thanksgiving sides have also seen a decline in average cost:

• -3-pound bag of Sweet Potatoes from $3.03 to $2.40 (21% decrease)
• -5-pound bag of Russet Potatoes from $2.97 to $2.47 (17% decrease)
• -12-ounce package of Fresh Cranberries from $1.83 to $1.43 (22% decrease)
• -16-ounce package of Frozen Green Peas from $1.44 to $1.02 (29% decrease)
• -16-ounce package of Frozen Green Beans from $1.77 to $1.57 (11% decrease)
• -9-inch Frozen Pie Shells from $3.29 to $1.94 (41% decrease)
• -14-ounce package of Cube Stuffing, Herb Seasoning from $3.99 to $2.61 (35% decrease)
• -12-count package of Dinner Rolls from $4.20 to $1.68 (60% decrease)
• -30-ounce can of Pumpkin Pie Mix from $4.20 to $3.98 (5% decrease)
• -1 gallon of Whole Milk from $4.23 to $3.64 (14% decrease)

Some products did not see the same declines. The price of 1 pound of fresh carrots increased by 12%, jumping from $1.04 to $1.16. The price of 1 bunch of fresh celery jumped up by 66%, from $1.05 to $1.74. A 1/2-pint carton of whipping cream also soared by 54%, increasing from $1.92 to $2.96.

Of course, this all depends on where you shop.

“You’re going to see, depending on what grocery store you go to, what promotional deals they have going on at those stores,” says Oxner.

“Arkansas is normally cheaper, and the South in general is normally cheaper than the rest of the United States,” he adds.

These prices not only depend on what retailer you shop at, but what county you shop in.

The survey reports that prices on Thanksgiving meals range from $50.89 in Boone County to $68.36 in Garland County. All of the other counties that the Farm Bureau surveyed came in under $60:

• -Hempstead County: $51.27
• -Faulkner County: $53.58
• -Craighead County: $55.89
• -Sevier County: $56.34
• -Sharp County: $57.48
• -Carroll County: $58.46
• -Lonoke County: $58.54

Oxner credits these pricing trends to one group.

“Arkansas families may see lower prices for their traditional Thanksgiving meal, and they just need to know that this is the work of those Arkansas farmers out there that are working tirelessly to provide sustainable food.”

Oxner says that these prices have the potential to continue to decline in the coming years, but that all depends on various factors, such as changing transportation and production costs, as well as if the Avian Influenza becomes a problem again in Arkansas like it was in 2024.