Prices are going down, according to your Thanksgiving dinner

Are you spending more on your Turkey Day dinner this year?

Here’s a quick snapshot of some economic data for you: The Delaware Farm Bureau did some research using USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, and the news isn’t all bad.

Yes, the cost of a turkey dinner is up 25% from 2019, when you could purchase groceries for a full Thanksgiving meal for under $50, or $48.91, on average.

But the cost of the meal — $61.17 on average in 2023 — is less expensive than it was last year, when the same shopping trip cost an average of $64.05.

(Courtesy Delaware Farm Bureau)

This is for a “classic” meal, including a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, ingredients for pumpkin pie, cranberries, sweet potatoes, peas, dinner rolls, a veggie tray and a gallon of milk.

Most of the ingredients went down in price since 2022, with the exceptions of dinner rolls, the veggie tray, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie mix. The biggest drop in price (18%) was for a bag of fresh cranberries.

(Courtesy Delaware Farm Bureau)

The Bureau compared the costs by region, and Delaware — which is classified as in the South — is in one of the more affordable US regions, after the Midwest. Both average around $59. Most expensive is the Northeast, and the West, which both average around $64.