AFBF Survey: Louisiana Thanksgiving Dinner Prices Second-Lowest In US 

By Neil Melancon 

Louisiana Farm Bureau News

BATON ROUGE, LA - Although grocery prices remain high historically nationwide, they have dropped for a third year in a row, coming down from 2022’s high.     

Louisiana consumers will spend even less this Thanksgiving, according to a statewide sample of prices for the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey. Louisiana was the second-lowest price-wise in the survey, only behind Arkansas, and residents should expect to spend almost $10 less than the national average for a classic Thanksgiving dinner for ten people.  

The classic dinner includes 11 main items, such as a turkey, veggie tray, pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes, along with the cost for miscellaneous ingredients like eggs, flour and evaporated milk. 

The average cost for those items in Louisiana is $44.70, $9.94 less than the national average and $1.14 lower than the state average last year. According to the American Farm Bureau, this year’s national average is $55.18, approximately $3 lower than last year.  The biggest price mover down was turkey, which is more that 16 percent cheaper this year nationally than last. 

If you upgrade the meal to also include boneless ham, russet potatoes and frozen green beans, the cost in Louisiana will increase $20.36 to $65.07, compared to the national average of $77.09.  

“It’s important to keep a couple things in mind—first is, farmers and ranchers across the state work hard to ensure we have the safest, most affordable food supply in the world,” Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot said. “Second, farmers receive a fraction of the cost of that Thanksgiving meal for the essentials we supply.” 

According to the USDA, the farmer’s share of every dollar spent on food is 9.1 cents. This year, the farmer’s share of a classic Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana slightly more than $5--lower than the cost of the meal per person.  

Despite some items such as the turkey, stuffing and cranberries being lower this year, many items moved sharply higher, including ham, sweet potatoes and vegetables.  In addition to the increases here, farmers themselves have had to face higher prices for overhead, such as fuel and fertilizer, while dealing with historically low commodity prices. 

“Remember to thank a farmer today,” Louisiana Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Chair Michele Simoneaux said. “They're the reason we can gather around the table and share a meal with our families– every day, not just on Thanksgiving.” 

Here is a compiled list of the average price for each survey item from Louisiana. 

  • Frozen Turkey, 16lbs.: $15.48 

  • Cubed Stuffing, 14oz.: $3.43 

  • Dinner Rolls, 12: $3.05 

  • Sweet Potatoes, 3 lbs.: $2.89 

  • Veggie Tray (½ lbs. carrot and ½ lbs. celery): $1.16 

  • Whole Milk, 1 gallon: $4.04 

  • Pumpkin Pie Mix, 30 oz.: $3.89 

  • Fresh Cranberries, 12 oz.: $1.67 

  • Whipping Cream, ½ pint: $1.61 

  • Frozen Green Peas, 1 lb: $1.55 

  • Frozen Pie Shells, 2 per package: $3.01 

  • Miscellaneous ingredients: $2.92 

Total- Classic Thanksgiving Dinner: $44.70 

  • Boneless Ham, 4 lbs.: $15.77 

  • Russet Potatoes, 5 lbs.: $2.83 

  • Frozen Green Beans, 1 lb: $1.76 

Total- Updated Thanksgiving Dinner: $65.07 

Founded in 1921, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization representing more than 146,000 member families. 

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