How much did Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people cost?
Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people cost $28.74 in 1986 and $55.18 in 2025: 92% more.
Over the same years, prices in general (US inflation, measured by the consumer price index, CPI) rose about 2.9 times. That makes $28.74 in 1986 worth about $84.41 in 2025 money. So, after inflation, it is cheaper than in 1986: about 35% less in real terms.
The biggest change between two listed years came between 2005 and 2010, when it went up 18%, from $36.78 to $43.47.
Thanksgiving dinner: price by year
| Year | Price | In 2025 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | $28.74 | $84.41 |
| 1990 | $28.85 | $71.05 |
| 1995 | $29.64 | $62.61 |
| 2000 | $32.37 | $60.51 |
| 2005 | $36.78 | $60.62 |
| 2010 | $43.47 | $64.16 |
| 2015 | $50.11 | $68.06 |
| 2020 | $46.90 | $58.34 |
| 2025 | $55.18 | $55.18 |
"In 2025 dollars" adjusts each amount for inflation with the CPI, so the years can be compared fairly. How this works.
Where the numbers come from
From the American Farm Bureau Federation's yearly Thanksgiving survey: volunteer shoppers price the same classic menu for 10 people each November.
Source: American Farm Bureau Federation: Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Averages (Year_Over_Year_Price_Comparison_22.pdf); 'Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner Declines' (news release, 19 Nov 2025). View the source.
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