Which States Spend the Most for Thanksgiving Dinner?

The cost of Thanksgiving dinner can be drastically different depending on what part of the U.S. you’re cooking in this year.

Average Thanksgiving Dinner Cost by Region

Every year, the American Farm Bureau does an extensive survey of consumers to determine how much the average family is spending on its Thanksgiving meal. The results give a glimpse not only into the current state of grocery prices, but also how specific items can buck pricing trends.

One of the more fascinating sections in this year’s results, which were recently released by the farm bureau, was a breakdown showing the average Thanksgiving dinner spend by region.

READ MORE: Thanksgiving Turkey Prices See Major Change in 2024

The South spends the least for food on Thanksgiving with an average of $56.81 per meal. That cost include your usual Thanksgiving dinner staples with enough to feed a party of 10.

Two other regions aren’t far behind with the Northeast spending an average of $57.36 for Thanksgiving dinner and the Midwest coming in third with $58.90.

Thanksgiving Costs More in Western States

The story is much different in the West, which includes all of the states west of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.

“For those celebrating in the West, your grocery bill will be at least 14% steeper than the rest of the country,” the American Farm Bureau said in its report.

The report states the average cost for Thanksgiving dinner for 10 in Western states is $67.05, which is at least $8 more than any other part of the U.S.

Why The West Is Paying More for Thanksgiving

The stark difference in average Thanksgiving meal spend for the West compared to other regions is more of a reflection on all food items costing more in the part of the U.S.

To provide additional perspective, the farm bureau also looks at the average spends when adding additional items to the Thanksgiving menu including a bag of potatoes, green beans and ham.

Outside of the West, the highest average spend for the expanded Thanksgiving meal is in the Midwest with $83.04. The West continues to way outpace the other regions with an expanded meal price of $93.03.