Thanksgiving Costs More in 2019

Thanksgiving Costs More in 2019

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett
Thanksgiving dinner with your family looks to be a bit pricier this year. That, according to the USDA’s reporting service, is a reversal of a trend that has continued for the last three years.

This year the cost of Thanksgiving dinner has gone up nearly 7 percent over last year. That’s for an average dinner of one 12 pound turkey, 3 pounds of sweet and regular potatoes, a pound of green beans and another of cranberries and a gallon of milk. Last year the cost of 21.35. This year the same dinner will cost 22.83

Part of the reason is that turkey producers have slowed production in the past year. As of September, whole bird turkey cold storage levels were down 5% compared to a year ago, according to the USDA. Cold storage of smaller hens were up 9.5% compared to larger toms turkeys, which were down 15.5%.

Last year the average cost of a turkey was about $.90/pound. This year it’s about $.03 higher.

Short: “The story really is vegetable prices.”

That is USDA economist, Gianna Short explaining the main reason our feast will cost a bit more.

Last year sweet potatoes were priced at about $.71/pound. This year they’re around $1.00. More than 40 percent higher year over year. Green beans have gone from $1.40 to $1.50 per pound since last year, about an 8 percent increase. Cranberries of have increased from $2.03 to $2.10 a bag since 2018.

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