In a year when inflation has driven up prices of nearly all consumer goods, the price of a Thanksgiving meal also is trending upward.
According to an informal survey conducted by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 adults is $73.91, or $7.39 per person.
The survey’s menu consists of turkey, ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, rolls, carrots, celery, cranberries, green beans, peas, milk and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
A meal without ham, russet potatoes and green beans costs $57.63, or $5.76 per person.
This year’s statewide average increased by $10.25—16.1 percent—from the 2021 average of $63.66 for a 10-person meal. Prices reported by volunteer shoppers around the state do not reflect discounts from promotional sales or coupons, and survey data was collected before most major sales took place.
The survey data was relatively consistent with current Consumer Price Index trends, which reveal shoppers are ...