A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $66.06 in New York in 2025, nearly 20 percent above the $55.18 national average, according to the New York Farm Bureau. The turkey accounts for most of that gap, while farm labor costs and the state’s higher cost of living shape the rest heading into the 2026 survey.
Key Takeaways
- A 16-pound frozen turkey averaged $28.27 in New York in 2025, compared with $21.50 nationally, a $6.77 difference.
- New York’s classic Thanksgiving meal cost about $6.61 per person in 2025, nearly 9 percent above the Northeast average of $60.82.
- The expanded menu with ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans cost $87.86 in New York, versus $77.09 nationally.
- New York’s overtime threshold for farmworkers dropped to 52 hours a week on January 1, 2026, and falls to 48 hours in 2028.
- Farms received 18.5 cents of every dollar consumers spent on groceries in 2024, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation published its 2025 results on November 19, and the 2026 edition will be the survey’s 41st.
New York’s Thanksgiving Table Ran Well Above the National Average in 2025
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey prices the same classic menu every year: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, enough to serve 10. The New York Farm Bureau, the state’s agricultural trade organization, publishes a New York breakdown alongside the national figures.
In 2025, that table cost $55.18 nationally, down 5 percent from 2024 and the third straight annual decline. The Northeast came in at $60.82. New York landed at $66.06, higher than both, even in a year when the national bill fell. The survey is informal by design. Volunteer shoppers check in-store and online prices without promotional coupons, so the results work as a price snapshot rather than a statistical index.
The Turkey Accounts for Most of New York’s Price Gap
The New York Farm Bureau’s item-by-item comparison shows the premium is concentrated in one place. New York’s classic meal cost $10.88 more than the national average in 2025, and the turkey alone accounted for $6.77 of that, roughly 62 percent. New Yorkers paid $1.77 per pound for a frozen bird, compared with $1.34 nationally.
The side dishes tell a different story. Dinner rolls ran 99 cents higher in New York and pie crusts 81 cents higher. Several staples landed close to the national price: sweet potatoes cost $4.08 versus $4.00, whipping cream $1.89 versus $1.87, and pumpkin pie mix was 2 cents cheaper in New York at $4.14. For shoppers, that means the bird is where comparison shopping can save the most money.
Farm Labor Costs Shape What New York Shoppers Pay
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The New York Farm Bureau points to labor shortages, rapidly increasing farm wages and rising production costs as reasons New York prices sit above regional and national averages. No current federal survey isolates New York farm wages, because the USDA discontinued its Farm Labor Survey in 2025. The wage trend therefore rests on the Farm Bureau’s own assessment.
State rules add a measurable layer. Under a schedule set by the New York State Department of Labor, farmworkers now earn overtime after 52 hours a week, down from 56 hours in 2024 and 2025. The threshold drops to 48 hours in 2028, 44 in 2030 and 40 in 2032. A state tax credit offsets part of that expense: eligible farm employers can claim 118 percent of the overtime premium paid for hours between the threshold and 60 hours a week. The state minimum wage outside New York City, Long Island and Westchester stays at $16 an hour on January 1, 2027.
Farmers Keep a Small Share of the Grocery Dollar
Higher shelf prices do not translate into higher farm income. The New York Farm Bureau stated plainly in its 2025 release that “Farmers are price takers, not price makers.” USDA Economic Research Service data supports the point: in 2024, farms received 18.5 cents of every dollar consumers spent on food at home. The remaining 81.5 cents covered processing, packaging, transportation and retail. Much of what separates a New York receipt from a national one is built in after food leaves the farm.
Cost of Living Adds to the Northeast Premium
The Farm Bureau also cites New York’s higher-than-average cost of living. Federal price data for the New York metro area, which spans parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, shows the pressure. Consumer prices rose 4.5 percent in the year ending September 2026, and 3.7 percent excluding food and energy. Housing remains a major part of that picture: shelter costs rose 0.4 percent in October alone, the same budget pressure behind the 2026 income limits for the city’s affordable housing lottery.
October Grocery Data Points to Mixed Pressure on Side Dishes
The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data offers clues for this year’s table. Grocery prices in the New York metro area rose 0.8 percent in October 2026, led by fruits and vegetables at 1.6 percent. Dairy fell 0.7 percent, and cereals and bakery products, which include rolls and stuffing ingredients, dropped 0.6 percent. Energy prices fell 1.6 percent in the same month, a small relief for households already seeking help through the statewide push for utility bill relief.
Those monthly moves do not predict the Farm Bureau’s 2026 result, which uses its own menu and method. They do suggest that produce-heavy sides may cost more this year, while bread-based dishes and dairy may ease.
The 2026 Survey Arrives Days Before Thanksgiving
The American Farm Bureau Federation typically releases its results the week before Thanksgiving. The 2025 edition published November 19, and the New York Farm Bureau released its state breakdown alongside it. Last year, the Farm Bureau also noted that grocery stores often lower turkey prices further in the final days before the holiday. That pattern matters in a city expecting 8.1 million holiday visitors across all five boroughs, many of them sitting down at New York tables.
FAQs
How much did Thanksgiving dinner cost in New York in 2025?
A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $66.06 in New York in 2025, or about $6.61 per person. The expanded menu with ham, potatoes and green beans cost $87.86.
When does the 2026 Farm Bureau Thanksgiving survey come out?
No 2026 release date has been announced. The 2025 survey published on November 19, the week before Thanksgiving, and the 2024 edition came out on November 20.
Why is turkey more expensive in New York?
A 16-pound turkey cost $28.27 in New York in 2025, compared with $21.50 nationally. The New York Farm Bureau attributes the state’s higher food prices to labor shortages, rising farm wages, production costs and a higher cost of living.
Do higher grocery prices mean farmers earn more?
No. In 2024, farms received 18.5 cents of every grocery dollar, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. Most of the price covers processing, transportation and retail costs.
