Thanksgiving Costs Less in California Than Wyoming (and Other Surprises by State)
Last updated 11/05/2026 by
SuperMoney Team
Edited by
Andrew Latham
Summary:
Quick quiz. Does Thanksgiving dinner cost more in Los Angeles or Cheyenne, Wyoming? How about Boston or Little Rock, Arkansas?
If you picked the expensive cities, you’re in good company, and you’re wrong both times. Cheyenne beats LA by $3.23, and Little Rock beats Boston by $1.17. The state that pays the most is the one everybody guesses. Almost everything after that is a surprise.
We priced the same classic Thanksgiving dinner at Walmart in one major city in every state, then checked the results against the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the farm group that has priced a holiday menu every November since 1986. Here’s what your state pays, the surprises hiding in the rankings, and a budget menu (with recipes) that feeds 10 for less than almost any state’s average.
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Thanksgiving dinner cost by state in 2026
The average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $65.81 across the 50 states, or about $6.58 per person. That’s for a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, peas, fresh cranberries, a vegetable tray, milk, pumpkin pie mix, two pie crusts and whipping cream.
| Rank | Most expensive | Dinner for 10 | Least expensive | Dinner for 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $77.19 | Alabama | $58.57 |
| 2 | Alaska | $74.41 | Delaware | $63.01 |
| 3 | Colorado | $68.61 | Vermont | $63.23 |
| 4 | Oregon | $67.47 | California | $63.79 |
| 5 | Arizona | $67.18 | Maryland | $64.48 |
Four surprises in the rankings
1. California is one of the cheapest states. The state known for sky-high rent ranks 47th of 50, at $63.79. Los Angeles had the cheapest vegetable tray in our data ($7.08, versus $11.64 in most cities), which more than covered its pricier milk and sweet potatoes.
2. The West is Thanksgiving’s pricey zone. After Hawaii and Alaska, the next eight most expensive states are Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, Washington, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Idaho. Every one of them is in the West. Colorado ranks third at $68.61, ahead of every state on the East Coast. A big reason is sweet potatoes, which ran $5.02 to $5.66 a bag in those states versus about $3.50 to $3.70 in much of the South and East, closer to North Carolina, the country’s top sweet potato grower.
3. Expensive places to live are cheap places to eat turkey. Maryland ranks 46th, Connecticut 42nd and Massachusetts 33rd. Little Rock ($66.22) pays more than Boston ($65.05), and Cheyenne ($67.02) pays more than New York City ($65.61). The reason those places are expensive is housing, and housing isn’t on the Thanksgiving table. Walmart charges about the same for canned pumpkin, boxed stuffing and frozen pie crusts nationwide, so a high cost of living barely shows up in the dinner bill.
4. The Thanksgiving capital of America isn’t the priciest. Wisconsin, which raises more of the country’s cranberries than any other state, lands right in the middle at 17th. Its cranberries cost 97 cents, the same as almost everywhere else.
One honest caveat. Outside Hawaii and Alaska, most states are separated by pennies to a few dollars, so a single item can move a state up or down several spots. The big picture holds. The details can shuffle.
Why Hawaii and Alaska pay the most
Hawaii’s bill is $18.62 higher than Alabama’s, and it isn’t the turkey. Every state’s turkey costs the same in our data (more on that below). The difference is in the sides, which have to be shipped across an ocean.
| Item | Honolulu | Typical state |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet potatoes, 3 lb | $7.68 | $3.87 |
| Dinner rolls | $7.32 | $5.76 |
| Fresh cranberries, 12 oz | $2.73 | $0.97 |
| Milk | $3.78 | $1.82 |
Sweet potatoes cost about twice as much in Honolulu, and cranberries nearly three times as much. Alaska follows the same pattern, with an Anchorage vegetable tray at $14.55 and milk at $3.87. “Typical state” here means the median price across all 50 states.
Alabama is cheap for a simpler reason. The Huntsville store sold a cheaper version of two items. Its dinner rolls cost $2.57 (versus $5.76 in most cities) and its vegetable tray cost $7.48. That’s a good reminder that the store-brand version of a side dish can matter as much as which state you live in.
This lines up with the Farm Bureau’s own 2025 regional numbers. AFBF found the West was the most expensive region for Thanksgiving dinner ($61.75) and the South was the cheapest ($50.01), with the Northeast ($60.82) and Midwest ($54.38) in between.
The surprise is that most of the country pays about the same
Take out Hawaii, Alaska and Alabama and the other 47 states fall between $63.01 and $68.61. That’s a spread of about $5.60 for a meal that feeds 10, or 56 cents a person. If you’ve been told Thanksgiving costs a fortune in New York and nothing in Texas, the receipts disagree. New York City came in at $65.61 and Houston at $64.71.
The biggest reason is the bird. The turkey is about 41% of the average bill, and we priced it the same everywhere. Many of the rest are packaged goods (stuffing, canned pie mix, frozen crusts) that Walmart prices almost identically nationwide. What’s left to vary is fresh produce, bread and dairy, and those add up to a few dollars.
So if the Thanksgiving budget feels tight this year, moving isn’t the fix. What you buy, and how many people chip in, will swing your bill far more than your ZIP code.
Thanksgiving dinner cost in all 50 states
Here’s the full ranking, from most to least expensive. Type your state in the search box to jump to it. Cost per person assumes the meal feeds 10.
| State | City priced | Dinner for 10 | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hawaii | Honolulu | $77.19 | $7.72 |
| 2. Alaska | Anchorage | $74.41 | $7.44 |
| 3. Colorado | Denver | $68.61 | $6.86 |
| 4. Oregon | Portland | $67.47 | $6.75 |
| 5. Arizona | Phoenix | $67.18 | $6.72 |
| 6. Washington | Seattle | $67.12 | $6.71 |
| 7. Wyoming | Cheyenne | $67.02 | $6.70 |
| 8. Montana | Billings | $66.92 | $6.69 |
| 9. Utah | Salt Lake City | $66.36 | $6.64 |
| 10. Idaho | Boise | $66.32 | $6.63 |
| 11. Arkansas | Little Rock | $66.22 | $6.62 |
| 12. Nevada | Las Vegas | $66.16 | $6.62 |
| 13. North Dakota | Fargo | $66.11 | $6.61 |
| 14. Illinois | Chicago | $66.08 | $6.61 |
| 15. Minnesota | Minneapolis | $66.00 | $6.60 |
| 16. South Dakota | Sioux Falls | $65.91 | $6.59 |
| 17. Wisconsin | Milwaukee | $65.88 | $6.59 |
| 18. Georgia | Atlanta | $65.84 | $6.58 |
| 19. Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | $65.82 | $6.58 |
| 20. Nebraska | Omaha | $65.81 | $6.58 |
| 21. Louisiana | New Orleans | $65.79 | $6.58 |
| 22. Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | $65.67 | $6.57 |
| 23. Michigan | Detroit | $65.66 | $6.57 |
| 24. New York | New York City | $65.61 | $6.56 |
| 25. New Jersey | Newark | $65.61 | $6.56 |
| 26. Indiana | Indianapolis | $65.55 | $6.55 |
| 27. Maine | Portland | $65.50 | $6.55 |
| 28. Tennessee | Nashville | $65.41 | $6.54 |
| 29. Iowa | Des Moines | $65.30 | $6.53 |
| 30. New Hampshire | Manchester | $65.27 | $6.53 |
| 31. South Carolina | Charleston | $65.13 | $6.51 |
| 32. New Mexico | Albuquerque | $65.09 | $6.51 |
| 33. Massachusetts | Boston | $65.05 | $6.50 |
| 34. Rhode Island | Providence | $64.98 | $6.50 |
| 35. Kansas | Wichita | $64.97 | $6.50 |
| 36. Missouri | Kansas City | $64.97 | $6.50 |
| 37. Florida | Jacksonville | $64.96 | $6.50 |
| 38. Mississippi | Jackson | $64.96 | $6.50 |
| 39. West Virginia | Charleston | $64.90 | $6.49 |
| 40. Kentucky | Louisville | $64.89 | $6.49 |
| 41. Virginia | Virginia Beach | $64.87 | $6.49 |
| 42. Connecticut | Hartford | $64.85 | $6.48 |
| 43. Ohio | Columbus | $64.79 | $6.48 |
| 44. Texas | Houston | $64.71 | $6.47 |
| 45. North Carolina | Charlotte | $64.50 | $6.45 |
| 46. Maryland | Baltimore | $64.48 | $6.45 |
| 47. California | Los Angeles | $63.79 | $6.38 |
| 48. Vermont | Burlington | $63.23 | $6.32 |
| 49. Delaware | Wilmington | $63.01 | $6.30 |
| 50. Alabama | Huntsville | $58.57 | $5.86 |
Will Thanksgiving cost more in 2026?
Probably a little, but not by much. Grocery prices rose 1.8% in the 12 months through September 2026, per BLS, less than half the 3.7% rise in prices overall. Turkey looks steady too. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts wholesale frozen turkey hens at $1.75 a pound for the last three months of 2026, close to the $1.72 it reported for the same stretch of 2025.
The Farm Bureau usually releases its new survey the week before Thanksgiving. We’ll update this article when the 2026 numbers come out. In the meantime, here’s a fun one. The Farm Bureau’s dinner cost $28.74 in 1986. Was that actually cheaper than today? Grandma’s receipt says otherwise.
A quick note on the two numbers you’ll see. AFBF’s 2025 dinner cost $55.18 nationally, less than our $65.81 state average, because the menus aren’t identical. AFBF’s turkey averaged $1.34 a pound, it uses a half pint of whipping cream instead of a pint, and its veggie tray is a pound of carrots and celery rather than a store-made tray with dip.
Our $59 Thanksgiving dinner for 10 (with recipes)
Knowing your state’s average is nice. Paying less than it is better. So we built a full Thanksgiving dinner for 10 from Walmart’s own listings, swapping in the cheapest version of each dish that still tastes like the holiday. Prices are from Walmart.com for a Milwaukee-area store, checked Nov. 5, 2026.
The total comes to $59.04 for 10, or $5.90 a person, and that includes every last ingredient, down to the butter, eggs and sugar. If you already have flour, sugar and spices in the pantry, it’s $48.27. You also get two pumpkin pies instead of one.
The swaps that save the most
| Dish | Standard basket | Budget swap | Swap cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey (16 lb) | $27.20 | Butterball at 97 cents/lb this week | $15.52 |
| Stuffing | $3.12 | Homemade from a loaf of bread | $1.52 |
| Sweet potatoes, 3 lb | $3.87 | Same bag, checked this week | $1.97 |
| Dinner rolls | $5.76 | Store-brand brown-and-serve | $1.00 |
| Veggie tray | $11.64 | Baby carrots, celery, homemade ranch | $5.78 |
| Pumpkin pie filling | $3.57 | 2 cans pumpkin + 2 evaporated milk (2 pies) | $4.00 |
| Pie crusts | $2.54 | Store brand | $1.24 |
| Cranberries | $0.97 | Same bag, this week | $0.76 |
The turkey is the big one. Walmart’s own frozen Butterball was 97 cents a pound this week, so a 16-pound bird costs $15.52 instead of the $27.20 we used to compare states. The next biggest win is the veggie tray. A bag of baby carrots, celery and a homemade ranch dip cost about half as much as a ready-made tray. Store-brand rolls save $4.76 on their own. The one place we spent a bit more is pie. Two cans of plain pumpkin plus evaporated milk cost 43 cents more than one can of pie mix, but they make two pies. (Pie mix needs evaporated milk and eggs too, so it was never as cheap as its sticker.)
Shopping list
| Item | Price | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Butterball frozen whole turkey, 16 lb at 97 cents/lb | $15.52 | Turkey |
| Great Value salted butter, 1 lb | $2.68 | Shared |
| Yellow onions, 3 lb bag | $3.76 | Shared |
| Celery, 1 bunch | $0.97 | Shared |
| Great Value chicken broth, 32 oz | $1.24 | Stuffing and gravy |
| Great Value white sandwich bread, 20 oz | $1.52 | Stuffing |
| Great Value poultry seasoning, 1.5 oz | $2.12 | Stuffing and turkey |
| Great Value all-purpose flour, 5 lb | $1.97 | Gravy |
| Sweet potatoes, 3 lb bag | $1.97 | Sweet potatoes |
| Great Value ground cinnamon, 2.5 oz | $1.27 | Sweet potatoes |
| Great Value granulated sugar, 4 lb | $2.97 | Shared |
| Fresh cranberries, 12 oz | $0.76 | Cranberry sauce |
| Great Value frozen sweet peas, 12 oz (2 bags) | $1.76 | Peas |
| Great Value brown-and-serve dinner rolls, 12 count | $1.00 | Rolls |
| Baby-cut carrots, 2 lb | $1.82 | Veggie platter |
| Great Value sour cream, 16 oz | $1.84 | Veggie platter |
| Hidden Valley ranch dip mix, 1 oz | $2.12 | Veggie platter |
| Great Value 100% pure pumpkin, 15 oz (2 cans) | $2.00 | Pie |
| Great Value evaporated milk, 12 oz (2 cans) | $2.00 | Pie |
| Great Value large eggs, 12 count | $1.67 | Pie and stuffing |
| Great Value pumpkin pie spice, 2 oz | $2.44 | Pie |
| Great Value frozen deep dish pie crusts, 2 | $1.24 | Pie |
| Great Value heavy whipping cream, 16 oz | $2.96 | Whipped cream |
| Great Value whole milk, half gallon | $1.44 | Milk |
| Total | $59.04 |
Herb-butter roast turkey with pan gravy
Thaw the turkey in the fridge, allowing about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds (so start four days early for a 16-pounder). Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the bird dry, rub it all over with 4 tablespoons of softened butter mixed with 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, and tuck a quartered onion inside. Roast for about 3¾ to 4¼ hours, until a thermometer reads at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the wing. Rest it 30 minutes before carving.
For gravy, whisk ¼ cup of the pan fat with ¼ cup of flour over medium heat for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in 2 cups of pan juices topped up with broth. Simmer until thick. Salt to taste.
Homemade bread stuffing
Cube the loaf of bread and leave it out overnight (or toast at 300°F for 20 minutes). Cook 1 chopped onion and 3 chopped celery ribs in 1 stick of butter until soft. Toss with the bread, 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, 1 beaten egg and about 2½ cups of broth, until moist but not soggy. Bake covered at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 more to crisp the top.
Cinnamon-roasted sweet potatoes
Peel and cube the 3 pounds of sweet potatoes. Toss with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Roast at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until the edges caramelize.
Fresh cranberry sauce
Bring 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the 12 ounces of cranberries and simmer about 10 minutes, until most of them pop. It thickens as it cools. It costs about a dollar and beats the can.
Buttered peas with onion
Cook ½ chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of butter until soft, add both bags of frozen peas and a splash of water, and cook 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Veggie platter with homemade ranch
Stir the ranch dip mix into the 16 ounces of sour cream and chill for an hour. Serve with the baby carrots and the rest of the celery cut into sticks.
Two pumpkin pies with real whipped cream
For each pie, whisk together 1 can of pumpkin, 1 can of evaporated milk, 2 eggs, ¾ cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and a pinch of salt. Pour into a crust and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife near the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Whip the pint of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks form.
Bake the rolls according to the package while the turkey rests, and pour the milk for the kids. That’s dinner.
More ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner
- Buy the turkey early in the week of the sale. Grocers often sell turkeys below cost to bring you in. Prices like 97 cents a pound don’t last, and the frozen birds go first.
- Make it a potluck. Split five ways, our $59 menu is about $12 per household. The host makes the turkey. Everyone else brings a side.
- Use what’s already in your pantry. Flour, sugar and spices are $10.77 of our list. If you have them, skip them.
- Price the wine separately. We left wine out of the totals because state alcohol laws drive the price. The same bottle of Josh Cellars Cabernet cost $11.97 in Jacksonville and Las Vegas and $19.49 in 15 states.
Keep the holidays off a card you can’t pay off
A $66 Thanksgiving dinner won’t sink anyone’s budget. Thanksgiving through New Year’s, though, can add up fast, and whatever ends up on a credit card past January keeps costing you. If you’re carrying a balance already, a debt repayment plan is a better use of the season than new charges, and it helps to know how buy now, pay later can affect your credit score before you split up gift purchases.
If you want to splurge on the meal, go ahead. That’s what a conscious spending plan is for. You spend freely on what you love and cut back on what you don’t. And if Halloween already put a dent in the grocery budget, our look at Halloween candy prices has more ways to stretch it.
The SuperMoney app links your accounts and tracks spending against your budget, so you can see what the holiday season actually cost you, not just what you hoped it would.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Thanksgiving dinner cost in 2026?
Our check of Walmart prices in all 50 states found an average of $65.81 for dinner for 10, or about $6.58 per person. The Farm Bureau’s 2025 survey, using a slightly smaller menu and cheaper turkey, found $55.18. AFBF’s 2026 survey is expected the week before Thanksgiving.
Which state has the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner?
Hawaii, at $77.19 for 10 people, followed by Alaska at $74.41. Fresh items like sweet potatoes, cranberries and milk cost much more in Honolulu and Anchorage than on the mainland.
Which state has the cheapest Thanksgiving dinner?
Alabama, at $58.57 for 10 people. The Huntsville Walmart we priced sold cheaper dinner rolls and a cheaper vegetable tray than stores in most other states.
How can I make Thanksgiving dinner for 10 on a budget?
Buy the turkey on sale (Walmart had frozen Butterballs at 97 cents a pound in early November), make stuffing from a loaf of bread, use store-brand rolls and build your own veggie platter. Our menu with those swaps costs $59.04 for 10, or $48.27 if you already have flour, sugar and spices.
Is it cheaper to host Thanksgiving or go out?
Hosting usually wins. At about $6.58 a person for a home-cooked dinner, even a modest restaurant meal for 10 will cost several times as much before tip.
Key takeaways
- Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $77.19 in Hawaii and $58.57 in Alabama. The 50-state average is $65.81, or $6.58 per person.
- The surprises are that California ranks 47th, eight of the 10 priciest states are in the West, and Little Rock pays more than Boston.
- The turkey is about 41% of the bill. Fresh sides like sweet potatoes, cranberries and milk drive most of the difference between states.
- The Farm Bureau found the same pattern in 2025, with the West as the most expensive region ($61.75) and the South as the cheapest ($50.01).
- Our budget menu feeds 10 for $59.04 ($5.90 a person), including two homemade pies, or $48.27 if you already have flour, sugar and spices.
Methodology
SuperMoney priced a classic Thanksgiving basket at Walmart in fall 2026, using one major city per state (the city is listed in the table above). The basket included a 16-pound frozen turkey, 12 oz of cubed stuffing, 3 lb of sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, 15 oz of peas, 12 oz of fresh cranberries, a vegetable tray with dip, milk, 30 oz of pumpkin pie mix, two frozen pie crusts and 16 oz of whipping cream, enough to feed about 10 people.
Because Walmart sells turkeys in a range of weights, we standardized every turkey at 16 pounds and $1.70 a pound ($27.20), in line with USDA’s late-2026 wholesale forecast. Where a store showed only a third-party marketplace listing for an item (most often stuffing and pumpkin pie mix), we used Walmart’s own price for that item instead ($3.12 for stuffing and $3.57 for pie mix). Wine was collected but left out of the totals. Prices change often and vary by store, so your local total may differ.
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