Cities with the most and least expensive Thanksgiving dinner costs

Hers reports that Thanksgiving dinner costs vary by city, with Phoenix, Fort Worth, and Charlotte being the most affordable, while Seattle, Boston, and Los Angeles are the most expensive. (Colleen Michaels // Shutterstock/Colleen Michaels // Shutterstock)

By Lauren Ward for Hers

Cities with the most and least expensive Thanksgiving dinner costs

Grocery store prices have been on the rise in recent years, and many Americans feel the financial pinch on Thanksgiving — a holiday where food is the star of the show. In 2024, Thanksgiving hosts reportedly planned to spend 19% more than they did the previous year, averaging $431 on food, drinks, and decorations.

But the actual cost of holiday groceries depends on a few factors, including how many people you're expecting and what they like to eat and drink. Another important component to consider is where you live — that's why Hers looked at the 25 biggest American cities to find which ones had the cheapest shopping list for Thanksgiving.

Researchers analyzed online prices from three different grocery chains in each city for the following ingredients commonly used on Thanksgiving Day:

  • Turkey
  • Gravy
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Green beans
  • Cranberry sauce
  • Dinner rolls
  • Pumpkin pie

From there, they averaged the costs to find the most affordable cities for Thanksgiving dinner.

Key Findings

Most affordable overall: Southern and southwestern cities, like Phoenix, Arizona; Fort Worth, Texas; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Most expensive overall: Coastal cities, notably Seattle, Boston, and Los Angeles.

Whole turkey prices fluctuate dramatically by region: For example, a bird costs $1.20 per pound in Phoenix, but $2.82 in Los Angeles.

An infographic listing the top cities with the most affordable Thanksgiving dinners: 1. Phoenix, Arizona 2. Fort Worth, Texas 3. Charlotte, North Carolina 4. Indianapolis, Indiana 5. Dallas, Texas 6. Houston, Texas 7. Columbus, Ohio 8. Las Vegas, Nevada 9. Washington, D.C. 10. Detroit, Michigan. (Stacker/Stacker)

Hers

25 Cities Ranked by Thanksgiving Dinner Grocery Prices, Least to Most Expensive

  1. Phoenix, Arizona
  2. Fort Worth, Texas
  3. Charlotte, North Carolina
  4. Indianapolis, Indiana
  5. Dallas, Texas
  6. Houston, Texas
  7. Columbus, Ohio
  8. Las Vegas, Nevada
  9. Washington, D.C.
  10. Detroit, Michigan
  11. Austin, Texas
  12. San Diego, California
  13. New York City, New York
  14. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  15. Jacksonville, Florida
  16. Nashville, Tennessee
  17. Denver, Colorado
  18. San Francisco, California
  19. San Antonio, Texas
  20. Chicago, Illinois
  21. El Paso, Texas
  22. San Jose, California
  23. Los Angeles, California
  24. Boston, Massachusetts
  25. Seattle, Washington

Thanksgiving Dinner Affordability By City: Trends and Insights

Here’s how each city compares, according to specific ingredient categories.

Where Is Turkey the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Turkey Prices

  1. Phoenix: $1.20 per pound
  2. Fort Worth: $1.53 per pound
  3. Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C. (tied): $1.58 per pound

Most Expensive Cities for Turkey Prices

  1. Los Angeles: $2.82 per pound
  2. San Jose and Seattle: $2.74 per pound
  3. Chicago: $2.68 per pound

Where Is Gravy the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Gravy Prices

  1. Phoenix: $0.85 per ounce
  2. Dallas: $1.17 per ounce
  3. Houston: $1.23 per ounce

Most Expensive Cities for Gravy Prices

  1. Boston: $2.66 per ounce
  2. Seattle: $2.31 per ounce
  3. El Paso: $1.90 per ounce

Where Are Sweet Potatoes the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Sweet Potato Prices

  1. Dallas and Fort Worth (tied): $1.11 per pound
  2. New York City: $1.63 per pound
  3. Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C. (tied): $1.67 per pound

Most Expensive Cities for Sweet Potato Prices

  1. Seattle: $2.42 per pound
  2. Boston: $1.91 per pound
  3. Denver: $1.81 per pound

Where Are Green Beans the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Green Bean Prices

  1. Dallas: $0.117 per ounce
  2. Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Phoenix (tied): $0.123 per ounce
  3. Austin and San Antonio (tied): $0.127 per ounce

Most Expensive Cities for Green Bean Prices

  1. San Jose: $0.25 per ounce
  2. Seattle: $0.20 per ounce
  3. Detroit: $0.17 per ounce

Where Is Cranberry Sauce the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Cranberry Sauce Prices

  1. San Francisco: $0.143 per ounce
  2. Columbus, Detroit, and Indianapolis (tied): $0.147 per ounce
  3. San Diego: $0.15 per ounce

Most Expensive Cities for Cranberry Sauce Prices

  1. Seattle: $0.22 per ounce
  2. Oklahoma City: $0.187 per ounce
  3. Austin, Jacksonville, and San Antonio (tied): $0.183 per ounce

Where Are Dinner Rolls the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Dinner Roll Prices

  1. New York City: $0.29 per roll
  2. Phoenix: $0.30 per roll
  3. Columbus: $0.31 per roll

Most Expensive Cities for Dinner Roll Prices

  1. Boston: $0.59 per roll
  2. Jacksonville and Nashville (tied): $0.56 per roll
  3. Seattle: $0.54 per roll

Where Is Pumpkin Pie the Least Expensive?

Least Expensive Cities for Pumpkin Pie Prices

  1. Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Oklahoma City (tied): $0.21 per ounce
  2. Charlotte: $0.235 per ounce
  3. Phoenix: $0.24 per ounce

Most Expensive Cities for Pumpkin Pie Prices

  1. El Paso and Nashville: $0.42 per ounce
  2. Boston: $0.415 per ounce
  3. Houston: $0.415 per ounce

3 Tips for a Budget-Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner

Keep your Thanksgiving budget on track, no matter where you live, with the help of these three tips.

  1. Host a potluck celebration: Ask guests to bring a Thanksgiving side dish to spread out the cost (and the effort) of meal-prepping. Send out a sign-up sheet in advance to avoid duplicates, then leave yourself to handle the turkey and any missing staples that guests didn't claim.
  2. Shop multiple grocery stores: Comparison shopping effectively lowers your grocery spending before Turkey Day. Once you finalize your shopping list, compare sales prices at nearby grocery stores to help you find the best price for each ingredient.
  3. Make a plan for leftovers: Be sure to include leftovers in your Thanksgiving weekend plans. By eating everything in your refrigerator, you'll avoid food waste and reduce your overall grocery spending.

Methodology: How Scores Were Calculated

The researchers analyzed 25 of the largest U.S. cities based on online grocery prices at three chains in each area. They looked at seven popular Thanksgiving food categories: turkey, gravy packets, sweet potatoes, frozen green beans, canned cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and fresh pumpkin pie.

For consistency, each grocery item was compared by unit price: per pound, ounce, or count (for dinner rolls). Those unit prices were then averaged across the three grocery stores in each city, and all the categories were combined to calculate overall affordability for Thanksgiving dinner across the 25 cities.

Get the data.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.