SALISBURY, MD – Thanksgiving is just a day away, and while grocery stores are bustling with last-minute shoppers, there’s mixed news about prices. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten has dropped nationally by about 5% compared to last year. But shoppers on Delmarva say they’re not feeling much relief.
“It’s quite a bit increased—price of turkey, price of groceries—everything has gone up,” said Mike Overback, one of many stocking up for the holiday.
The AFBF survey shows that feeding a table of ten costs:
- $60.03 nationally
- $56.81 in the South, which includes Delmarva
That meal includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, celery, carrots, pumpkin pie mix, crusts, whipping cream, and whole milk.
Despite the decline, shoppers like Overback say they haven’t seen much of a difference at the checkout. “Didn’t see it yet. I’m looking forward to next year; hopefully, we’ll see some deflation in grocery prices,” he added.
While prices have dropped to post-pandemic lows, they remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels—19% more expensive than five years ago. For many, that’s a hard reality to stomach.
“They’re outrageous,” Salisbury shopper Bryan Deal shared. “When I was growing up, you could cook Thanksgiving dinner for maybe $50. Now it feels like four times that amount. The ingredients are outrageous. We used to get everything from the farm, but now you have to buy everything from the store.”
