No Thanks: How Much More You’ll Pay for Thanksgiving Dinner This Year in Pennsylvania

Your Thanksgiving meal with friends and family could cost you upwards of 20% more this year, depending on where you’re eating it.

Thanks to the overall inflation rate of 7.7% and an increase in grocery prices of 12.4% from last year, this year’s Thanksgiving meal will be the most expensive one in the past 37 years, according to the American Farm Bureau’s annual Thanksgiving dinner survey. 

Almost every dish Pennsylvanians love to have on their Thanksgiving table has increased in cost.

Turkey

The cost of turkey has increased in the past few years due to inflation and supply chain issues. Nationally, the average cost per pound is up 21% from 2021. In the Northeast, which includes Pennsylvania, the cost of turkeys has increased almost 17%.

Potatoes

The russet potato is commonly used to make Pennsylvania’s popular potato filling. While it is affordable, its cost has increased 15% since last year.

Vegetables

Corn is more expensive this year, hitting its highest prices in nine years. Pennsylvanians should expect to pay about 8% more for their Thanksgiving vegetables this year.

Cranberries

While canned and frozen fruits saw big price increases, the cost of fresh fruit has actually decreased by almost 1%.

Factoring in the rising cost of pretty much everything associated with Thanksgiving dinner, here’s what a what a full meal (including a fresh, 10-pound turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, peas and corn, stuffing, pumpkin pie, non-alcoholic refreshments, beer, wine, and cooking staples) will cost in different parts of the commonwealth this year according to a MoneyGeek Thanksgiving 2022 Product Survey:

• Erie – $128
• Scranton-Wilkes-Barre – $128
• Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton – $120
• Philadelphia metro (including Camden, N.J. and Wilmington, Del.) – $119
• Pittsburgh – $113