The cost to provide a typical Thanksgiving feast for 10 people is $61.17, or about 4.5% less than it was in 2022.

The numbers are from the American Farm Bureau Federation, which has conducted a Thanksgiving meal survey for the last 38 years.

Despite the decrease, the price tag for a turkey and all the trimmings is substantially higher than it was before the COVID pandemic. In 2019, the federation clocked the dinner at $48.91.

The federation looked at the average prices of items like turkey, pumpkin pie mix, stuffing and vegetables to find the average total cost of a holiday meal.

Lending to the decrease from last year is the price of turkeys. The federation found that turkeys are selling for about $1.72 per pound, or 5.6% less than in 2022.

“Traditionally, the turkey is the most expensive item on the Thanksgiving dinner table,” said federation Senior Economist Veronica Nigh. “Turkey prices have fallen thanks to a sharp reduction in cases of avian influenza, which have allowed production to increase in time for the holiday.”

The survey was completed during the first week of November, and since then, many grocery stores have been slashing prices on their whole frozen turkeys.

Those who haven’t yet purchased a turkey might find additional savings. For example, Boyer’s Food Markets, which has stores in Tamaqua, Lansford and other areas, is selling turkeys for 69 cents per pound with a $50 purchase. Redner’s, which has a site in Nesquehoning, is selling frozen birds for 99 cents per pound with a $30 purchase, and at Giant Food Stores, which has a site in Lehighton, customers can redeem rewards points for a free turkey, said Giant spokeswoman Ashley Flower.

“With the Frozen Shady Brook Farms brand turkey being free, the average price is well down, with a range of (free) to 65 cents per pound based on the variety of fresh and frozen turkeys we sell,” Flower said.

Customers may also donate their turkey to local food banks, she said.

In addition to turkey, the federation reported the following prices for 2023. The cost is followed by the percentage change from 2022:

• 14 ounces of cubed stuffing mix: $3.77 (down 2.8%)

• 2 frozen pie crusts: $3.50 (down 4.9%)

• Half pint of whipping cream: $1.73 (down 22.8%)

• 1 pound of frozen peas: $1.88 (down 1.1%)

• 1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.84 (up 2.9%)

• 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.44 (up 3.7%)

• 1 gallon of whole milk: $3.74 (down 2.6%)

• 3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $3.97 (up 0.3%)

• 1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): 90 cents (up 2.3%)

• 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.10 (down 18.3%)

“While shoppers will see a slight improvement in the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, high inflation continues to hammer families across the country, including the nation’s farmers,” said federation President Zippy Duvall. “Growing the food families rely on is a constant challenge for farmers because of high fuel, seed, fertilizer and transportation costs, just to name a few.”

Research also showed that the cost for the classic holiday meal was the most affordable in the Midwest at $58.66, followed by the South at $59.10; the West at $63.89, and the Northeast at $64.38.