Thanksgiving prices fall in Colorado but families still pay more than most Americans

By Shaina Cole | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

This Thanksgiving, the cost of celebrating for Colorado families is at its lowest since the peak in 2022. The American Farm Bureau Federation reports that a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten now costs $55.18 – a five percent decline from last year.

Colorado continues to sit above the national average. According to KKTV, the same meal costs $61.63 in the state, which is about $6.45 more than what the typical American pays but still roughly $13 cheaper than the year before. 

The West once again tops the chart as the most expensive region for Thanksgiving, with a $61.75 average that closely matches Colorado’s $61.63 estimate. That’s not a fluke; analyses of grocery spending show Western states, including Colorado, consistently near the top for food costs, reflecting higher farm labor and input costs for fruit and vegetable producers, elevated wages and rents in Western cities, and steeper transportation expenses to move food through mountain corridors and into smaller markets.

AFBF economists also stress that the foundation of food prices begins on the farm, where producers are facing tight margins as crop prices fall and input costs—fuel, fertilizer, labor and machinery—continue to climb.

After 2022’s Record Costs, Holiday Prices Begin to Correct

The Farm Bureau notes that Thanksgiving hit its peak back in 2022, when the same meal climbed to $64.05, the highest they’ve ever recorded which is roughly twenty percent more than families paid the year before. Prices eased a bit in 2023 and again in 2024, but this year is the first time since then that the numbers feel noticeably lighter, especially compared to the inflation-driven spike that made groceries so expensive during the pandemic years.

Turkey helped bring the overall cost down. A sixteen-pound bird is running about sixteen percent less than it did last year, settling around $21.50, and that’s the smallest slice of the total bill since 2000. A few other staples moved in the right direction too; rolls are cheaper, stuffing costs a little less, and even fresh cranberries dipped slightly. 

Altogether, roughly half the items in the Farm Bureau’s basket are down from last year, giving families the most noticeable bit of price relief they’ve had in a while.

Not every ingredient followed that trend. Some items spiked sharply, especially fresh produce. Sweet potatoes climbed close to thirty-seven percent, and vegetable trays saw an even bigger jump, driven by weather disruptions, labor shortages and leftover supply-chain issues. Even with this year’s drop in some categories, the Farm Bureau points out that holiday costs still haven’t returned to where they were before COVID, and remain higher when looking over the past decade.

Colorado Drivers Benefit From Lower Gas Prices Ahead of Holiday Travel

Coloradans traveling for the holiday will also feel relief at the pump. According to AAA, Colorado’s average price of regular gasoline sits near $2.71 per gallon – well below the national average. Nationally, GasBuddy reports that the U.S. average recently dipped below three dollars, even as refinery issues in the Great Lakes and along the West Coast continue to keep prices higher in those regions. Colorado’s steadier supply chain and regional refining access have kept the state’s prices from rising.

Lower fuel costs are expected to ease the financial burden for the hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents expected to travel for the holiday which will offer some welcome savings during one of the busiest vacation periods of the year.

Republican leaders argue that the shift isn’t happening by accident. In a statement sent to regional reporters, RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar pointed to major retailers slashing prices—Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal down 25 percent, Aldi and Lidl under 2019 levels, and Target advertising its lowest prices ever.

“Colorado families are starting to see costs go down, thanks to President Trump fighting Bidenflation. Democrats spent four years driving costs through the roof with reckless spending, but President Trump is fighting for working families this holiday season,” Bomar stated.

A Rare Break for Colorado Families as the Holiday Season Begins

Taken together, lower grocery prices and declining fuel costs create something Colorado families haven’t experienced since before the inflation surge: a Thanksgiving that costs less than the year before. After the record-breaking 2022 peak and two years of persistent price increases, the 2025 trend marks a rare moment of relief heading into the holiday season.