Thanksgiving prices drop slightly, but Sacramento County families still feel pinched

The good news: Thanksgiving dinner won’t cost quite as much for many families as it did the past couple of years. The bad news: it’ll still be nearly 20% more than pre-pandemic levels.

Turkey prices have dropped in 2024, the second straight year of decline after record inflation in 2022, the American Farm Bureau Federation announced in its annual report Wednesday.

The average cost of a 16-pound turkey was $25.67, according to the report. That’s down 6% from 2022 but still 19% higher than 2019.

Californians also pay more than many others around the U.S., as is often the case. The average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $58.08, down 5% from 2023, according to the report. But the meal cost $70.19 in California, making it the fifth-most expensive U.S. state.

Slight price decreases haven’t assuaged food insecurity in Sacramento County, Sunrise Christian Food Ministry director of operations April Jacek said.

Her organization handed out free Thanksgiving dinners with turkey, stuffing, gravy, root vegetables and more to 2,000 families from Wednesday-Friday last week outside Advent Lutheran Church in Citrus Heights. They’ve had that many people in years past as well, and have more that could be potentially served .

About 60% of the people that Sunrise Christian Food Ministry serves are Russian or Ukrainian immigrants who spoke limited English, Jacek said. By and large, they’re working professionals who just can’t keep up with food prices that rose 28% over the past five years.

“The face of food insecurity is not the same face that it was 20 years ago. It’s the everyday person,” Jacek said. “We’ve recently started an evening distribution to help working families in the area, teachers, professionals. Yeah, the face of hunger has changed.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2024 at 5:00 AM.