{"id":410146,"date":"2025-11-28T07:42:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T07:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/410146\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T07:42:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T07:42:12","slug":"average-thanksgiving-dinner-cost-was-higher-in-california-nbc-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/410146\/","title":{"rendered":"Average Thanksgiving dinner cost was higher in California \u2013 NBC Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you noticed your grocery bill for Thanksgiving staples was more expensive this year, it may be because you live in California, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.<\/a><\/p>\n

A new study by the federation shows that Californians were expected to spend more on traditional Thanksgiving dinner ingredients in 2025, according to its 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey. Its data showed that a classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people in California costs $72.61 compared to the national average of $55.18.<\/p>\n

Shannon Douglas, President of the California Farm Bureau<\/a>, said that expenses for what goes into agriculture production in the Golden State are to blame for the disparity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think that\u2019s a couple of things in play. No. 1, it does cost more to grow food here in California,\u201d Douglass said. \u201cIn California, we have the toughest regulatory environment, really, in the country. We have some of the highest labor costs. We know that just regulatory costs alone, for some growers, is about $1,600 per acre; That adds up, of course, very quickly. And in California, we\u2019ve got some of the highest transportation costs, the highest energy costs. Much like so much of the other things in California, it just costs more here.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Douglass, the bureau’s findings aren\u2019t completely bleak for residents who live in the Golden State. The holiday dinner\u2019s centerpiece was cheaper in California in 2025, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurkey, actually, was down, which was a helpful one, and interestingly enough, stuffing is less expensive,\u201d Douglass said. \u201c\u2026 But most of the other products were up, particularly like the dairy products in California were a little bit higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to overall costs being more expensive in California, the reduced labor force has also posed a challenge and contributed to the increase in costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have lost a lot of farmers in California because of this tough regulatory environment that we\u2019ve been forced to navigate,\u201d Douglass said. \u201cIn the last 10 years, we\u2019ve lost about 20% of the farmers in the state, and that\u2019s significant, of course. Unfortunately, we\u2019re one of the leading states in the country in farm loss \u2026 so, we certainly have that as a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost for a classic Thanksgiving dinner for a party of 10 by region was:<\/p>\n