New Jersey’s Average Cost of a Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving 2025 is upon us, and it's time to get that Thanksgiving turkey ready, mash up those potatoes, grab some whipped cream for the pumpkin pie and enjoy time with family and friends. Thanksgiving is about both the food and companionship, and those two things go together super well. At the heart of most Thanksgiving dinners is a turkey, even though vegetarians and non-turkey eaters can also enjoy the holiday. So, what's the average cost of a Thanksgiving turkey in our state?

According to the experts at Finance Buzz, the average cost of a turkey is up 11.2% in 2025 across the board. "To determine the average cost for a turkey in 2025, we collected prices from multiple U.S. grocery stores across the country and determined how much shoppers in each state can expect to pay for a Thanksgiving turkey this year," they note in the piece.

One of their key findings in the research is that on average, "Americans can expect to pay $34.65 for a 15-pound turkey this year, an average of $2.31 per pound," which they say is 11% higher than in 2024.

So, what's the average cost of a turkey in New Jersey? It's $38.35, according to the study. If that seems high, just note that residents in Hawaii can expect to pay the highest rate in the United States at $55.70 for a 15-pound turkey.

As for Thanksgiving travel, AAA has released its official 2025 travel forecast, and it's a busy one. "AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel by car, that’s nearly 90 percent of Thanksgiving travelers and an additional 1.3 million people on the road compared to last Thanksgiving," they note in the report. As for air travel, "6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase compared to 2024."