Thanksgiving could be more expensive this year for already financially strained American households with higher prices for turkeys and potential protein alternatives, such as beef.

A new analysis by Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability expects a Thanksgiving turkey to cost, on average, $2.05 per pound.

That is up 25% from a year ago and translates into a 15-pound turkey costing approximately $31, according to Caitlinn Hubbell, a market research analyst for Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis & Sustainability.

Wholesale turkey prices are up even more — with a whopping 75% increase since October 2024 coming in at $1.71 per pound, according to Purdue researchers.

Hubbell said higher feed costs, an uptick in bird flu outbreaks and cullings

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