How Much Are Turkeys? | Prices By State & Store

A standard 15-pound frozen turkey cost an average of $34.65 in 2025, but prices range from under $10 at Kroger to over $119 for a fresh premium bird, depending on store, region, and timing.

One wrong assumption about turkey pricing can blow your holiday budget by $30 or more. The average per-pound cost of $2.31 looks straightforward until you factor in that a Jennie-O at Kroger with a loyalty card runs $0.59 per pound, while a fresh bird from a farm runs $5.19 per pound, and a 15-pounder in Hawaii runs $55.70 thanks to shipping. The real answer to “how much are turkeys?” depends on where you buy, what you buy, and when you buy it.

The National Average Price For A Thanksgiving Turkey

The 2025 retail average for a standard 15-pound frozen Grade A turkey was $34.65, or $2.31 per pound, according to data from multiple sources including FinanceBuzz. Wholesale prices told a steeper story: frozen turkeys hit $1.32 per pound, a 40% jump from 2024’s $0.94 average. Retailers absorbed part of that increase, which explains why consumer prices rose a smaller 11.2% instead of the full wholesale surge.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey tracked a slightly different basket — a 16-pound turkey — at $21.50, or $1.34 per pound. The variation between survey results comes down to methodology: Farm Bureau samples volunteer shoppers across a specific list of items at stores with posted prices, while sources like FinanceBuzz and the Bureau of Labor Statistics draw from broader retail data. Either way, the range tells you a single national number hides serious variation.

How Much Does A Turkey Cost At Each Major Store?

The biggest price swings come from which store you choose and whether you use a loyalty program. Promotional pricing during Thanksgiving season drops frozen turkeys well below the national average.

The Kroger deal requires two things: a free loyalty card and a single transaction of at least $25. Miss either, and you lose the $0.59 rate. Walmart and Aldi don’t need loyalty cards — their $0.84–$0.97 per pound is the simplest route for most shoppers.

Turkey Price By State: The Least And Most Expensive Places

State-level pricing for a standard 15-pound frozen turkey varies by more than double between the cheapest and most expensive locations. The differences come from transportation costs, local competition, and regional supply chains.

Hawaii’s $55.70 price tag reflects the cost of shipping frozen goods across the Pacific — a reality that Thanksgiving hosts there have learned to plan around. Oklahoma’s $24.85 advantage comes from its proximity to major poultry-producing regions in the South and Midwest.

Fresh Vs. Frozen: What’s The Real Price Difference?

Fresh turkeys carry a significant premium over frozen. The average frozen per-pound price during the 2025 season ranged from $0.59 to $2.31, while fresh birds started around $3.49 and climbed steeply. A fresh farm-raised bird from Bob’s Turkey Farm ran $5.19 per pound, putting a 22-pound bird at roughly $119 — more than three times the cost of a comparable frozen turkey from Walmart. The trade-off: fresh turkeys haven’t been through a freeze-thaw cycle, which some cooks argue produces juicier meat. The cost difference is straightforward math. A 16-pound frozen Butterball at Walmart at $0.97 per pound meets a $15.52 total. A 16-pound fresh bird at Trader Joe’s at $3.99 per pound would come in at $63.84. That difference of roughly $48 is the premium for the fresh label.

When To Buy A Turkey For The Best Price

Timing matters almost as much as the store choice. Prices climb steeply during the two weeks before Thanksgiving, driven by surging demand and reduced promotional supply. Buying early — in late October or the first week of November — locks in the lowest pre-holiday rates. Some stores also offer a free turkey when shoppers spend $500 or more on groceries between October 1 and Thanksgiving, effectively making the turkey cost $0 for households that reach that spending threshold naturally. The worst time to buy is the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving, when last-minute shoppers face limited selection and peak prices.

What Drives Turkey Prices Up Each Year?

Bird flu (avian influenza) remains the largest single factor in price increases. The 2025 retail price surge of roughly 25% over 2024 levels is partly attributed to bird flu impacts on the poultry industry, which reduced flock sizes and raised production costs. Wholesale prices for frozen turkeys rose 40% in 2025, jumping from $0.94 per pound to $1.32 as supply tightened. Feed costs and fuel for transportation also contribute, especially for states far from production regions. The USDA reports that these factors combined to compress margins for retailers, meaning the promotional deals that used to run $0.38 per pound are now rare — though the $0.59 per pound Kroger deal remains the closest modern equivalent.

Your Quick Price Checklist For This Thanksgiving

Three decisions set your final turkey cost more than any other factor. Pick the right store: Kroger with a loyalty card for the lowest price, or Walmart without loyalty friction for a near-best deal. Pick the right type: frozen over fresh unless the texture difference matters to you more than the roughly $40–$50 savings. Pick the right time: early November over the week of Thanksgiving. A 16-pound frozen turkey bought at Kroger with the $0.59 per pound deal and a $25 grocery fill-in runs under $10. The same size bought fresh from a farm three days before the holiday runs well over $80. The gap is almost entirely a planning gap.