Turkey Prices Surge for Flint-Area Shoppers in 2025

Turkey prices are gobbling up budgets again this year, thanks to the smallest U.S. flock in four decades. With avian flu flaring up and production slipping, wholesale prices are soaring about 40% higher than last year. The USDA says only 4.8 billion pounds will hit the market, about 5% less than 2024.

Turkey Prices Skyrocket Again in 2025

While experts insist there’ll be enough birds to go around, anyone in Flint or Genesee County hoping for a fresh or specific-size turkey might want to shop early. In Mid-Michigan specifically, the average price for a 20-pound turkey is up from $18.80 in 2024 to the current price which can be as high as $45.80. That's a whopping increase of 144%!

And it’s not just the turkey. The cost of butter, eggs, potatoes, and even dinner rolls has crept up since last Thanksgiving. A frozen young turkey at Meijer is running about $2.29 a pound — more than double what we saw a year ago. Eggs and butter are also higher, while staples like sugar and flour have mostly leveled off.

Planning Ahead for Thanksgiving Dinner

If you’re feeding a dozen people this year, you’ll still need the usual suspects — turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie. The average cost for a 12-person Thanksgiving dinner in the Flint-area is up from $80.06 last year. This year's feast will cost you closer to $114.34.

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And local shoppers say the checkout line totals are hitting harder. The advice? Plan early, watch store promotions, and maybe grab those canned goods and baking supplies now before the rush. But when it comes to turkey, you should buy your bird sooner than later.

Thanksgiving Dinner — At-a-Glance

Turkey:

Whole turkey (12–18 lb), butter or oil, fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage), garlic, onion, lemon (optional), chicken or turkey stock.

Stuffing / Bread:

Day-old bread or bread cubes, butter, onion, celery, parsley, poultry seasoning, eggs, stock.

Potatoes & Sides:

Russet potatoes (5–8 lb), milk or heavy cream, sour cream (optional), chives (optional), butter, all-purpose flour (for gravy), pan drippings or stock.

Vegetable Sides:

Fresh or canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, french fried onions, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, marshmallows or pecans, carrots, brussels sprouts, squash, olive oil.

Condiments & Baking:

Fresh cranberries or cranberry sauce, sugar, orange (juice & zest optional), salt & black pepper, pumpkin puree (15-oz cans), pumpkin pie spice, pie crusts or ingredients for crust.

Breads & Extras:

Dinner rolls or biscuit mix, extra loaf of bread for toast/leftovers.

Pantry Staples:

Eggs (dozen), all-purpose flour, sugar (granulated & brown), olive oil, salt, pepper, vanilla extract.

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Gallery Credit: Jessica Poxson

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