A new Thanksgiving meal dashboard assembled by researchers at Purdue University finds Kansas the most affordable state in the union to procure ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal this year. A 12-person spread costs $70.89, on average, in the Sunflower State.
The remote states of Hawaii and Alaska rank highest in average price for turkey and trimmings for 12, at $97.07 and $87.57, respectively. The balance of the top 10: South Dakota ($86.06), Nebraska ($85.43), California ($84.57), Oregon ($83.89), Colorado ($83.82), Nevada ($83.61), New York ($83.45) and Maryland ($83.33).
“It’s shipping,” said the manager of New Sagaya City Market in Anchorage, Alaska, who gave his name as Mike B. “We ship everything up by barge. And fuel costs are up, of course, so shipping costs are up.”