Thanksgiving requires an unusual amount of math for a holiday largely devoted to eating. Every year, I find myself wondering how many pounds of turkey to buy, whether five pies for eight people is excessive (no), or how much wine is appropriate when you’re about to spend an entire day cooking for your extended family. I will also buy twice as much butter as any reasonable calculation suggests, and I’ll not be talked out of this. But the number that determines nearly everything else is how many people are actually coming to dinner.
According to Butterball’s new 2026 Togetherness Report, there’s now a number for that too. Thanksgiving celebrations are expected to include about 10 people this year—which means if you’re currently wondering where you’re going to put everyone, you’re in good company.
How big is the average Thanksgiving gathering?
Butterball partnered with Circana to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,374 adults in July 2026. According to the results, 85% of people plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, and the average guest list has 10 people.
Ten feels about right. It’s enough people to warrant the big turkey and all the Thanksgiving side dishes you only make once a year, but not so many that you need to start borrowing folding tables from neighbors. And despite higher costs, Butterball says most hosts aren’t planning to change their Thanksgiving traditions this year.
What people are looking forward to hasn’t changed much, either. Spending time with family came in first at 64%, followed by food at 53% and relaxing at 34%. Presumably, there isn’t a tremendous amount of overlap between that last group and whoever is responsible for getting everything onto the table while it’s still hot.
Turkey is holding firmly onto its place in the middle of the table. A full 84% of hosts plan to serve one this year, and 45% of consumers named turkey as a favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Stuffing was close behind at 42%, followed by pie at 29%, sweet potatoes at 25% and potatoes at 22%.
Do Thanksgiving hosts actually want help?
The answer is a fairly emphatic yes. According to Butterball, a full 85% of Thanksgiving hosts want their guests to pitch in, but only 38% actually ask for help.
I understand the impulse. When I’m hosting Thanksgiving, I don’t want my guests worrying about cooking or cleaning; I want them to enjoy the delicious food and wine and let me take care of them. I would also like them to recognize, entirely on their own, the precise moment when I no longer mean that.
Fortunately, Butterball’s survey has identified that moment for us. Nearly half of those surveyed—49%—said final cleanup is when they need the most help. In other words, you can probably stop asking if there’s anything you can do while ten dishes are trying to make it onto the table at the same time. Enjoy your dinner, have another slice of pie, and when the plates are empty, then you can jump in to offer help.
Keep your cleanup tasks simple but meaningful. Clear the table, pack up leftovers or start loading the dishwasher. Your host may still politely insist that they’ve got it covered, but if this survey is any indication, you shouldn’t necessarily believe them.
How many people are you planning on hosting this year? Let us know in the comments below!
