Evergreen trees have been a symbol of Christmas for nearly six hundred years when merchants in Latvia decorated trees in the town square for the holiday. They also danced around them and set them on fire, so needless to say, traditions have changed. What hasn’t changed is the desire to decorate a tree, real or fake, to get families in the holiday spirit.
But how much are families paying for that part of the holiday spirit? We surveyed Christmas tree farms across the country to find out what people are paying for Christmas cheer.
Check out Which States Spend the Most During the Holidays
New Yorkers pay the most, North Dakotans pay the least
The national average for a real tree at six feet is just under $59. New Yorkers are by far paying the most at $90. People in North Dakota pay the least at just $33 on average.
There didn’t appear to be any major savings if you live in a state that mass produces Christmas trees. According to the University of Illinois, the top tree producing states are Oregon ($64), North Carolina ($53), Michigan ($42), Pennsylvania ($73), Wisconsin ($58), New York ($90) and Virginia ($71).
Christmas tree shortage
Word of a Christmas tree shortage and rising prices recently made the rounds. Some growers blamed the 2008 recession since it takes 10 years to grow a seven-foot tree. Tight times meant people were buying less real Christmas trees, which meant farmers started planting less.
Weather is also being blamed, with Hurricane Florence’s destruction in North Carolina and the massive wildfires on the West coast.
There’s also speculation everyone’s favorite group to blame everything on, the Millennials, are creating a Christmas tree buying boom for Instagram worthy holiday photos. Higher demand means higher prices.
While some vendors reported slightly raising prices, other claimed the supposed shortage didn’t affect them. It will be interesting to see if prices go up in 2019.
Christmas Tree Prices in the U.S.
| State | Price |
|---|---|
| New York | $ 90.00 |
| California | $ 82.00 |
| Colorado | $ 79.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $ 73.00 |
| Massachusetts | $ 72.00 |
| Utah | $ 72.00 |
| Virginia | $ 71.00 |
| Delaware | $ 68.00 |
| Indiana | $ 68.00 |
| Washington | $ 68.00 |
| Illinois | $ 67.00 |
| Maine | $ 67.00 |
| Missouri | $ 66.00 |
| Maryland | $ 65.00 |
| Arizona | $ 64.00 |
| New Mexico | $ 64.00 |
| Oregon | $ 64.00 |
| Tennessee | $ 64.00 |
| Mississippi | $ 63.00 |
| Montana | $ 63.00 |
| Nevada | $ 63.00 |
| South Dakota | $ 63.00 |
| New Jersey | $ 62.00 |
| Wyoming | $ 62.00 |
| Iowa | $ 60.00 |
| Kansas | $ 60.00 |
| Minnesota | $ 59.00 |
| Texas | $ 59.00 |
| Kentucky | $ 58.00 |
| Wisconsin | $ 58.00 |
| Alaska | $ 55.00 |
| Louisiana | $ 54.00 |
| North Carolina | $ 53.00 |
| West Virginia | $ 52.00 |
| Arkansas | $ 51.00 |
| Connecticut | $ 50.00 |
| Georgia | $ 50.00 |
| Rhode Island | $ 50.00 |
| Nebraska | $ 49.00 |
| New Hampshire | $ 49.00 |
| South Carolina | $ 48.00 |
| Florida | $ 45.00 |
| Idaho | $ 45.00 |
| Vermont | $ 45.00 |
| Alabama | $ 42.00 |
| Michigan | $ 42.00 |
| Oklahoma | $ 42.00 |
| Ohio | $ 40.00 |
| North Dakota | $ 33.00 |
Methodology
Christmas tree farms across each state were surveyed and data was gathered on the most popular kinds of trees purchased. The cost was broken down by foot which was multiplied by six to represent a six-foot tree. Price was not calculated in Hawaii because there were not enough tree farms who provided data.
