Cost of Living
Grocery prices, gas prices, utility costs, inflation impacts on everyday expenses, consumer sentiment, and the real-world financial pressures facing households.
Latest in Cost of Living
A record 72.2 million Americans will travel for July 4 as pump prices stay near four-year highs
A projected 72.2 million Americans are expected to hit the road, board flights, or take trains for the July 4 holiday weekend, a figure that...
This summer’s electricity use is set to be the highest in five years
American households and businesses face higher electricity bills this summer as U.S. power demand is forecast to reach its highest level since 2021. The U.S....
22.6% is how much electric bills jumped in Maine, the steepest rise in the nation
Maine residents now face the sharpest rise in residential electric bills anywhere in the United States. Average bills climbed 22.6 percent after the state’s default...
Amazon, Walmart and Target pulled their big summer sales into June
Amazon, Walmart and Target are running their biggest summer promotional events during the same late-June window, creating a four-day overlap that puts all three retailers...
9.3 million older homeowners qualify for property-tax relief; only 8% claim it.
Millions of older Americans who own their homes are leaving property-tax relief on the table. Custom estimates drawn from federal survey microdata indicate that roughly...
Nearly 60% of eligible seniors skip SNAP, leaving an estimated $9.48 billion in food benefits unclaimed every year.
More than half of older Americans who qualify for federal food assistance never receive it. In fiscal year 2019, just 48 percent of eligible adults...
$95 billion in rate increases is being sought by utilities across 49 states, as home power bills rose 10.2% in a year
Households across nearly every U.S. state face the prospect of sharply higher electricity costs as utilities press regulators to approve what amounts to $95 billion...
Fresh vegetables cost about 12% more than a year ago, among the fastest-rising items at the grocery store
American grocery shoppers are paying sharply more for fresh vegetables than they did a year ago, with prices climbing approximately 11.9% between May 2025 and...
Kroger says it will make its biggest grocery price cuts in years to compete with Walmart and Costco
Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of grocery items in what the retailer calls its broadest reductions in years, a direct bid by CEO...
Costco is raising its Executive membership to $130 and its Business tier to $65 this year
Costco Wholesale will charge $130 for Executive memberships and $65 for Gold Star and Business memberships in the United States and Canada starting Sept. 1,...
Beef now costs nearly 13% more than it did a year ago
American grocery shoppers are paying sharply more for beef than they were a year ago, with prices climbing 12.9 percent between May 2025 and May...
California is swapping confusing “sell by” dates for clear “use by” labels to curb wasted groceries
Starting July 1, 2026, food sold in California will no longer carry consumer-facing “sell by” dates. Instead, products manufactured on or after that date must...
Gas is set to average about $3.75 a gallon on July 4, the second-priciest Independence Day on record
American drivers heading out for Independence Day weekend will face pump prices near $3.75 a gallon for regular gasoline, a level exceeded only by the...
A federal program will weatherize a low-income household’s home for free, cutting heating and cooling bills for good
Low-income households struggling with heating and cooling costs can get their homes weatherized at no charge through a federal program run by the U.S. Department...
Inflation climbed to 4.2% in May, its highest in three years, keeping pressure on grocery and gas bills
American families already stretching their budgets at the supermarket and the gas pump got unwelcome confirmation in June: consumer prices rose 4.2% over the 12...
Coffee and tea prices climbed nearly 12% last year and keep rising as droughts batter growers
American grocery shoppers paid nearly 12 percent more for coffee and tea materials over the year ending in August 2025, and the price pressure has...
The national gas average has slipped back under $4 a gallon
American drivers are catching a break at the pump for the first time in months. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline...
Beef prices are on track to rise about 12% this year, the steepest climb in the grocery aisle
A pound of ground beef that cost $5.00 last summer now runs closer to $5.60, and the gap is still widening. Beef and veal prices...
Tyson and Cargill will pay $87.5 million over beef prices, and shoppers who bought steak between 2014 and 2019 can claim by June 30
Shoppers who purchased beef between 2014 and 2019 have until June 30 to file claims in an $87.5 million settlement involving Tyson Foods and Cargill....
Nearly 40% of households earning under $50,000 say they struggle to pay their energy bills
Nearly 40% of U.S. households earning under $50,000 report difficulty paying their energy bills, according to preliminary microdata from the federal government’s most detailed household...