Americans are facing the highest inflation rates in decades, making it harder for them to afford everyday goods and more expensive to raise their families. Each month coinciding with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ release of the Consumer Price Index, JEC Republicans’ State Inflation Tracker estimates how much inflation increases costs for American families in each state and how the drivers of inflation continue to vary across the country. Specifically, we ask: how much more must the average household pay today to maintain the same standard of living it achieved in January 2021, the last time inflation was within historical norms? See our methodology for a full description of our methods and a downloadable data file with a detailed breakdown of inflation costs by state.

You can find our full analysis for August 2022 here. See the highlights below:

• Prices were relatively unchanged from July 2022 to August 2022. However, prices have increased 13.2 percent from January 2021 to August 2022, costing the average American household $715 last month alone.

  • Even if prices stop increasing altogether, the inflation that has already occurred will cost the average American household $8,581 over the next 12 months.

• Families in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) are facing the highest inflation rates, with prices today 15.6 percent higher than in January 2021. In the United States overall, the monthly inflation cost in August 2022 was highest within transportation ($281), followed by energy ($157), food ($99), and shelter ($95).

  • Due to a combination of higher inflation rates and higher average household spending, inflation is imposing the greatest monthly costs on families in the states of Colorado ($953), Utah ($925), and Arizona ($847). Annualized, these families are facing inflation costs of $11,438, $11,100, and $10,167 over the next year, respectively.

  • For the average American household, inflation costs were essentially unchanged from July to August, decreasing by $2. Seventeen states saw inflation cost increases and 33 states saw inflation cost decreases. Monthly inflation costs increased the most in the states of New Jersey ($25), New York ($24), and Pennsylvania ($21). Inflation costs decreased the most in Tennessee ($27), Alabama and Kentucky ($26 each), and Mississippi ($24).

• In the United States overall, the monthly inflation cost in August 2022 was highest within transportation ($281), followed by energy ($157), food ($99), and shelter ($95).

• Families in Colorado are facing the highest transportation inflation costs ($372) and shelter inflation costs ($169); families in California are facing the highest food inflation costs ($122); and families in Texas are facing the highest energy inflation costs ($209).

Household Inflation Costs by State, August 2022