(The Center Square) – Consumer grocery staples in North Carolina’s capital city are significantly less than the percentage increase of the national inflation rate as analyzed between the president’s inauguration and a day before the 2026 midterm elections.

The inflation rate in January 2025, inherited by second-term Republican Donald Trump from one-term Democrat Joe Biden, was 3%. It’s up 23.3% to 3.7% for September, the most recent month released – a figure far higher than the increase in Raleigh prices for eggs (up 14.5%), beef (up 4.4%), milk (up 1.7%) and bread (down 6.1%), according to Numbeo, a crowd-sourced database with costs of living and other factors for cities and countries globally.

For context, across the country just as in Raleigh, different areas could be experiencing fluctuations and not across the board increases or decreases.

Affordability and voters’ money, no matter how the question is asked, has led North Carolina-specific polls on top issues for this election cycle. Politicians are campaigning on it, perhaps none more prominent than U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper calling his stumps the “make stuff cost less” tour.

Bread already does, having dropped from $3.61 on Jan. 20, 2025, to $3.39 on average Monday in Raleigh. The price of milk per gallon is $3.56, up from $3.50; a pound of beef round is up 34 cents from $7.70 to $8.04; and eggs have risen from $4.06 to $4.65.

The Center Square analyzes this market monthly as part of its mission for reporting of government accountability, what taxpayers are spending and where, and how it translates for the businesses and communities throughout the state.

Here’s a look at some measures of consumer prices for Raleigh and the nation:

• Milk (regular, 1 gallon): $3.56, on a range of $1.82 to $5.49. The national average is $4.01, on a range of $2.80 to $8.18.

• Eggs (regular, large, dozen): $4.65, on a range of $1.96 to $6.50. The national average is $4.28, on a range of $1.99 to $8.72.

• Beef round (1-pound, equivalent back leg red meat): $8.04, on a range of $6 to $9.85. The national average is $7.86, on a range of $4.99 to $12.35.

• Bread (load, fresh white, 1 pound): $3.39, on a range of $1.50 to $5. The national average is $3.31, on a range of $1.85 to $6.65.

The latest rate of inflation released in October for September is 3.7%. The next release is Nov. 10 for the October period.