(The Center Square) – Stability ended over the last month among consumer grocery staples in North Carolina’s capital city.
While egg prices are down 20 cents, beef rose 26 cents, bread is up 21 cents and milk climbed 4 cents, 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.
Compared to Inauguration Day for second-term President Donald Trump, eggs are down 59 cents, milk is down 32 cents, bread has fallen 2 cents, and beef has risen 34 cents.
Consumer prices have been a focus of the Trump administration, and predictably, the economy and family costs are pivotal to a number of campaigns in the 2026 midterms. Notable among those is U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper’s “make stuff cost less” tour of towns and cities.
There have been tariff battles and new trade agreements, all part of the president’s desire to fulfill campaign promises on the economy. The Center Square monitors consumer staples as part of its mission in government accountability.
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): $3.18, on a range of $1.82 to $5.49. The national average is $4.01, on a range of $2.80 to $8.71.
• Eggs (regular, large, dozen): $4.65, on a range of $1.96 to $6.50. The national average is $4.33, on a range of $1.99 to $9.04.
• Beef round (1 pound, equivalent back leg red meat): $8.04, on a range of $6 to $9.85. The national average is $7.75, on a range of $4.89 to $12.
• Bread (load, fresh white, 1 pound): $3.59, on a range of $1.99 to $6.99. The national average is $3.30, on a range of $1.81 to $6.78.
The latest rate of inflation released in July for June is 3.5%, down 0.7% from a month earlier. The next release is Aug. 12 for the July period.
