Affordability, rising costs: A hoax?

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On December 9, 2025, Trump kicked off his nationwide affordability tour in Mount Airy, PA. I, as well as many others, were looking forward to hearing his plans to curtail the escalating costs of groceries, gas, rent, utilities, child care, and healthcare. Instead he downright lied, claiming the failing economic numbers as a hoax.  Is it?

Let’s present facts as a counter to Trump’s Big Lie, or in this case, his avoidance of affordability.  Do you really feel like prices are going down?  Maybe you think that nobody really believed they would go down on day one of his presidency as he promised; because really, how is that ever feasible?  But we’re now more than 11 months into his administration and prices continue to go up. I know I feel it significantly, and to say it’s concerning would be an understatement. 

So, let me provide some sad truths to my fellow Pennsylvanians.  A recent analysis done this year by Consumer Affairs has concluded that grocery prices increased 5.3% year over year.  However, grocery inflation has varied from state to state.  And, Pennsylvania has taken first place.  In PA, prices taken in 15 grocery categories in the study have gone up 8.2% in the last 12 months.

The analysis also pointed out that grocery prices for rural areas were up 7.6% in the past 12 months, compared to only 5.7% for residents of large cities.  This is most likely due to lack of competition in rural areas, but creates more of a hardship because household income is usually lower in rural areas.  The study found that the biggest rise in grocery prices came in zip codes where the average income is $35,000 to $50,000 (which is the lowest income range that was tracked).

So if you’re feeling that prices are high, I want to confirm that it’s not just a feeling, but a fact! 

Source: Consumer Affairs: Journal of Consumer Research