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Mapped: Annual Inflation Rate by U.S. Region

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A map showing CPI inflation by U.S. region

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Mapping Inflation Across America

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In December 2024, U.S. annual inflation stood at 2.9%, surpassing the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

This marked an increase from 2.7% in November, driven by rising costs in key categories like housing and energy.

However, inflation usually varies heavily by location. This graphic visualizes the CPI inflation (change in consumer prices) from December 2023 to December 2024 by U.S. region and select metropolitan areas.

Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and is updated as of January 2025.

City inflation figures are for their metropolitan statistical area, which is made up of one or more counties that contain a city of 50,000 or more inhabitants.

Which U.S. Region Experienced The Highest Inflation in 2024?

Region/cityCPI Inflation (Change in consumer prices from December 2023 to December 2024)
Northeast3.5%
Midwest3.0%
South2.8%
West2.5%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin3.9%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim3.4%
New York-Newark-Jersey City4.3%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell2.6%
Urban Alaska2.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue2.7%
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land1.0%
Overall U.S. inflation2.9%

In 2024, inflation varied significantly across U.S. regions, with the Northeast experiencing the highest rate at 3.5% and the West seeing the lowest at 2.5%.

The Northeast, with its higher population density and reliance on imported energy, faced steeper price increases, particularly in housing (5.2%) and utilities (7.1%).

The New York metropolitan area, which includes New York, Newark, and Jersey City, recorded the highest annual CPI inflation out of these major metropolitan areas at 4.3%, 1.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. average.

Similarly to the rest of its region, New Yorkers faced the sharpest year-over-year price jumps in fuels and utilities (10.5%) and housing (6%) compared to December 2023.

Houston recorded the lowest inflation rate among major metro areas at 1.0%, driven primarily by differences in housing costs.

While housing expenses rose 4.1% nationwide since December 2023, they increased by just 0.4% in Houston.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about economic indicators by U.S. area, check out this graphic that visualizes the 10 states with the lowest real GDP growth in 2023.

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