(The Center Square) – Georgia is among the states most impacted by inflation.
That’s according to Merchant Maverick, which ranked the Peach State fourth-highest in impact from inflation, trailing only Louisiana, Florida and Tennessee. The site ranked states on a series of criteria, including regional price parity, the state sales tax rate, and median household income.
The site found that the 10 states most impacted by inflation were all in the Southeast. The 10 states least impacted by inflation were located mainly in the Northeast.
Analyst Chris Motola said Georgia is among the southern states seeing high inflation. The Peach State is “suffering from inflation, as rising prices, low incomes, and high taxes leave precious little wiggle room in household budgets.”
“Georgia’s median household income is just $56,628 (42nd highest in the country) and sales taxes add another 7.35% to every purchase,” analyst Chris Motola wrote. “Meanwhile, the cost of expenses like housing, medical care, and apparel have all risen precipitously across the U.S. south.”
Motola noted that metro areas, such as Atlanta, see exceptionally high inflation “as population increases in recent years have led to high demand for supplies like gas and food, while supply chain woes have rendered these necessities scarcer than usual.”
Inflation and high costs have made their way into Georgia’s gubernatorial election.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has signed an order to halt the state’s gas tax collection until Aug. 13. Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams has called on suspending the gas tax until the end of the year but has not responded to requests from The Center Square on whether – if prices don’t subside – she would suspend collections in 2023 if she defeats Kemp in November.
