Consumer staples steady in capital city market | North Carolina

(The Center Square) – Prices are steady in comparison to a month ago among consumer grocery staples in North Carolina’s capital city.

There was not a penny of change for milk, eggs, beef and bread, 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 up 59 cents, beef has risen 34 cents, milk is up 6 cents, and bread has fallen 8 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 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): $3.44, on a range of $1.82 to $5.49. The national average is $4.01, on a range of $2.80 to $8.37.

• Eggs (regular, large, dozen): $4.65, on a range of $1.96 to $6.50. The national average is $4.29, 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 $7.82, on a range of $4.99 to $12.35.

• Bread (load, fresh white, 1 pound): $3.53, on a range of $1.99 to $6.99. The national average is $3.31, on a range of $1.85 to $6.98.

The latest rate of inflation released in September for August is 3.4%, down 0.8% from May and the same as a month earlier. The next release is Oct. 14 for the September period.