Cost of living rises nationally and in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The cost of living is on the rise across the United States, but right here in North Dakota, we are one of the least expensive places to live.

According to the Missouri Research and Information Center (MERIC), North Dakota is ranked number twenty-six on the list. While we may be ranked in the middle, Salary.com stated the cost of living in Bismarck alone is up 0.8% from a year ago.

Grocery and utilities are just two examples of things on the rise throughout the state.

MERIC stated that grocery costs were at 103.5%, which is an average for participating cities and metropolitan areas in the state. The higher grocery prices may be due to the recent increase in egg prices and food prices in general across the country.

Utilities in the state were also at a higher percentage. Montana-Dakota Utilities Company says heat is higher because of the cost of natural gas. Weather conditions are also impacting customers’ bills, but there are ways to keep that cost down according to their website.

The big question on everyone’s mind is will these prices ever come down? The answer is possibly. The government says that inflation declined to 6.5% in December compared with a year earlier. Critics say that the official rate doesn’t capture how bad the situation is according to the center square.

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