Gas, groceries, electricity: Where prices stand as midterms approach

September’s uptick in inflation dealt Americans with higher prices just before the midterm elections, as Democrats seek to wrestle back control of Congress from the GOP by highlighting affordability concerns.

Annual inflation was 3.7 percent last month, according to the consumer price index (CPI). On a monthly basis, the cost of energy, gas and electricity rose.

The cost of food held steady from August to September and was up 2.5 percent year over year.

Democrats have campaigned on lowering the cost of living , zeroing in on President Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war as the causes of price hikes.

Trump and Republicans, meanwhile, have accused the opposition of falling victim to “ communists ” within the party, as multiple left-wing candidates have won primaries this year.

As the midterms approach, here is how much the prices for certain goods and products have changed over the past year , based on September CPI data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices have risen throughout the Iran war , after annual inflation was 2.4 percent in February. The U.S. and Israel launched the conflict on the final day of that month.

The recent uptick has not fully offset the decline in inflation from the 40-year peak the metric reached in June 2022, when it hit 9.1 percent . But inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target, as it has for five-plus years.

Fed officials raised interest rates by a quarter point last month to combat sticky inflation. They will meet again next week to decide whether to hike again or hold rates at a range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent.

September marked the largest monthly jump in energy prices since March, the first full month of the Iran war. Energy prices had increased by 2.1 percent from July to August and ticked down by 1.5 percent and 5.7 percent from June to July and May to June, respectively.

Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have recently increased, while Ukrainian forces have ramped up strikes on Russian refineries. Both developments have hindered the global crude and refined fuel markets, leading to higher gas and diesel prices in the U.S.

Gas prices also experienced their largest monthly jump since the first month of the war, rising by 9.1 percent from August to September.

A gallon of regular gas in the U.S. costs an average of roughly $4.26, down from about $4.48 a month ago but more than $1.20 higher than a year ago, according to AAA . On average, gas prices are above $6 in California and above $5 in Washington state and Nevada.

Electricity prices went up 0.2 percent from August to September, offsetting the 0.2 percent decrease from July to August.

Higher energy demands from new data centers have sparked an increase in electricity prices for communities. Trump said Wednesday companies should foot the bill for electricity their data centers require.

“New and large, in some cases gigantic, Data Centers are mandated by me to make their own electricity, and give or sell any excess back to the local community, or grid, and therefore there is electric price increase,” Trump wrote on Truth Social , adding there “could be a substantial decrease” in prices.

The cost of food at home decreased by 0.1 percent from August to September, while prices for food away from home rose by 0.2 percent.

Eggs cost $2.27 per dozen , down nearly 35 percent from September 2025 and well below the 20-year peak of $6.23 per dozen reached in March 2025.

Ground beef prices were up roughly 2.4 percent from September 2025, but at $6.48 per pound, below June’s price of $6.98 per pound, which was also a two-decade peak.

A pound of chicken cost $2.06 last month, exactly where it stood a year prior. Chicken prices have hovered between $2.01 and $2.09 since November 2024.

The price of used vehicles was down relative to September 2025, but it rose by 0.7 percent on a monthly basis — after increasing by 0.4 percent in August and July.

Heather Long, the chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said last week the industry is dealing with a “perfect storm” of more expensive parts and a shortage of skilled labor, among other factors.

“Every single story out there of the price pressures right now all comes together in what’s going on at your local mechanic shop,” she told The Hill.