San Diego Has 3rd Highest Inflation Rate

Everyone is feeling it in some way. It’s inflation. Higher prices for almost everything.

And as we found out this week, we’re really feeling it in San Diego County. From coffee to cars, prices are higher.

As reported by Union Tribune business reporter Phillip Molnar, who you hear every week on our morning news, San Diego’s inflation rate rose in January to 8.2 percent, its highest level in 40 years, since 1982 with gas, food and car prices leading the way. The national average was 7.5 percent.

And according to the latest report, among the top 12 metro areas in the U.S. San Diego has the third highest inflation rate. Only Riverside just north of us and Tampa Florida were higher.

No one should be surprised that inflation is higher, given the fact that for close to two years, a lot of businesses lost a lot of money to the shutdowns and the supply slowdowns, all due to the pandemic.  

So raising prices is what you have to do to try to stay in business. And of course, it all trickles down.  And there is no easy or quick fix.  While the COVID surge may have slowed down and restrictions are being eased, and we’re all thankful for that, it will take a while to slow down prices.

We will have to let the economists figure that out. But no one wants super high interest rates either. So for now, we save and spend wisely until things can get back to where we’d like things to be, a new normal that is a better normal.

(Photo Getty Images)