Below is an updated national price chart of several staples, mortgage rates and ACA. Clearly, the outlier to the mostly calmer price changes is gasoline. That’s not surprising.
Note that the ACA counter stays the same because no new figures were available from KFF, which is the authority in this area. Please check out our ACA cost calculator for more information.
VTT is a voting site. No information is more important to voters than the cost of living. At some point we will break out regional versions of this chart.
Prices have shifted since the start of the year, but things have more or less stabilized (with the exception of gas). The current prices are based on data that is a month or two old.
Avg. Change
−0.7%
Across tracked items
Biggest Increase
+7.9%
Gasoline
Biggest Decrease
−14.4%
Eggs
Eggs (Dozen, Grade A)
−14.4%
Jan-Feb
$2.50
Now
$2.14
Whole Milk (One Gallon)
+7.2%
Jan-Feb
$4.03
Now
$4.32
Ground Beef (One Pound)
+1.2%
Jan-Feb
$6.47
Now
$6.55
Chicken Breast (One Pound)
+1.0%
Jan-Feb
$4.14
Now
$4.18
White Bread (One Pound)
−2.2%
Jan-Feb
$1.85
Now
$1.81
Gasoline (One Gallon, Regular)
+7.9%
Jan-Feb
$3.81
Now
$4.11
Orange Juice (16 Ounce Frozen)
−6.2%
Jan-Feb
$2.43
Now
$2.28
Estimated from global OJ commodity trends.
Coffee (One Pound, Ground)
0.0%
Jan-Feb
$9.46
Now
$9.46
Essentially flat since February.
Health Insurance (Four Person Household Monthly Premium)
N/A
Jan-Feb
$2,384
Now
$2,384
No newer KFF employer benefits survey data has been released yet.
30-year Fixed Mortgage Rate
+0.23 pts
Jan-Feb
6.43%
Now
6.66%
Freddie Mac PMMS, week of July 30, 2026.
Sources: USDA ERS Food Price Outlook · BLS Average Retail Food & Energy Prices · AAA Gas Prices · KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey · Freddie Mac PMMS
Carl Weinschenk is a veteran technology and telecommunications journalist who has covered the industry for decades. He created Vote This Time to encourage sporadic and non-voters to participate in the 2026 midterm elections.
By Carl Weinschenk