The latest consumer price report has arrived, offering a closer look at the country’s economic pulse and how everyday Americans are faring as the war with Iran drags on.
On a monthly basis, inflation accelerated in July, with prices rising 0.1% after falling 0.4% in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Wednesday release. Compared with a year ago, costs are about 3.4% higher, a subtle improvement from the 3.5% observed the previous month, but still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation benchmark.
The month-over-month increase is largely attributed to rising prices associated with food and shelter, while the energy index — responsible for driving higher overall inflation in recent months — declined again in July, at a rate of 1.5%.
Whether energy prices will continue trending downward remains to be seen. While oil prices eased this week, the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for transporting oil and gas, remains shuttered. Iran says it won’t reopen the strait until the United States lifts its blockade, releases frozen Iranian assets and compensates the country for damages incurred during the war. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is proposing additional sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The Tribune is tracking 11 everyday costs for Americans — eggs, milk, bread, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, chicken, ground beef, gasoline, electricity and natural gas — and how they are changing, or not, under the second Trump administration. This tracker is updated monthly using consumer price index data.
To see the average U.S. price of a specific good, click on the dropdown arrow below and select the item you wish to view.
Eggs
Bucking a yearlong trend, the cost of eggs ticked up last month, notching a 5-cent increase.
While only a modest change, July marks the first time in 15 months that egg prices jumped month-over-month. Costs had been on the decline since March 2025, following a massive outbreak of bird flu that disrupted the egg supply and sent retail prices soaring.
A dozen large Grade A eggs now costs $2.19 — nearly 40% less than this time last year.
Milk
After hitting record highs in June, milk prices dipped last month, falling by just a fraction of a cent to $4.31 for a gallon of fresh, fortified whole milk.
Since Trump took office, the average cost of milk is up 7%.
Bread
Bread, meanwhile, crept up ever so slightly from June. Currently priced at $1.82 per pound, costs are moderately lower than they were a year ago.
Bananas
Banana prices were unchanged, remaining at $0.65 per pound for a fourth consecutive month.
Average costs for the potassium-rich fruit have seen little change as of late, hovering between 65 and 67 cents over the last 12 months.
Oranges
No data on oranges was available for July.
In June, the cost of navel oranges was listed at $1.54 per pound, down approximately 6% year-over-year but up marginally since the start of the Trump administration.
Tomatoes
The cost of tomatoes dropped sharply for a third month straight, settling at exactly $2.00 for a pound of field-grown tomatoes.
This, however, is somewhat expected for the tomato market. Prices typically decline throughout the spring and summer as fresh tomatoes begin to be harvested stateside. In the coming months, costs will rise again, eventually peaking in the winter.
But even with the steep drop-off, prices remain elevated for this time of year. And driving these unseasonably high prices? Tariffs. Last July the Trump administration implemented a 17% import tax on all Mexican-grown tomatoes — the vast majority of which are sold in the U.S.
Since that duty took effect, tomato prices have leapt nearly 12%.
Chicken
Chicken prices are also falling.
Unlike other meat products, the cost of chicken has seen little fluctuation in recent months, so much so that July’s 3-cent drop signaled the single biggest monthly change dating back to November 2024.
The price of fresh, whole chicken now sits at $2.01 a pound.
Ground Beef
After shooting back up to new records in June, the cost of 100% ground beef chuck swung in the other direction, falling 13 cents in July to land at $6.85 per pound.
But even with a notable price dip, costs remain persistently high due to a domestic beef shortage.
The number of beef cows is at historic lows for the midyear mark, and the calf crop for 2026 is projected to be down another 2% from last year’s multidecade lows, per the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s cattle report released last month. Fewer calves and cows means lower beef production, and with less meat making its way to market, we see a corresponding price squeeze.
Since the change of administrations, costs have ballooned by almost 25%, or a difference of $1.36 per pound for shoppers.
Electricity
Similarly, electric costs eased for the first time in months — though perhaps not noticeably so.
Prices dropped by just a tenth of a cent from June to roughly 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, the second-highest on record, according to BLS data. With the average American household using about 899 kWh every four weeks, that translates to a monthly bill of approximately $177 before delivery charges, taxes and other fees.
Unfortunately for Illinoisans, higher electric prices are likely coming to all corners of the state. ComEd, Chicago’s primary electric utility, is seeking a $234 million rate reconciliation for rising costs incurred, in large, from data centers. If approved, city residents would see an extra charge of $2.97 per month beginning next year. Likewise for Ameren customers downstate, higher electric bills are expected this summer.
But it’s not just the Land of Lincoln — price hikes have hit the whole country. Since January 2025, the average cost of electricity has spiked by 10% nationwide. That equates to a little more than a $16 monthly surcharge for the average homeowner or renter.
Gasoline
Some more good news? Gas prices dropped again in July — just in time for those summer road trips.
The average nationwide cost of gasoline fell 11 cents month-over-month, registering at $4.09 per gallon of regular unleaded. In Chicago, the cost per fill-up also bounced, tumbling 27 cents to $4.18 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
While costs have cooled since May, the price at the pump is $1.03 more per gallon both locally and nationally than it was prior to the start of the Iran war — an increase of roughly 33% in just five months.
Moreover, the most recent data from August shows prices climbing again. As of Monday, all grades of gasoline were averaging $4.14 per gallon nationally, according to EIA data. In the city, prices were even higher, sitting at $4.35 a gallon.
Natural Gas
Piped utility gas, or natural gas, saw another small bump last month, measuring a gain of just over 1 cent to rest at $1.70 per therm.
On average, Americans are paying close to 10% more to heat their homes, ovens and stovetops than when President Joe Biden left office.