5 cities with the highest inflation in America — and 5 cities with the lowest
Inflation is hitting Americans differently depending on where they live
The consumer price index (CPI) climbed 3% in January from the previous year — meaning inflation is once again rising faster than expected. And in some metro areas, inflation is particularly bad.
WalletHub looked at 23 major metropolitan statistical areas to see where inflation is rising the fastest based on the CPI.
For each area, it looked at the CPI change between the latest month and two months ago and the latest month and one year ago.
Continue reading to see which cities have the lowest inflation and which have the highest.
5th Lowest: Seattle, WA Metro Area
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of -0.5% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 2.7%.
4th Lowest: San Francisco, CA Metro Area
The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of -0.4% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 2.4%.
3rd Lowest: Anchorage, AK Metro Area
The Anchorage Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of -0.8% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 2.3%.
2nd Lowest: Phoenix, AZ Metro Area
The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of -0.8% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 1.6%.
Lowest: Houston, TX Metro Area
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of -1.1% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 1%.
5th Highest: Riverside, CA Metro Area
The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of 1.8% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 2.9%.
4th Highest: Honolulu, HI Metro Area
The Urban Honolulu Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of 1% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 4.1%.
3rd Highest: Boston, MA Metro Area
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of 1.5% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 3.9%.
2nd Highest: San Diego, CA Metro Area
The San Diego-Carlsbad Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of 1.5% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 3.9%.
Highest: Chicago, IL Metro Area
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Metro Area saw a CPI change between the January 2025 and November 2024 of 1.2% and a CPI change between January 2025 and January 2024 of 4.3%.