If you’re like us, you’ve had money on the mind recently. There’s been a lot of news about the costs of goods changing, but the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is indicating some stability in Columbia. Based on its Consumer Price Index in the South, annual inflation (comparing March 2024 to March 2025) was 1.9% — the lowest it’s been in three years.
What’s going down?
Overall, annual inflation was still a positive number, but there are some categories where costs have gone down. Compared to March 2024, the biggest change can be found at the pump; motor fuel prices decreased by 11.9%. Other categories where inflation was moving in reverse:
- Transportation — down 1.9%, including lower costs for new cars, parts, and service
- Apparel — decreased by 1%
- Education + communication — prices fell by 0.2%, likely driven by communication services and technology
While food prices increased as a whole, fruit + veggie costs fell by 1%, which might be a good reminder to hit up the farmers market.
What’s up?
As expected, more categories saw prices go up, which is normal. The single greatest price increase was attributed to piped gas services, which rose by 9.9% annually. Other housing and energy categories also saw significant annual increases, with overall housing costs jumping 3.5% and electricity costs increasing 3.2%.
The overall food + beverage category inflated by 2.6%, with the biggest factor being meat, poultry, and eggs, which rose 7.6%. Still, it’s cheaper to eat at home; food away from home costs 3.5% more than it did in March 2024.
Here are some other price increases that impacted the Columbia area:
- Tuition, school fees + child care — rose by 3.5%
- Medical care — up by 2%
- Recreational activities — increased 1.6%
The miscellaneous “other goods and services” category also reported an increase of 3.6%. This includes tobacco products, services like haircuts, and funeral costs.
