DORAVILLE, Ga. — Metro Atlanta’s inflation rate is one of the highest in the country, according to federal data released Wednesday.
Although the price of gas is a smidge lower than it was a few weeks ago, it's over $1 higher than it was a year ago.
It starts with "record diesel prices," said Stacy Buchanan, the owner of Buchanan Signs in Paulding County.
The increased cost of delivery impacts his retail business and the cost of his supplies.
"Even the raw materials. The metals, the lamps, wiring," Buchanan said after he fueled up at a Doraville QuikTrip station.
Atlanta’s inflation rate is one of the country’s highest, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its consumer price index chart shows Atlanta at 10.8 percent – higher than New York, LA, Chicago and Miami.
Only metro Phoenix, at 11 percent, has a slightly higher rate than Atlanta.
"A lot of it is because we’re very dependent on automobiles for our transportation," said economist Tom Smith of Emory Goizueta Business School, noting an absence of effective public transportation.
It’s also because housing has skyrocketed in metro Atlanta – an area that had been known for its affordability, drawing new residents from historically higher-priced cities.
"Fifteen hundred for a one bedroom," said Terell Stafford of Stone Mountain. He said he's looking for a place he can afford. "That’s kind of high for me."
Smith said it's still less costly to live in Atlanta that some other major cities in the U.S.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has more information on the consumer price index on its website.