The rising cost of shelter has been one of the major components of the current surge in inflation that began around the middle of 2021. According to the recent consumer price index summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans were paying 8.2% more to keep a roof over their heads compared to March last year.
Only transportation services, electricity, and food prices have increased at a higher rate over the same 12-month period, well over the 5% increase in the all items CPI — a list that includes a 17% decrease in gasoline prices, an 11% decline in used car and truck prices, a 3% increase in apparel prices, and a nearly 4% rise in the prices of medical commodities, such as over-the-counter and prescription drugs and medical equipment and supplies. (These are the prices that spiked the most compared to this time last year.)
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