Midland, TX has the worst inflation in America

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Inflation in Midland has hovered near 10% for the past six months, more than any of the about 400 metropolitan areas tracked by Moody's Analytics — and well above the national average. Over the period, the West Texas oil-industry hub has had it even worse than big-city hotspots such as Atlanta and  Phoenix.

As the Fed embarks on an interest-rate hiking cycle to tamp down on decades-high inflation, Midland's struggles show how difficult it’ll be to douse prices with the blunt tool of monetary policy. The central bank raised interest rates by half a percentage point last week, the most since 2000, and signaled it would keep that pace in the next couple of months. 

“The only food I can buy at the grocery store anymore is eggs and beans,” said Jesus, 74, who retired five years ago. The couple receives about $2,000 a month in pension and benefits, but only in the past few months have costs driven them to the food bank.

Behind them in line was Eduardo Gama, 47, his sedan windows rolled down for his three big dogs. Rent and electricity prices shot up so much in Midland that a few months ago he moved to an RV park in Odessa. His monthly bills are down $200, but wages from his job at a storage facility haven’t kept pace with inflation.

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