Inflation

Inflation worries vary by where you live

By the numbers: Americans now have a negative outlook on the economy, as the overall index has fallen to 99 — a "negative outlook" — this spring from 103 — a "positive outlook" — a year ago.

•     City-dwelling Americans remain optimistic overall, with their score falling modestly, from 112 to 109.
•     In the suburbs, pessimism has started to bite more seriously, with the score falling from 103 last fall to 96 this spring.
•     Rural areas seem to be faring the worst. The index shows their score at a shocking 85, down from an already weak 95 a year ago.

Between the lines: Overall inflation is bad, with prices rising 8.3% over the past year. Food and energy prices, however, have shot up much more quickly than that, up 17.4% in April from the previous year.

    Gasoline prices alone are up 43.6%.

A couple of things here.

Rural areas do have farther to drive to get to Walmart or a job and don't have other transportation options so they notice (and bitch) about high gas prices.

Rural areas also tend to be Fox Propaganda watchers so are being bombarded with stories about how bad things are.

If it continues, small rural towns that are far from Walmart or a job will lose people. Those that remain will watch Fox to see that it was Joe Biden and his communists that destroyed their home towns.