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A new DoorDash report tracking millions of purchases shows inflation cooling ahead of the midterms, though the cost of everyday essentials still varies widely across the country.
The findings offer a closer look at how those shifts are playing out for consumers, with affordability still shaped largely by where they live.
The State of Local Commerce report highlights evolving spending patterns as price pressures ease in key categories.
To track those changes, DoorDash analyzed affordability trends using three key measures: the Everyday Essentials Index, the Cheeseburger Index and the Breakfast Basics Index, which reflect price movements across household goods, restaurant meals and groceries.
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DoorDash’s annual Cheeseburger Index revealed where Americans can still grab a full burger meal under $15. (iStock)
The analysis shows inflation easing across several categories, with some posting notable year-over-year declines. Egg prices have dropped significantly, lowering breakfast costs, while household goods prices have remained relatively stable.
“There’s really no single story across local economies,” Jessica Lachs, DoorDash’s chief analytics officer, told Fox News Digital. “National averages are a useful benchmark, but economic conditions can vary significantly at the local level.”
Lachs said the company designed its indexes to go beyond raw data and help illustrate what price changes mean in everyday life for consumers.
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The DoorDash report shows inflation easing across several categories. (Marcus Brandt/Picture Alliance/Getty Images)
The Everyday Essentials Index, which monitors staples like toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, pain medicine and diapers, found that the average cost of these items has remained largely flat over the past 12 months. The most affordable city is Memphis, Tennessee, where the basket costs $51.93.
While household costs have held steady, fast-casual spending has climbed slightly higher.
DoorDash’s Cheeseburger Index, which tracks the cost of a classic meal of a burger, fries and a soda, found prices up just 3.7% over the past year, rising from $17.70 to $18.35 nationally. The index closely mirrors government data, tracking alongside the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ food-away-from-home consumer price index, which rose 3.9% in February.
But that national figure masks wide variation at the local level.
“When you look at the top 100 cities, you see some pretty stark differences in how much a cheeseburger meal can cost,” Lachs said.
For example, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the meal averages $12.47, while in Anchorage, Alaska, it jumps to $26.96.
In an analysis of its Breakfast Basics Index – which tracks items like eggs, a glass of milk, a bagel and an avocado – DoorDash found that prices fell 22.3% in the past year, due in part to declining egg prices.
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A map of the U.S. showing DoorDash’s “Breakfast Basics” Index. (DoorDash)
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The cities with the best deals for these food items are Greensboro, North Carolina, at $2.60, Richmond, Virginia, at $2.67 and Fort Worth, Texas, at $2.81.
While national trends provide a helpful benchmark, the data shows that economic conditions still differ widely across local areas, where unique factors can influence prices in ways national averages may not capture.
