NASHVILLE — As of August 2026, the average Tennessee household has paid more than $3,900 in additional costs for goods and services since President Donald Trump took office, according to calculations from the Joint Economic Committee – Minority, a standing joint committee of the U.S. Congress, and other data tracking the rising cost of everyday essentials. Tennessee families are paying more across nearly every part of their household budgets, from housing and groceries to energy and health care.

Since Trump took office, Tennessee households have paid an additional $719 in housing costs, grocery prices have climbed more than 4 percent, additional $310 for groceries in Trump’s first year alone compared with 2024. Ground beef has risen to more than $7 per pound, coffee prices have climbed above $9 per pound. Energy costs have also continued to climb, with Tennessee families spending an estimated $809 more on gas since the beginning of the war in Iran, electricity costs have increased by $200 in 2025 compared with 2024 and another $139 during the first six months of 2026 compared with the first half of 2024. At the same time, average monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act plans rose more than 50 percent in 2026, while average deductibles increased by more than $1,000.

Statement from Rachel Campbell, Chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party:

“Tennessee families do not need another excuse from Donald Trump or Tennessee Republicans. They need relief. Families are paying more to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, fill up their tanks, turn on the lights, and afford healthcare. Trump and Tennessee Republicans promised to lower costs, but working families are the ones paying the price for their reckless economic policies. Tennessee families deserve better than the rising costs, chaos, and corruption that has defined the one-party Republican control of our state for far too long. Tennessee Democrats will continue fighting for an economy where every family can afford to live, work, raise a family, and build a future here in Tennessee.”