According to the most recent cost of living index report, Wyoming experienced a 1.1 percent rate of inflation and saw the cost of living rise slightly in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the previous year.
The report is published biannually and measures six consumer spending categories, including apparel, food, medical, transportation, housing, and recreation & personal care.
Amy Bittner, a senior economist for the Wyoming Economic Analysis Division, said the report adds another layer to the picture of how the state is doing economically.
“You do typically see inflation in areas where you have economic activity. In the last couple cost of living reports, we did see some regions that had negative inflation, where there was a lot of mining activity because there was a downturn in the mineral industry,” she said.
According to Bittner, this new data supports the idea that Wyoming’s economy is finally stabilizing after that downturn.
“I think it’s the first time in a couple years that we’ve seen positive inflation in all the regions of Wyoming since about the second quarter of 2014.”
The report breaks the state down to five regions. The Northwest and Southeast regions of the state, which include Jackson, Cody, Laramie, and Cheyenne, saw the largest rates of inflation.
