Are things different prices in different states?

12 comments

1. Yes for groceries and utilities.  Phones cost the same, but sales tax varies

2. Yes different states have different sales taxes on certain items, some states don’t have sales taxes. Also gas prices are different depending on state you go to. 

3. Yes. And within states too of course.

4. Yes, even within states sometimes.

5. It will be different just going over to the next county or neighborhood a few miles away.

6. Groceries cost more in rich neighborhoods, mostly because the stores stock fancier items. And some poor neighborhoods don’t even have grocery stores or supermarkets.

   Sales tax can vary from one state to another, from county to county, and even city to city.

   The climate also has an effect. For example, fruits and vegetables are sometimes cheaper on the west coast, because so many of them are grown there. Citrus fruits cost less in Florida for the same reason: less money is spent on transporting them. Seafood costs less on the coast. Etc.

   The home water bill is probably higher in desert areas.

   And nearly everything costs a lot more in Alaska and Hawaii.

7. Of course they are. Things are generally priced as high as they think the local market will bear. Obviously something as large as the US isn’t going to be uniform in that regard.

   Government policies also affect prices on certain things and many such policies are state ones. US states are extremely autonomous and most of the laws and policies that affect your day to day life are state ones.

8. Yes, things are different. Some places are more expensive than others but there’s always a trade off. The cheaper places are away from population centers.

9. Things are different prices in different stores…

10. Things will be different prices within the same state due to cost of living variances. Rent, wages, taxes, etc are all higher in New York City than they are in Poughkeepsie, so the cost of goods and services will reflect that.

11. Yes, things can cost more or less from state to state. Often if someone changes locations with their employer there’s a “cost of living” adjustment. I’m in Virginia, if I transferred to New York, I would get an adjustment up to account for the greater cost of living in NYC compared to Richmond, VA. This rarely, if ever, happens in the opposite direction. If someone transfers from NYC to Richmond they won’t earn less.

    The biggest differences are in housing, taxes, and consumer goods and services. Durable good prices are more stable.

    A number of institutions track and rank these cost differences. Here’s an example

    https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/cost-of-living-index-by-state

12. Yes