People are Struggling with Inflation Most in These States

People are paring back to make ends meet everywhere thanks to rampant inflation, which is at 8.6% nationwide, its highest rate in 40 years. Citizens of some states are feeling the impact more than others, however. A new analysis from QuoteWizard examines state-by-state data from survey respondents who said they were having a "very difficult" time paying for their usual household expenses. Overall, 60% of people are having some difficulty paying their expenses, while 15% are having a very difficult time — an 81% increase compared with data from June 2021. Here are the 10 states where people are struggling the most, plus the states where people say they're having the least difficulty.

Related: 15 Important Steps to Take to Outsmart Inflation, According to Experts

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 17%

Change since June 2021: Up 55%

Alabama took a big hit in tourism dollars in 2021 due to the pandemic, and now inflation is expected to slow the summer stream of tourists, hitting locals in the wallet again. 

Related: The Best Ways to Reduce 13 Monthly Bills and Expenses

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 17%

Change since June 2021: Up 88%

Despite Oklahoma's state revenue increasing by 23% over the last year due to rising income taxes, sales tax, and production tax on oil and natural gas, at least 17% of the state's citizens are not seeing relief thanks to inflation.

Related: The States With the Highest — and Lowest — Gas Taxes

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 17%

Change since June 2021: Up 88%

Though inflation in parts of New Jersey has been a little slower than the rest of the nation thanks to its proximity to New York City, 88% more citizens reported having a very difficult time paying expenses compared with last year.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 17%

Change since June 2021: Up 92%

Nevada still had a 5% unemployment rate in March, the second highest in the nation. That's probably factors into the high percentage of households having a difficult time with expenses, which is up 92% from last year.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 17%

Change since June 2021: Up 136%

To combat rising prices in Tennessee, there's going to be a month-long grocery tax suspension in August. Hopefully that will help the households that are struggling with expenses — the percentage of which has jumped 136% in the past year.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 18%

Change since June 2021: Up 120%

Senior centers in West Virginia are struggling to get funding to feed elderly residents as food prices rise, which mirrors the struggles of 18% of households that report a very difficult time paying expenses.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 19%

Change since June 2021: Up 70%

Mississippi's government has floated the idea of suspending the state's gas tax for six months later this year, which would certainly help struggling residents as gas prices hit another record high.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 20%

Change since June 2021: Up 83%

The Atlanta metro area's annual inflation rate is 10.6%, almost three percentage points higher than the national average.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 22%

Change since June 2021: Up 83%

Florida has seen an unprecedented rise in rental prices in the last two years, especially in Miami, where they jumped almost 50% between December 2020 and December 2021.

Households having a "very difficult" time paying expenses: 25%

Change since June 2021: Up 150%

Louisiana only ranks 47th in the nation in regaining pandemic-related job losses, up from dead last. In Lafayette, it's expected that there will be 20,000 fewer jobs available compared with a decade ago. 

There are some states where inflation doesn't seem to be hitting quite as hard as others. Here are the states with the lowest percentages of households reporting a hard time:

• Washington: 10%
• Minnesota: 10%
• Maryland: 11%
• North Dakota: 11%
• Colorado: 11%
• Vermont: 11%
• Wyoming: 11%
• Oregon: 11%

Related: Record Inflation Continues to Bust Consumers' Budgets