Why It Matters
Maryland families are feeling the strain of rising prices across nearly every spending category, from the gas pump to the grocery store. The broader economic pressure is pushing more households toward food assistance programs and stretching charitable organizations that serve them.
What Happened
The U.S. annual inflation rate climbed to 4.2% in May — the highest reading in more than three years — as the Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% in a single month. The last time the country saw inflation at this level was April 2023. For Maryland residents, the numbers carry real weight in daily budgets.
The Washington, D.C. metro area, which encompasses suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia, recorded 4.1% annual inflation in May. The Baltimore metro area registered 3.6% annual inflation in April, the most recent month for which that data was available.
Christopher Meyer of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy said the effects are straightforward and widespread: “It means [people] are paying more for everything. It makes it harder to afford everything.”
Energy Leads the Price Surge
Energy costs have been the sharpest driver of inflation over the past year. Gas prices nationally rose more than 40%, while fuel oil prices jumped nearly 60%. Analysts have pointed to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran conflict as a significant factor in the energy cost surge.
In Maryland, the average price of a gallon of gas stood at $3.83 as of this week — 77 cents more than drivers paid a year earlier. There is some modest relief on the horizon: prices at the pump have been trending downward since a mid-May peak.
Food Costs Squeeze Household Budgets
Beyond energy, food prices have risen 3.1% nationally over the past year. That figure, while lower than the headline inflation rate, is significant for lower-income households that spend a larger share of their income on groceries.
The Maryland Food Bank, which supplies approximately 760 local food banks and pantries across the state, has seen demand reflect that reality. In Anne Arundel County, the South County Assistance Network distributes food to families on a once-every-30-days basis. The organization served 371 families in 2025 and has already added 47 new families this year.
Pat Youngman, board president of the South County Assistance Network, said the trend is clear on the ground. “We’re definitely seeing more families struggle,” Youngman said. “They comment about the price of food and how difficult it is.”
By the Numbers
4.2% — U.S. annual inflation rate in May, the highest since April 2023
4.1% — Annual inflation in the Washington, D.C. metro area in May
40%+ — National gas price increase over the past year
$3.83 — Maryland’s average gas price per gallon as of this week, up 77 cents year-over-year
47 — New families added to the South County Assistance Network’s rolls this year, on top of the 371 it served in 2025
Zoom Out
Maryland’s situation reflects a national pattern. Inflation had appeared largely contained through much of 2024 and early 2025, but geopolitical disruptions to global energy supply chains reignited price pressures. The ripple effects are visible not only in consumer spending data but in the growing caseloads of food assistance programs, a trend documented across multiple states this year. A 2025 Urban Institute report found that nearly half of U.S. adults faced difficulty with healthcare costs, suggesting that inflation-related financial stress extends well beyond energy and food.
In Maryland specifically, federal workforce disruptions have compounded economic anxiety for many households. Faith-based organizations and nonprofits have stepped into gaps left by those layoffs, much as they are now doing in response to rising consumer prices.
What’s Next
Economists and policymakers will watch June inflation data closely to determine whether May’s reading represents a new plateau or a continued upward trend. For Marylanders, near-term relief may come partially through declining gas prices, which have already begun easing from their spring highs. Charitable food networks, however, expect demand to remain elevated through the summer months as household budgets continue to absorb higher costs.