Everything’s Bigger In Texas – Including The Prices, Thanks To Donald Trump
As Donald Trump prepares to speak on the economy and affordability in Corpus Christi, Texas, costs are skyrocketing for Texans as a result of his administration’s failed policies. Trump’s approval rating in Texas, a state he won by double-digits in 2024, is deep in the red at around negative 17 percentage points. Instead of addressing the affordability crisis, Trump has threatened more than 50,000 jobs, jeopardized $6.8 billion in Texas energy investments, and ripped away $5.5 billion in federal funding for health care and food aid. Trump and Republicans in Congress have worked in lockstep to reward their rich and powerful friends at the expense of everyone else. They are obliterating the economic security of millions of Texans and people across the country – and working families are the ones paying the price.
The Lone Star State Affordability Crisis
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COST-OF-LIVING IS TEXANS’ TOP CONCERN: Texas residents are facing high prices due to Trump’s economic policies. Affordability issues are Texas voters’ top concerns, with more than two-thirds concerned about food and health care costs and 57% concerned about housing costs. Nearly 80% of Houston residents are concerned about the cost-of-living outpacing wages, and 3 in 4 are concerned about the high cost-of-living. More than half (56%) of Hispanic voters in Texas name the cost of living and inflation as a top issue. Two-thirds believe President Trump and Republicans in Congress aren’t focused enough on economic issues. In the first year of Trump’s second term, Texans paid an average of $1,210 more in goods and services. Trump’s tariffs will cost Texas households an average of $1,600 each by the end of 2026.
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IN TEXAS, FOOD COSTS ARE UP: 90% of Texas voters say they are concerned about food costs. Food costs are rising nationwide thanks to Donald Trump’s tariffs and America-last trade policies – especially in Texas. Texas is among the top 10 states with the highest average weekly grocery bills. Texas is now among the top 15 states most cost-burdened by groceries, meaning household incomes in Texas are not keeping up with rising grocery prices in the state.
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Food prices in the Houston area, the fastest-growing in the state, increased more than twice as fast as area inflation overall in 2025 – especially dairy products, which rose nearly 5%, and fresh fruits and vegetables, which increased 7.2%.
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Grocery prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are rising faster than area inflation overall, with meats, poultry, fish, & eggs rising more than 4% and fresh fruits & vegetables up 5.2% since last January. Families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area – the second fastest-growing in the state – pay some of the highest grocery costs in the state, and rates of people seeking food assistance are rising alongside prices.
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TEXAS HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE UP THANKS TO TRUMP & REPUBLICANS: Nearly 9 in 10 Texans are concerned about the cost of health care, with two-thirds saying they are “very concerned,” according to a University of Texas poll, and 82% of Texas voters say they would support a candidate who reduced health care prices. The Trump-GOP Big, Ugly Bill cut over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Now, more than 1.7 million Texans stand to lose their health care. Texans who buy health insurance on their own through the Affordable Care Act are facing an average premium increase of 35% for 2026. More than 3.7 million people across the state are seeing their coverage costs at least double on average this year. Texas hospitals are also estimated to lose $609 million a year due to Medicaid cuts alone. 26 Texas hospitals and clinics are closing, have already announced cuts, or are at risk of closure in the wake of the Trump-GOP bill.
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TEXAS SMALL BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING: Texas small businesses have been disproportionately hurt by Trump’s policies. Nearly half of Texas businesses surveyed say they have been negatively impacted by Trump’s tariffs, including more than 70% of Texas manufacturers and 60% of Texas retailers. Texas importers paid the second-highest tariff bill in 2025, with the cost of Trump’s tariffs running around $21 billion in the state. The state is home to over 3.3 million small businesses. The Trump-GOP plan to rip away ACA tax credits is hitting Georgia’s small businesses especially hard. Over 665,000 small business owners in the state rely on the ACA for coverage – nearly 1 in 6 ACA enrollees in Texas.
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LONE STAR HOUSING CRUNCH: Homebuilders and homebuyers are heavily impacted by Trump’s tariffs. Trump’s tariffs on building materials are expected to increase the price of a new home by about $9,200. More than half of Texas renters and nearly a quarter of homeowners are cost-burdened. Texas homeowners and renters alike are grappling with skyrocketing insurance premiums. Texans already pay the fifth-highest premiums for homeowners insurance and the seventh-highest renters insurance premiums, and Texas homeowners’ insurance premiums are estimated to have risen 9% in 2025. 79% of Texas voters are interested in lowering homeowners’ insurance costs. Texas homeowners also pay the seventh-highest property taxes in the country.
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JOB LOSSES & LOST INVESTMENT IN TEXAS: Trump has threatened over $6.8 billion in Texas energy investments, cancelling, delaying, and forcing layoffs at seven energy-related projects, leading to more than 52,000 jobs threatened or lost – the highest in the country. 28 energy companies have cancelled or delayed projects, laid off staff, or lost federal funding since Trump’s election.
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HELP RIPPED AWAY FROM TEXANS: Trump’s budget cuts are ripping away vital assistance for health care, food, and more from millions of Texans. Trump and Republicans in Congress cut $187 billion in food assistance, which helps give about 3.5 million Texans access to food. More than 66,000 SNAP recipients live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area alone. These cuts leave an estimated 275,000 Texas families at risk of losing their food aid and will leave Texas without $2.45 billion in annual federal funds – a 32% reduction.
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