WATCH: Americans frustrated with 'outrageous' high prices ahead of the presidential election

Food prices have risen about 22.8% in the last four years, based on a FOX Business analysis

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Voters across the nation discuss the current state of the economy amid the 2024 presidential election with Fox News Digital.

Fox Digital spoke to residents in Houston, Texas, Knoxville, TN., and Washington, D.C., about how they feel about current grocery prices as a result of inflation and if they feel better off now under the Biden-Harris administration or during the Trump administration.

Kenneth in Houston did not hold back when comparing the nation under Trump versus Biden-Harris; "the country was just way better when Trump was in office." 

"The prices are at an all-time high right now, which is unacceptable," Kenneth said, adding that problem would go away if Trump returned to the White House.

Becky in Knoxville doesn't believe the rise in costs is because of the Biden administration. 

"I think things were very grim four years ago, we were in a pandemic," she said when comparing America now versus four years ago.

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When comparing how Trump versus Kamala Harris could handle prices, Becky added, "I frankly don't know if either person could help bring the costs down."

"Costs are high, particularly in the grocery stores. So I don't know, I really, I trust Kamala Harris to do her best to make an effort to bring the prices down," she said.

Trump Harris side by side split

A new poll ahead of Tuesday’s ABC News Presidential Debate shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Trump by eight percentage points among likely voters in Virginia. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images.)

"I don't think the price of groceries is acceptable. It's a little bit outrageous," Mina said in Houston. 

"I think prices are way too high," Elbert said in Washington, D.C.

"Underneath the Trump administration, everything was much lower," Edwin said in Knoxville. 

However, despite noticing a difference in prices between the two administrations, Edwin is torn between Harris and Trump. 

"Whether he can enact his policies (Trump), it's a hit or miss. So I'm kind of like torn between them both. You know, they both have good points," he said.

Tamara in D.C. said she doesn't believe she is better off now versus four years ago: "I don't believe that the country overall is better off." She trusts Trump more to tackle economic concerns such as high prices.

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Enoch in Houston said, "The price of groceries as of right now is not acceptable, it is a bit high, but when Trump was in office I don't think it was as high. So I would say I trust Trump more." 

Kriston, a mom of three in Knoxville, said, "I do not think it's acceptable… I think it's gone pretty crazy, and it's gone up tremendously." 

Overall, food prices have risen about 22.8% in the last four years, based on a FOX Business analysis. That figure is roughly in line with the rise in meat prices in that time span, which are up nearly 22.6% since 2020.

Shelter prices have increased nearly 23.4% since August 2020, with rents for primary residences up by a similar amount. 

New vehicles are up 19.5%, while prices for used cars and trucks have risen over 17.9% since August 2020. Auto insurance prices have surged by nearly 52.4% since that time. 

Other costs that have risen in the past four years also include energy, health care, education, and plane tickets.

During the ABC Presidential Debate, Harris said on the economy, "We know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people. We know that young families need support to raise their children, and I intend on extending a tax cut for those families of $6,000 — which is the largest child tax credit that we have given in a long time — so that those young families can afford to buy a crib, a car, buy clothes for their children." 

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Trump slammed inflation under the Biden administration during the debate, and he said he had handed over an economy already recovering from the pandemic when Biden and Harris took office.

"We've had a terrible economy because of inflation, which is really known as a country buster, it breaks up countries. We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before, probably the worst in our nation's history," he said. "We were at 21%, but that's being generous because many things are 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% higher than they were just a few years ago."

"We handed them over a country where the economy and the stock market was higher than it was before the pandemic came in. Nobody's ever seen anything like it," he said.

Fox Business' Eric Revell contributed to this report

Elizabeth Heckman reported from Texas, Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi reported from Tennessee, and Gabriel Hays reported from Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.

Authored by Elizabeth Heckman,Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi,Gabriel Hays via FoxNews September 16th 2024