PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Everyone is feeling the impacts of inflation, but the wallets of rural residents in Pennsylvania could receive the brunt of it.
An Iowa State University study shows that people living in rural areas are more vulnerable to inflation impacts compared to those in urban areas.
Dr. Yeve Nersisyan, an Economics Professor at Franklin & Marshal College, explained that rural residents are more likely to depend on driving as their primary mode of transportation, increasing their spending on fuel.
Nersisyan also explained that the difference in wages plays a factor in inflation's impact.
“In urban areas, labor markets are probably tighter, so wages are more likely to go up than they are in rural areas," said Nersisyan.
The wages in these rural areas are not keeping up with household expenses, leading to these residents' disposable income decreasing.
While the cost of living is higher, because of increased wages in urban areas, uniform inflation across the commonwealth does not see these differences.
"Food or anything you need to buy at the grocery store is going to have a more immediate impact on income for rural communities, relative to urban communities, said Kyle Kopko, the Executive Director for the Center of Rural Pennsylvania.
Now, some rural Pennsylvanians have to make sacrifices.
Matthew Rouston, of Hanover Township, said, “Things that we would be able to spend extra money on, we just won't have the chance to do that.”