Fact Pack! Inflation Near One-Year High

By Hightower Las Vegas and RCG Economics on October 20, 2026

The Truflation U.S. CPI Inflation Index sat at 3.07 percent as of Monday, reflecting an increase of 5.79 percent over the prior 7 days and 26.6 percent over the prior 30 days.

The range over the past year has been between 2.05 percent and 3.09 percent, so this latest reading is near the top.

Source: Truflation As of 10/19/26

State Budget Surplus

The Economic Forum’s economists and state fiscal analysts last week estimated that Nevada’s next two-year state budget could see a surplus of at least $1 billion.

Graph source: The Nevada Independent As of 10/15/26

The budget size that the forum approves next month will be the basis for the governor’s recommended budget, which will be finalized in January ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

Nevada Independent reporter Eric Neugeboren created a table that nicely sums up the budget surplus numbers:

As of 2026

UAE Delegation to LV

An economic delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visited Las Vegas last month to build business ties and study tourism models ahead of the September 2027 opening of the $5.7 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island resort in the UAE, according to veteran gaming and business reporter Howard Stutz.

The delegation met with Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley to discuss tourism cooperation, convention infrastructure, and a potential “Sister City” relationship. Meetings also occurred with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (recently renamed Las Vegas Regional Economic Partnership), executives from Wynn Resorts, and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing growth remains concentrated in advanced industries, particularly computers, electronics, and aerospace:

Source: The Daily Shot Newsletter as of 2026

Originating source: Pantheon Macroeconomics

Economic data showed U.S. industrial production increased more than expected in September as manufacturing output rebounded despite weakness in the auto component. Industrial output grew 0.7 percent last month, following a revised 0.1 percent gain for August, according to Federal Reserve data.

Source: The WSJ’s Daily Shot Newsletter as of 2026

Originating source: Pantheon Macroeconomics

Import-Export Data

U.S. import prices increased 1.1 percent in September following a 0.5-percent rise in August, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices for U.S. exports increased 2.2 percent in September, after rising 1.2 percent in August. Table:

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics As of September 2026

Supertanker Rates

Commercial shipping rates for the Gulf of Oman to China have decreased slightly but remain elevated compared to pre-September rates:

Source: The WSJ’s Daily Shot newsletter As of 10/16/26

Salaries and Home Buying by Metro

San Jose requires the highest salary to buy a median-priced home at $492.4K, nearly seven times the $71,600 needed in Pittsburgh, according to a Visual Capitalist analysis.

Buyers need a six-figure salary in 32 of the 50 major U.S. metros, including more than $200K in seven.
Just two metros, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, have median household incomes above the salary needed to buy a home.

Graphic source: Visual Capitalist Data source: HSH.com

Most of the priciest 15 metros are in California and the Mountain West. The exceptions are Boston, Miami, and Providence, RI.

Las Vegas is ranked 23^rd among major metros in the nation with a median home price of $483,600 and required salary of $115,133.

On the other end of the salary-to-price scale:

Smartphone Sales Plummet

Global smartphone purchases dropped 22 percent YoY in Q3 2026, the largest quarterly decline on record, according to a Kobeissi Letter summary on X/Twitter:

Samsung’s shipments fell 5.8 percent YoY
Apple’s declined 4.0 percent
Xiaomi shipments fell 29.2 percent
Oppo’s dropped 34.5 percent
Vivo’s units fell 31.5 percent.

The analysis notes component and memory costs have surged 350 percent since last year, driven by AI-related demand.

Numerous commentors on the post pointed out that reduced sales may also be a result of a lack of meaningful upgrades and innovation in new smartphone versions. A quick Fact Pack HQ survey of news, analysis, and surveys on the topic confirmed that consumers are holding on to their phones longer than in years past.

Source: sellcell.com As of May 2026

Data Center Stalls

The Financial Times has reported that 47 large data center projects in the U.S. have been delayed, canceled, or blocked so far in 2026. More than 1,000 communities have moved to restrict AI infrastructure this year, according to FT, and analysts at Bernstein estimate that only about 35 percent of the planned data center pipeline will see build-out.

U.S. Budget

Brookings has a federal budget graph update wrapped into a piece on Social Security and Medicare reform:

As of October 2026

Presented another way:

As of October 2026

Endowment Returns Spike

Many university endowments are posting their strongest returns in five years, driven by investments in SpaceX and AI, as reported by Wall Street Journal:

Data sources: Each university As of 6/30/2026

Economic Perception Survey

The numbers below reflect public opinion earlier in the year but as not much has improved economically in any of the nations, they are noteworthy:

Language-rich Countries

Several nations have a surprising number of languages spoken by citizens and residents, especially when indigenous tongues are included. The U.S. ranks 8^th in the world:

Source: Our World in Data As of 2025

On the Horizon

MarketWatch calendar:

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