# Cooper’s Promise of Making ‘Stuff Cost Less’ Doesn’t Align With His Record As Governor ## About this report - Report type: Research - Published: 2026-08-06T15:50:41.108Z - Last updated: 2026-08-07T19:25:35.675Z ## Key findings 1. North Carolina became one of the most expensive states for employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid spending rose sharply after expansion, and rural hospital closures reduced access to care. 2. Household grocery costs increased significantly, while Cooper subsidized Kroger’s expansion and North Carolina did not join the multistate challenge to its proposed merger with Albertsons. 3. The median home price rose from about $207,000 in 2017 to $383,000 in 2025, an 85% increase that far outpaced the earnings of minimum-wage workers. 4. Electricity costs increased by approximately 22% after 2020, including rate hikes approved by a state utilities commission made up of Cooper appointees. 5. Cooper now promises to lower costs as a Senate candidate, but his record as governor shows that basic household expenses rose substantially during his tenure. ## Full report ## Executive Summary Roy Cooper is running his U.S. Senate campaign on a promise to make “stuff cost less,” but his eight-year record as governor tells a different story. From 2017 through 2025, North Carolina families faced sharply higher costs for healthcare, groceries, housing, and electricity while the state minimum wage remained frozen at $7.25 per hour. Under Cooper, North Carolina became one of the most expensive states for employer-sponsored healthcare. Median home prices rose by 85%, electricity costs increased by 22% after 2020, and the average household was paying approximately $125 more per month for groceries by January 2024 than it had three years earlier. In numerous cases, Cooper’s own decisions contributed to the pressures he now campaigns against. His administration subsidized Kroger’s expansion, regulators he appointed approved electricity rate increases, and his Medicaid expansion coincided with billions of dollars in additional spending and continued instability among rural hospitals. ## Healthcare Costs Surged Under Cooper, North Carolina became one of the nation’s most expensive states for employer-sponsored healthcare. The state ranked first for the average employee contribution toward plus-one coverage, at $4,781 annually, and second for family coverage. Insurance premiums also increased sharply during Cooper’s time as attorney general and governor. According to an analysis cited by the Heritage Foundation, premiums rose by 183%, producing an estimated increase of approximately $480 per month. Cooper also championed Medicaid expansion, which was followed by a $6.3 billion one-year increase in Medicaid expenditures. Although expansion was promoted as a way to strengthen healthcare access, several rural hospitals downsized or closed. Martin General Hospital filed for bankruptcy, leaving approximately 22,000 residents without a nearby hospital. North Carolinians therefore faced higher coverage costs while some rural communities lost convenient access to emergency care, maternity services, and other essential treatment. ## Grocery Prices Squeezed Families Grocery prices rose rapidly during Cooper’s tenure. By 2023, food prices in North Carolina had increased by 8.4%, exceeding the national inflation rate of approximately 5%. Between January 2021 and January 2024, the average household experienced an estimated $125 monthly increase in grocery expenses, or roughly $1,500 per year. At the same time, Cooper promoted Kroger’s expansion into North Carolina. In 2021, he announced a 12-year incentive package that could reimburse the company up to $2.3 million for building a high-technology fulfillment center in Cabarrus County. Kroger has invested in data-driven retail tools, including digital shelf technology developed with Microsoft. Critics have warned that such systems could facilitate dynamic pricing based on demand, shopping behavior, or other consumer data. When the Federal Trade Commission sued in 2024 to block Kroger’s proposed $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons over concerns about reduced competition and additional price increases, nine state attorneys general joined the case. North Carolina did not. Cooper now campaigns against high grocery prices and corporate pricing practices, despite having subsidized Kroger’s expansion and declining to join the multistate effort challenging its proposed merger. ## Housing Affordability Collapsed The median home price in North Carolina rose from approximately $207,000 when Cooper took office in 2017 to $383,000 when he left in 2025. That represents an increase of $176,000, or 85%, in eight years. During the same period, North Carolina’s minimum wage remained at $7.25 per hour. A full-time minimum-wage worker takes home approximately $12,854 per year after estimated taxes. The increase in the median home price under Cooper represents more than 13 years of that worker’s take-home pay, assuming the worker could devote every dollar earned to housing without any spending on food, transportation, utilities, or healthcare. Higher home prices also placed pressure on renters. As ownership became less attainable, more households remained in the rental market, increasing competition for available housing and contributing to higher rents. ## Electricity Rates Rose Under Cooper’s Appointees Cooper’s campaign acknowledges that electricity costs in North Carolina have risen by approximately 22% since 2020. He now points to Washington when discussing higher energy bills, but major rate increases were approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, whose members he appointed. In August 2023, the commission approved Duke Energy plans that phased in higher electricity rates through 2026. Although fuel costs, infrastructure spending, storm recovery, and other factors affect utility prices, Cooper’s appointees were responsible for reviewing and approving the rate plans. These increases were particularly damaging to low- and fixed-income households. Electricity is not a discretionary expense, and higher utility bills compounded the pressure created by rising food, housing, and healthcare costs. ## Bottom Line Across healthcare, groceries, housing, and energy, the cost of living in North Carolina rose sharply during Roy Cooper’s eight years as governor. Healthcare premiums climbed, grocery bills increased, median home prices rose 85%, and electricity costs increased by 22% after 2020. Cooper’s own administration subsidized Kroger’s expansion, declined to join a multistate challenge to its proposed merger, expanded Medicaid as spending surged, and appointed the regulators who approved electricity rate increases. At the same time, the minimum wage remained frozen at $7.25 per hour. Cooper is now asking voters to send him to the U.S. Senate on a promise to make “stuff cost less,” but his record shows that basic necessities became substantially more expensive while he was governor. ## Related candidates - [Roy Cooper](https://transparencyreport.io/candidates/roy-cooper-north-carolina-d-2026.md) --- Source: Transparency Report — https://transparencyreport.io/reports/roy-cooper-making-stuff-cost-more This is the Markdown version of the page. Cite the canonical URL above.