Consumer Health Product Prices: Electrolyte Powder Gap
Consumer health product prices split widest on the electrolyte powder shelf in CostInflation’s June 25 data. It ranged from $11.51 in Clayton, Missouri to $23.08 in West San Antonio, Texas, a 100.4% city difference.
The broader Consumer Health Retail Goods Inflation basket did not split nearly as far. It ranged from $127.59 in East St. Louis, Illinois to $140.81 in West San Antonio, about 10.4%.
Electrolyte powder, supplements, and bandages produced larger city gaps than acetaminophen or chewable antacids.
Consumer health product prices split most in electrolyte powder
Electrolyte powder was the only product in this health basket where the highest city price was roughly double the lowest city price.
| Product | Lowest city | Highest city | City range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrolyte powder | Clayton, $11.51 | West San Antonio, $23.08 | 100.4% |
| Vitamin D supplements | North Jackson, $10.07 | Houston, $13.97 | 38.7% |
| Adhesive bandages | West San Antonio, $14.16 | New York, $19.01 | 34.3% |
| Magnesium supplements | East St. Louis, $16.99 | North Jackson, $21.23 | 25.0% |
| Ibuprofen | Clayton, $4.10 | South Philadelphia, $5.07 | 23.7% |
| Melatonin supplements | East St. Louis, $6.58 | Westside Jacksonville, $8.13 | 23.6% |
| Multivitamins | New York, $11.19 | Los Angeles, $13.18 | 17.8% |
| Allergy medicine | North Jackson, $17.96 | South Philadelphia, $21.01 | 17.0% |
| Thermometers | Westside Jacksonville, $15.20 | South Philadelphia, $17.40 | 14.5% |
| Acetaminophen | Los Angeles, $4.95 | Chicago, $5.34 | 7.9% |
| Chewable antacids | Chicago, $7.40 | Westside Jacksonville, $7.87 | 6.4% |
The product spread matters because a shopper can see a quiet basket and still feel a sharper difference in a specific aisle. Electrolyte powder was the sharpest example on June 25, followed by vitamin D supplements and adhesive bandages.
Pain relief and antacids looked tighter
The tighter end of the table came from common over-the-counter medicine categories. Acetaminophen ranged 7.9% between cities, and chewable antacids ranged 6.4%.
Acetaminophen and antacids had much narrower June 25 city ranges than electrolyte powder, vitamin D, or bandages.
The middle of the list also matters. Ibuprofen, melatonin supplements, multivitamins, and allergy medicine sat between the outlier and the tightest categories, with city ranges from about 17% to 24%.
The full retail health basket stayed closer
The full consumer-health retail basket ranged from $127.59 in East St. Louis to $140.81 in West San Antonio. San Jose was close to the top at $140.57, while Clayton and North Jackson stayed near the low end.
The full basket varied 10.4%, far less than the widest individual products. The Consumer Health Retail Goods Inflation page shows the latest city totals, with separate histories for electrolyte powder, vitamin D supplements, and adhesive bandages.