Midland, Texas, is strung between El Paso and Dallas along Interstate 20, and more than four hours’ drive from either big city. Its far-flung location makes everything costlier and harder to get, including workers and vehicles, which you need to go anywhere in the spread-out region with limited public transportation.
Add to that the local economy’s reliance on oil, and you get the unenviable No. 1 spot for inflation over the past year.
