By The Numbers

My true love gave to me … inflation

Marketplace Staff Dec 21, 2015
25 percent

That’s how much more expensive a partridge is to purchase this year than last, according to PNC Wealth Management. The company monitors the cost of the gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as a festive version of the consumer price index. As the New York Times writes, the cost of the pear tree also went up 1.2 percent. But fret: The price tag of the entire collection of gifts has slowed down its growth over the last couple years.

$60,000

That’s how much Dee Sinclair, also known as Santa Dee, can make in a single holiday season. He owns a company called “The Real Black Santa,” which employs African-American Santas for events and appearances. Businesses like Sinclair’s have seen an increase in the demand for African-American Santas — so much so, many are having trouble keeping up with requests.

2.5 percent

That’s how much home values were found to decrease after 10 years when low-income housing was built nearby, according to research out of Stanford University. Homes half a mile or more from low-income housing were found to be unaffected in terms of value. Still, even with evidence of little to no affects on the real-estate market, cities like Yonkers, New York have still seen fierce debate over the construction of low-income housing.

$3.5 billion

That’s the size of the U.S. cannabis market. And that huge amount of money flowing through the industry also means a large demand for supply. Which, as Bloomberg reports, is where the weed-growing industry gets not very green. Cannabis production puts out greenhouse gasses on par with the output of the state of New Hampshire’s cars, homes and businesses.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.