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Data: GasBuddy; Note: Price as of the 1st of each month; Chart: Axios Visuals

A gallon of gas cost $3.36 on average in New Orleans metro as of Aug. 1, per GasBuddy.

That's compared to the nationwide average of $3.76, and down 7.5% from August 2022.

The big picture: Nationwide, average gas prices are up a bit from winter months — as expected based on historical patterns — but lower than last year's highs of nearly $5.

Yes, but: Gas prices ticked up in recent weeks due to excessive heat in Gulf states like Louisiana and Texas, where many of the country's oil refineries are located.

"Refineries, which turn crude oil into products like gasoline, don't function as efficiently in 100+ degree weather," Axios' Emily Peck reports.

Why it matters: America is a nation of car travelers, with the average person driving nearly 13,500 miles per year. Thus, higher gas prices take a bigger toll on our wallets — and contribute to overall inflation.

Gas prices can also influence how quickly people convert to low- or zero-emissions cars — a major Biden administration policy goal.

Still, how much you'll actually save by going electric can vary significantly based on your local gas and electricity rates, among other factors.

Data: GasBuddy; Note: Price as of the 1st of each month; Map: Axios Visuals

Zoom in: Compared to August 2022, gas prices have come down most significantly in Idaho (-14.4%), Nevada (-12.1%) and Massachusetts (-11.0%).

They've gone up most significantly in Iowa (+6.1%), Florida (+5.7%) and Georgia (+5.7%).

Be smart: Several factors can drive state-by-state variations in gas prices, including a state's taxes and its proximity to refineries.

But state-level gas prices tend to follow the same broader trend lines, with occasional variations.

As you can see in the map above, gas prices are generally falling or flat compared to August 2022.

What's next: All eyes are on hurricane season, as severe storms can further disrupt refineries — thus reducing supply and raising prices.

Saudi Arabia's continued oil production cut also stands to increase energy prices.

The bottom line: "The pace of increases has started to slow down over the last few days, and for now, appears to have hit a peak over the weekend and is beginning to gently fall," Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a statement this week.

But "the respite from gasoline rising may not last long."

Gas in New Orleans is cheaper than national average

Gas prices ticked up in recent weeks due to excessive heat in Louisiana and Texas.

Image shows a graph charting the national gas price compared with New Orleans gas prices

A gallon of gas cost $3.36 on average in New Orleans metro as of Aug. 1, per GasBuddy.<ul><li>That&#x27;s compared to the nationwide average of $3.76, and down 7.5% from August 2022.</li></ul>The big picture: Nationwide, average gas prices are up a bit from winter months — as expected based on historical patterns — but lower than last year&#x27;s highs of nearly $5.

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Business

Transit

Data: U.S. Census; Note: Unadjusted estimate of privately owned units of any size; Chart: Axios Visuals

Just more than 23 new homebuilding permits per 100,000 residents were issued in New Orleans in May 2023, down from 25.2 in May 2020 — the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of  the 296 total permits, 206 were issued for single-family homes, 43 for buildings with two to four units and 47 for those with five or more units.

That's per a new analysis of Census Bureau data.

The big picture: Nationwide, 42.3 new homebuilding permits per 100,000 residents were issued in May 2023, up from 32.9 in May 2020.

Why it matters: A post-pandemic nationwide housing shortage is keeping prices high.

Recent estimates from Freddie Mac indicate the U.S. is short about 3.8 million units of housing, either for rent or purchase, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

A bump in new home construction, however, could bring prices down — it's basic supply and demand.

By the numbers: In May 2023, 139,600 total permits were issued across the U.S. — the majority of which (88,900) were for single-family homes.

Nearly 46,000 were issued for buildings with five or more units, and nearly 5,000 for those with between two and four units.

Zoom in: Some cities are seeing an especially significant explosion in new home construction as a post-pandemic reality takes hold.

In Raleigh, for example, 138 new permits per 100,000 residents were issued in May 2023, up from 71.7 in May 2020.

State of play: While many newly built homes have been targeted at (and thus priced for) relatively wealthier buyers, homebuilders are starting to focus on more affordable projects for first-time homebuyers, per Axios' Matt Phillips.

What they're saying: "It's a renewed focus, given the lack of inventory," Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, told Matt.

"First-time buyers are going to play a key role in the order expansion for homebuilders going forward."

Yes, but: "There's little sign of a Levittown-style surge of modest-home construction to magically solve the inventory problem any time soon," Phillips writes.

Plus, even if costs come down, mortgage rates remain relatively high.

New Orleans homebuilding permits drop despite national increase

A post-pandemic nationwide housing shortage is keeping prices high.

A blue line representing New Orleans homebuilding permits tracks mostly below a grey line, representing permits issued nationwide. The most recent data is for May 2023, and New Orleans shows 23.3 and nationally 42.4 homebuilding permits issued per 100,000 residents.

Just more than 23 new homebuilding permits per 100,000 residents were issued in New Orleans in May 2023, down from 25.2 in May 2020 — the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ul><li>Of the 296 total permits, 206 were issued for single-family homes, 43 for buildings with two to four units and 47 for those with five or more units.</li><li>That&#x27;s per a new analysis of Census Bureau data.</li></ul>The big picture: Nationwide, 42.3 new homebuilding permits per 100,000 residents were issued in May 2023, up from 32.9 in May 2020.

Real Estate

COVID-19 hospitalization rates across Louisiana skyrocketed 66% between June and July amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country.

Driving the news: Hospitalization rates are rising the fastest in Mississippi (+73% month over month), Alabama (+66%) and Louisiana.

The average COVID hospitalization rate nationwide rose about 17% for the same time period, per the latest available CDC data.

A new variant, EG.5 or Eris, is now the dominant form in the U.S., according to CDC estimates — though it's unclear if it's directly responsible for the rising numbers.

Data: CDC; Note: Change in average weekly rate at a sample of 6,000 hospitals from June 4 to July 1 and July 2-29, 2023; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Zoom in: Only one public university in Louisiana is requiring COVID vaccinations for students this fall, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. No schools are requiring masking.

In fall 2022, all but four public universities required COVID vaccines. 

Reality check: In both percentage change and raw terms, nationwide hospitalizations remain far below their pandemic-era peak.

They're down 82% year over year, while the CDC reports 10,320 overall hospital admissions in the week between July 30-Aug. 5, compared to more than 150,000 in one week in January 2022.

Why it matters: Simply put, our guard is down.

Many of us put COVID in our rearview mirrors, leaving us both mentally and practically ill-prepared for another wave.

Experts warn the U.S. is lacking critical tools to help manage future waves, Axios' Sabrina Moreno recently reported.

Be smart: With so little testing happening these days compared to the height of the pandemic, hospitalization rates are now one of the best proxies for estimating broader viral spread.

Yes, but: Hospitalizations aren't a perfect metric.

Because older people are more vulnerable to severe COVID, for example, hospitalization rates are likely to be higher in states or communities with older populations. (To that end, nursing home cases are also rising.) Vaccination rates can be a factor too.

Hospitalization rates are also a lagging indicator — it takes time for infected people to become sick, and more time still for them to become sick enough to require hospitalization. That delay means hospitalizations are a reflection of what's already happened, rather than a useful early-warning tool.

The quality of hospitalization reporting can vary as well.

Other signs also point to increased spread.

Wastewater analysis, for instance, is detecting rising levels of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — nationwide.

Such analyses are especially useful in a world with less individual testing, as wastewater can reveal broad trends across wide areas, absent mass nose-swabbing campaigns.

Still, this uptick comes at a less-than-ideal time with regard to booster availability.

A newly updated booster is due out this fall. While it wasn't specifically designed with EG.5 in mind, it will likely offer at least some protection, experts told NBC News.

Those behind on their shots need to decide whether it makes sense to wait for the updated booster or to beef up their protection now in the face of this uptick.

The bottom line: There's no sign we're headed for anything like the waves of the peak pandemic era. But it's still an alarming trend and a reminder that COVID will remain a public health concern for the foreseeable future.

More COVID metrics for Louisiana from the state Department of Health

Louisiana's COVID hospitalization rates are above the national average

A new variant, EG.5 or Eris, is now the dominant form in the U.S.

Louisiana

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19 hospitalization rates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/health" data-vars-content-id="b52c8d55-da84-49e8-aaac-a6da8848ca18" data-vars-headline="Louisiana&#x27;s COVID hospitalization rates are above the national average" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/health" target="_self">COVID-19 hospitalization rates</a> across Louisiana skyrocketed 66% between June and July amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country.Driving the news: Hospitalization rates are rising the fastest in Mississippi (+73% month over month), Alabama (+66%) and Louisiana.<ul><li>The average COVID hospitalization rate nationwide rose about 17% for the same time period, per the latest available CDC data.</li></ul>

COVID

Health

New Orleans residents can walk to a public park easier than the average person nationwide.

But the city's high-income and white residents have access to disproportionately more total park acreage.

Driving the news: The Crescent City ranks 32nd among the 100 largest U.S. cities for its public parks, per the latest report from the Trust for Public Land, a pro-parks nonprofit.

The group rates cities on a variety of metrics, including the percentage of residents who live near a park, the share of city land reserved for parks, parks investment and more. Cities are then awarded a "ParkScore."

Details: 80% of New Orleans residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, the nonprofit found — higher than the 74% median for the country's most populous cities. 

New Orleans' park access is roughly equal among high, middle and low-income residents. 

Yes, but: When it comes to total park space, the city sees major disparities. Neighborhoods with high concentrations of white people have access to 140% more park space than average — the highest of any racial/ethnic group.

Neighborhoods with high concentrations of Black residents have just 25% more. 

High-income neighborhoods have 109% more park space than the city average, while low-income neighborhoods have 31% more. 

Zoom in: The nonprofit's map of New Orleans' parks shows that New Orleans East has the biggest need for more park space, followed by Algiers, Gentilly, the Lower 9th Ward and parts of the Carrollton area.

Why it matters: Parks confer a wealth of benefits — including, as TPL points out in its latest annual report, significant health boosts.

Residents of the top 25 cities by ParkScore are less likely to report poor mental health or low physical activity, per TPL's latest report.

By the numbers: The Crescent City scored 70 out of 100 for access, 56 for acreage, 76 for investment, 35 for amenities and 52 for equity.

New Orleans' government and agencies spent $264 on parks per capita in 2022 — more than double the national average of $108.

Data: ParkScore; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

The intrigue: Cities increasingly view their parks departments through a public health lens, says Howard Frumkin, TPL senior vice president and director of the Land and People Lab.

"Simply defining parks as part of the public health infrastructure of a community, and then steering some health dollars towards the parks because they're healthy, is a really interesting innovation," Frumkin tells Axios.

"And it's not rare — it's getting more and more common."

Reality check: Not every park is a multiacre Olmstedian masterpiece like New Orleans City Park — yet even diminutive "pocket parks" and community garden lots confer physical, mental and social benefits.

"If there's a pocket park with no sports facilities at all, but I walked 12 minutes to get there and I walk 12 minutes home, I've got my 24 minutes of moderate activity for that day," Frumkin says.

What's next: TPL's report offers a bevy of recommendations for cities looking to boost their ParkScore, including expanding access (through better public transportation, for instance), starting drop-in sports programs and exploring innovative partnerships with local health care organizations.

The bottom line: "Parks in the past were like, 'Well, I've just got to prune the trees, mow the grass, take the trash out, keep the bathrooms clean and we're good,'" says TPL senior director for strategy and innovation Linda Hwang.

"And they have to do all that — but now there's a level of sophistication that we just haven't seen and a better understanding of what people need in their neighborhoods."

How New Orleans' parks compare with the rest of the country

New Orleans ranks 32nd among the 100 largest U.S. cities.

Audubon Park in 2020, located in a predominantly white, high-income neighborhood. Photo: Sophia Germer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

New Orleans residents can walk to a public park easier than the average person nationwide.<ul><li>But the city&#x27;s high-income and white residents have access to disproportionately more total park acreage.</li></ul>Driving the news: The Crescent City ranks 32nd among the 100 largest U.S. cities for its public parks, per the latest report from the Trust for Public Land, a pro-parks nonprofit.

Culture

News

Data: U.S. Census; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Some 21 new business applications were filed per 1,000 residents across the New Orleans-metro area in 2022, per new Census Bureau and IRS data.

That's down 22% from 2021 — and puts the city at 14th among national metro areas.

Why it matters: New business applications are an important measure of an area's perceived economic health. If lots of people are trying to start new companies in a given city, it's a sign that they're bullish on the area's prospects.

The word "startup" tends to evoke buzzy Silicon Valley tech ventures. But young companies of all stripes, from stores and restaurants to software and manufacturing firms, play a big economic role.

As of 2021, more than 66.7 million Americans worked for companies with fewer than 100 employees, and those companies posted nearly $3.6 trillion in annual payroll, per census data.

Be smart: The New Orleans metro's rate is higher than the national average of 15 applications per 1,000 residents. And just in Orleans Parish, the rate jumps to 25 per 1,000. 

Other Louisiana metro-area parishes are also seeing higher-than-average application rates, including Lafayette, East Baton Rouge and Caddo. 

Yes, and: Louisiana's growth in manufacturing jobs has been higher than the national average since President Biden took office, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.

From January 2021 to May 2023 the state saw 6.6% growth in manufacturing jobs, which amounted to about 8,500 more. The national growth rate during the same time was 6.4%. 

The big picture: Just over 5 million new business applications were filed nationwide in 2022, or 15.1 for every 1,000 residents.

That's down about 6.6% from 2021, when nearly 5.4 million applications were filed nationwide, or 16.2 for every 1,000 residents.

Zoom out: Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach (40.9), Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Roswell (31.3) and Orlando/Kissimmee/Sanford (28.7) took the top spots for major metro areas as ranked by new business applications in 2022. 

Reality check: A filed application is no guarantee of a healthy, thriving business to follow — but at the very least it's a sign of economic optimism.

Louisiana's new business hotspots

New business applications are an important measure of perceived economic health.

Small businesses

Some 21 new business applications were filed per 1,000 residents across the New Orleans-metro area in 2022, per new Census Bureau and IRS data.<ul><li>That&#x27;s down 22% from 2021 — and puts the city at 14th among national metro areas.</li></ul>

Kavya Beheraj

Featured stories

New Orleans homebuilding permits drop despite national increase

Louisiana's COVID hospitalization rates are above the national average

Gas in New Orleans is cheaper than national average

Louisiana's new business hotspots

How New Orleans' parks compare with the rest of the country