Philly parents tackle back-to-school spending

Driving the news: Families in the region plan to spend $617 per student on average on school necessities for the upcoming year.

• That's 3% higher than the national average of $597.

Zoom in: Inflation is factoring into parents' spending decisions this year.

• 66% of surveyed parents say they have less money to spend as prices creep up for school supplies and clothing.
• Slightly more than a third plan on spending more this year on their kids' school needs.

Zoom out: The Northeast had the highest regional average at $671, while the Midwest had the lowest at $552.

Details: Philly-area parents plan on spending slightly more on clothing and accessories than the national average.

• Yes, but: The average U.S. parent is projected to spend more on school supplies, tech gadgets and "other supplies" than the Philly parents.

What they're saying: Jenna Pogorzelski, a senior audit manager at Deloitte, tells Axios that could be a signal that students are going back to the basics.

• She said: "That's not to say parents aren't willing to splurge a bit — specifically on apparel and tech — if their child asks, just to make sure they feel happy and comfortable heading back."