Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were up 0.4 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the rise was due to increases throughout the component indexes, led by the all items less food and energy index (up 0.3 percent). The energy index rose 1.3 percent over the month while the food index increased 0.4 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U index increased 3.6 percent. (See chart 1.) The April advance was primarily due to a 4.1-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index (which has been above the all items index since March 2023). The food index rose 2.1 percent and the energy index increased 1.2 percent over the year. (See table 1.) 

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Northeast region, April 2021–April 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Apr 2021	3.3	2.5
May 2021	3.9	3.0
Jun 2021	4.6	3.9
Jul 2021	4.3	3.5
Aug 2021	4.4	3.2
Sep 2021	4.6	3.2
Oct 2021	5.4	3.7
Nov 2021	6.0	4.1
Dec 2021	5.9	4.3
Jan 2022	6.3	4.6
Feb 2022	6.6	5.0
Mar 2022	7.3	5.0
Apr 2022	7.2	4.9
May 2022	7.5	4.6
Jun 2022	7.6	4.4
Jul 2022	7.3	4.3
Aug 2022	7.4	5.0
Sep 2022	7.2	5.4
Oct 2022	6.9	5.2
Nov 2022	6.4	4.7
Dec 2022	6.1	4.8
Jan 2023	6.0	4.9
Feb 2023	5.9	5.1
Mar 2023	4.3	4.5
Apr 2023	3.8	4.2
May 2023	3.1	4.3
Jun 2023	2.2	3.8
Jul 2023	2.6	4.0
Aug 2023	2.8	3.7
Sep 2023	3.0	3.5
Oct 2023	2.7	3.4
Nov 2023	2.5	3.5
Dec 2023	2.6	3.5
Jan 2024	2.5	3.5
Feb 2024	2.4	3.2
Mar 2024	3.4	4.0
Apr 2024	3.6	4.1

In April, the food index was up 0.4 percent over the month, mainly driven by a 0.5-percent rise in prices for food at home. (See table 1.) Within the food at home index, most of the grocery categories had index increases. Prices for other food at home were up 1.0 percent (the largest increase in the index since March 2023) and prices for cereals and bakery products were up 1.2 percent (after declining 0.7 percent in March). Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 0.8 percent, mainly due to higher prices for processed fish and seafood. The only grocery category to decline was the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index, down 2.1 percent over the month (the largest decline in that index since July 2019). The food away from home index increased 0.3 percent over the month.

From April 2023 to April 2024, the food index increased 2.1 percent as the food away from home index advanced 4.6 percent (the same as in March). Prices for food at home were up 0.9 percent, led by a 3.9-percent increase in the index for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (down from March’s 4.7-percent rise). The fruits and vegetables index remained unchanged over the year. The dairy and related products index was the only grocery category to decline, down 1.0 percent from last April as it declined for the 5^th consecutive month.

The energy index increased 1.3 percent over the month (the same as March) due to a 5.5-percent advance in the gasoline index (the largest increase in the index since June 2022). The other energy index components tempered the rise as they decreased. The electricity index was down 1.9 percent, the utility (piped) gas service index down 1.8 percent, and the fuel oil index also declined.

Over the year, energy prices were up 1.2 percent, rising for the first time since February 2023. This was mainly because the electricity index increased 3.0 percent, up from 2.4 percent in March. The gasoline index rose 0.8 percent (following five consecutive months of decline). The utility (piped) gas service index was down 2.4 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 0.3 percent in April, led by a 0.3-percent rise in the shelter index and within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index (up 0.5 percent). Rent of primary residence was up 0.4 percent. Prices for public transportation increased over the month as well. Some indexes declined and offset some of the index rise, including apparel (down 1.4 percent), lodging away from home, and medical care services (down 0.3 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 4.1 percent, mainly due to a 5.8-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index increased 6.1 percent and rent of primary residence was up 5.5 percent (both rising the same percent as seen in March). The new and used motor vehicle index decreased (down 0.7 percent) and tempered some of the overall rise with a 5.8-percent decline in prices for used cars and trucks.

Additional price indexes are available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for the Middle Atlantic division was up 0.4 percent. The CPI-U for the New England division rose 0.3 percent.

Over the year, the all items index rose 3.7 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 3.2 percent in the New England division. (See table B.)

The May 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2024.

The Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is published monthly. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments—department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The New England division is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Middle Atlantic division is comprised of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Feb. 2024	Mar. 2024	Apr. 2024	Apr. 2023	Feb. 2024	Mar. 2024
All items		319.577	321.741	323.035	3.6	1.1	0.4
All items (December 1977 = 100)		503.237	506.645	508.682
Food and beverages		327.137	327.161	328.442	2.0	0.4	0.4
Food		329.662	329.700	331.143	2.1	0.4	0.4
Food at home		308.361	307.985	309.571	0.9	0.4	0.5
Cereals and bakery products		387.709	385.043	389.766	1.3	0.5	1.2
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		308.753	310.715	313.236	0.7	1.5	0.8
Dairy and related products		277.943	274.334	276.738	-1.0	-0.4	0.9
Fruits and vegetables		360.819	354.327	356.219	0.0	-1.3	0.5
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		221.102	226.084	221.439	3.9	0.2	-2.1
Other food at home		279.156	279.385	282.218	0.9	1.1	1.0
Food away from home		367.438	368.267	369.423	4.6	0.5	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		292.405	292.242	291.361	0.4	-0.4	-0.3
Housing		346.555	348.586	349.128	4.7	0.7	0.2
Shelter		425.974	428.807	430.231	5.8	1.0	0.3
Rent of primary residence		428.770	430.137	431.822	5.5	0.7	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		441.139	443.041	445.161	6.1	0.9	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		440.700	442.589	444.709	6.1	0.9	0.5
Fuels and utilities		299.600	301.048	296.553	1.5	-1.0	-1.5
Household energy		268.062	269.460	264.545	1.3	-1.3	-1.8
Energy services		261.801	264.152	259.200	1.4	-1.0	-1.9
Electricity		272.024	276.287	271.038	3.0	-0.4	-1.9
Utility (piped) gas service		223.513	221.949	217.923	-2.4	-2.5	-1.8
Household furnishings and operations		144.672	144.696	145.132	0.4	0.3	0.3
Apparel		133.770	137.397	135.494	0.8	1.3	-1.4
Transportation		258.911	261.965	267.790	4.5	3.4	2.2
Private transportation		257.930	260.322	265.932	4.8	3.1	2.2
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.644	125.142	125.251	-0.7	0.5	0.1
New vehicles		174.890	174.742	174.973	0.5	0.0	0.1
New cars(3)		164.792	164.540	164.580	-0.4	-0.1	0.0
Used cars and trucks		191.771	192.925	192.122	-5.8	0.2	-0.4
Motor fuel		280.019	286.761	302.214	0.7	7.9	5.4
Gasoline (all types)		279.095	285.969	301.658	0.8	8.1	5.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		273.415	280.617	296.679	0.7	8.5	5.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		308.449	314.144	328.534	1.5	6.5	4.6
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		307.156	312.090	325.528	1.9	6.0	4.3
Medical care		562.889	573.512	572.201	2.1	1.7	-0.2
Medical care commodities		412.870	415.865	416.845	4.1	1.0	0.2
Medical care services		606.782	619.757	617.727	1.7	1.8	-0.3
Professional services		428.869	428.332	425.509	-1.1	-0.8	-0.7
Recreation(2)		141.310	141.669	141.671	2.3	0.3	0.0
Education and communication(2)		155.401	155.399	155.405	0.6	0.0	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,410.151	1,410.245	1,410.503	2.2	0.0	0.0
Other goods and services		608.833	610.058	609.924	3.8	0.2	0.0
Commodity and service group
Commodities		227.473	228.379	229.362	0.7	0.8	0.4
Commodities less food and beverages		176.018	177.238	178.052	-0.3	1.2	0.5
Nondurables less food and beverages		226.697	229.285	231.110	1.5	1.9	0.8
Durables		120.252	120.441	120.504	-2.5	0.2	0.1
Services		407.988	411.357	412.950	5.2	1.2	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		282.454	284.386	285.643	2.4	1.1	0.4
All items less medical care		308.913	310.700	312.111	3.7	1.0	0.5
Commodities less food		180.268	181.457	182.229	-0.3	1.1	0.4
Nondurables		276.282	277.617	279.178	1.8	1.0	0.6
Nondurables less food		230.540	232.953	234.607	1.4	1.8	0.7
Services less rent of shelter(1)		401.467	405.547	407.395	4.5	1.5	0.5
Services less medical care services		394.307	397.019	398.859	5.6	1.2	0.5
Energy		273.665	277.320	280.986	1.2	2.7	1.3
All items less energy		327.759	329.836	330.960	3.8	1.0	0.3
All items less food and energy		329.505	331.953	333.029	4.1	1.1	0.3
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.