Gasoline prices averaged $3.448 a gallon in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area in May 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that area gasoline prices were $1.074 higher than last May when they averaged $2.374 per gallon. Seattle area households paid an average of 11.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2021, compared to the 11.4 cents per kWh paid in May 2020. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.186 per therm in May was more than the $1.090 per therm spent last year. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.) 

At $3.448 a gallon, Seattle area consumers paid 13.4 percent more than the $3.041 national average in May 2011. A year earlier, consumers in the Seattle area paid 22.0 percent more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has been within 22.0 percent of the national average in the month of May during the past five years. (See chart 1.)

The 11.6 cents per kWh Seattle households paid for electricity in May 2021 was 17.1 percent less than the nationwide average of 14.0 cents per kWh. Last May, electricity costs were 14.9 percent lower in Seattle compared to the nation. In each of the past five years during the month of May, prices paid by Seattle area consumers for electricity were less than the U.S. average by at least 14.9 percent. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Seattle area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.186 per therm, similar to the national average in May 2021 ($1.201 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 5.1 percent more per therm for natural gas compared to the nation. In the past five years, the per therm cost for natural gas in May in the Seattle area has varied between 3.5 percent below and 10.9 percent above the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. metropolitan area consists of King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties of Washington.

Technical Note

Average prices are estimated from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for selected commodity series to support the research and analytic needs of CPI data users. Average prices for electricity, utility (piped) gas, and gasoline are published monthly for the U.S. city average, the 4 regions, 9 divisions, 2 population size classes, 8 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 23 largest local index areas. For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm, are published. For gasoline, the average price per gallon is published. Average prices for commonly available grades of gasoline are published as well as the average price across all grades.

All eligible prices are converted to a price per normalized quantity. These prices are then used to estimate a price for a defined fixed quantity. The average price per kilowatt-hour represents the total bill divided by the kilowatt-hour usage. The total bill is the sum of all items applicable to all consumers appearing on an electricity bill including, but not limited to, variable rates per kWh, fixed costs, taxes, surcharges, and credits. This calculation also applies to the average price per therm for utility (piped) gas.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339.

 Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue and the United States, May 2020-May 2021, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Seattle area	United States	Seattle area	United States	Seattle area	United States
2020
May	$2.374	$1.946	$0.114	$0.134	$1.090	$1.037
June	2.462	2.141	0.114	0.137	1.090	1.037
July	2.621	2.243	0.114	0.137	1.090	1.027
August	2.667	2.245	0.114	0.137	1.090	1.031
September	2.689	2.260	0.114	0.137	1.089	1.064
October	2.627	2.228	0.113	0.135	1.092	1.067
November	2.608	2.159	0.113	0.136	1.175	1.104
December	2.647	2.235	0.114	0.136	1.175	1.114
2021
January	2.726	2.391	0.114	0.136	1.175	1.119
February	2.871	2.559	0.114	0.137	1.175	1.124
March	3.165	2.856	0.114	0.138	1.175	1.144
April	3.321	2.907	0.116	0.139	1.175	1.166
May	3.448	3.041	0.116	0.140	1.186	1.201