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News Release Information

24-513-SAN
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area — February 2024

Area prices were up 0.5 percent over the past month, up 3.4 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Los Angeles area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 0.5 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the February increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and medical care. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 3.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices advanced 2.9 percent. Energy prices fell 0.9 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of natural gas service. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.8 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Los Angeles, February 2021-February 2024
Food

Food prices advanced 0.1 percent for the month of February. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home rose 0.2 percent, led by higher prices for other food at home (1.7 percent) and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (1.2 percent). Prices for food away from home increased 0.1 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 2.9 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 1.7 percent since a year ago, led by higher prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (3.9 percent) and other food at home (3.8 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 5.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 2.0 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (3.1 percent). Prices for natural gas service rose 3.0 percent, while prices for electricity were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices fell 0.9 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for natural gas service (-24.4 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 5.1 percent, and prices for gasoline advanced 0.9 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.4 percent in February. Higher prices for medical care (2.7 percent) and shelter (0.6 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-5.3 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-1.8 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (5.3 percent) and medical care (2.9 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in new and used motor vehicles (-1.1 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-1.1 percent).

Table A. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20202021202220232024
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.83.10.20.91.17.51.95.81.02.5

February

0.33.40.41.00.37.4-0.35.10.53.4

March

-0.71.90.52.21.58.50.13.7

April

-0.30.71.13.60.57.90.73.8

May

0.40.90.63.90.88.00.13.2

June

0.51.40.64.01.18.60.52.5

July

0.61.90.63.9-0.27.70.02.7

August

0.12.00.24.00.17.60.73.3

September

-0.31.20.34.60.57.80.33.2

October

0.20.70.95.40.67.5-0.12.4

November

0.11.00.66.0-0.86.0-0.42.8

December

-0.21.50.46.6-0.64.90.03.5

The March 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area is scheduled to be released on April 10, 2024.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures 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, and 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals 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

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
Historical
data
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024
Feb.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Expenditure category

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0
323.456326.640328.2323.41.50.5

All items (1967=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49AAA0
955.632965.040969.743---

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF
333.802335.312335.5602.70.50.1

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF1
335.923337.261337.7512.90.50.1

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF11
319.805321.664322.3341.70.80.2

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF111
351.146349.337351.6180.50.10.7

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF112
349.043348.207352.5073.91.01.2

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEFJ
302.927302.835296.315-3.6-2.2-2.2

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF113
415.278419.481415.5580.00.1-0.9

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF114
300.440308.219303.2710.60.9-1.6

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF115
258.853260.755265.0933.82.41.7

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEFV
349.499350.233350.5145.00.30.1

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF116
283.123287.206283.712-0.30.2-1.2

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH
372.378375.856377.2974.41.30.4

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH1
427.059429.501432.0525.31.20.6

Rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHA
453.306454.118455.8504.80.60.4

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHC
445.317448.036450.1376.01.10.5

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHC01
445.292448.010450.1126.01.10.5

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH2
467.928475.860478.0220.22.20.5

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH21
419.952418.822421.506-2.90.40.6

Energy services(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHF
418.283417.202419.946-2.90.40.7

Electricity(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHF01
500.343496.375496.2795.1-0.80.0

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHF02
291.498296.238305.093-24.44.73.0

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH3
129.068134.374131.896-1.12.2-1.8

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAA
115.263127.262120.5050.04.5-5.3

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAT
261.051261.850266.1742.62.01.7

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAT1
263.268262.944266.7912.61.31.5

New and used motor vehicles(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETA
111.242111.770110.532-1.1-0.6-1.1

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETA01
193.132193.458193.296-1.10.1-0.1

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETA02
355.740342.665344.429-1.8-3.20.5

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETB
360.249349.563360.4510.80.13.1

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETB01
350.793340.400351.0940.90.13.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASS47014
351.222340.618351.5070.80.13.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASS47015
335.894326.441336.3120.80.13.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASS47016
337.051327.729337.3891.10.12.9

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAM
546.364557.372572.6282.94.82.7

Recreation(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAR
121.374121.418122.1190.30.60.6

Education and communication(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAE
158.821159.364160.5353.01.10.7

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEEB
2,288.7322,286.2632,286.2624.9-0.10.0

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAG
530.757537.406528.7545.6-0.4-1.6

Commodity and service group

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0
323.456326.640328.2323.41.50.5

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAC
215.491218.074217.5850.91.0-0.2

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASACL11
157.323160.220159.455-0.11.4-0.5

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASANL11
218.029223.024222.8940.32.2-0.1

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAD
100.569101.877100.869-0.70.3-1.0

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAS
419.503423.191426.7404.71.70.8

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0L5
313.555316.435317.5143.41.30.3

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0L2
277.532281.104282.2562.01.70.4

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASACL1
162.657165.625164.782-0.11.3-0.5

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAN
277.055280.285280.3471.61.20.0

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASANL1
224.865229.872229.5400.22.1-0.1

Services less rent of shelter(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASASL2RS
419.579425.412430.6923.62.61.2

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASASL5
406.165409.674412.4624.81.60.7

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0E
386.254379.289386.994-0.90.22.0

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0LE
321.788325.517326.7983.61.60.4

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0L1E
319.457323.601325.0203.81.70.4

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
(2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(3) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.

- Data not available
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2024