Philadelphia Area Consumer Price Index – November 2009 (PDF)

Philadelphia area energy and food at home prices increased, while shelter prices declined in November, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the energy index rose 0.3 percent from November 2008 to November 2009—the first 12-month advance since October 2008. (See table 1.)

Following a 5.7-percent seasonal decline in October, energy prices rose 2.7 percent in November. The recent advance was largely due to higher gasoline prices, up 5.0 percent over the month and 12.8 percent since November 2008. Higher prices for fuel oil and utility (piped) gas service also contributed to the recent one-month rise in the overall energy index. Utility (piped) gas service prices increased 0.3 percent in November, but dropped 22.0 percent over the last 12 months. Electricity prices were nearly unchanged in November, inching down 0.1 percent. Over the year, electricity prices increased 1.1 percent.

The Philadelphia area energy index stood at 200.395 on the 1982-84 reference base, which means that energy users in the Philadelphia area would have had to spend $20.04 last month for a group of energy items that cost $10.00 in 1982-84.

Following a 0.8-percent decline in October, the food at home index advanced 1.2 percent in November. Higher prices for a number of items, including chicken, other fresh fruits, and eggs were partially offset by lower prices for items such as canned fruits and vegetables, ice cream and related products, and fish and seafood. Despite the recent advance, food at home prices were 2.3 percent lower over the year.

The Philadelphia area food at home index stood at 214.336 on the 1982-84 reference base, which means that grocery shoppers in the Philadelphia area would have had to spend $21.43 last month for a market basket of food items that cost $10.00 in 1982-84.

Shelter prices decreased 0.3 percent in November due largely to lower prices for other lodging away from home, including hotels and motels. Also contributing to the overall decline in the shelter index were lower prices for owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence, down 0.1 percent over the month. The other published component of the shelter index, rent of primary residence, inched up 0.1 percent since October. Over the year, the owner’s equivalent rent of primary residence and rent of primary residence indexes increased 2.7 and 0.8 percent, respectively. The overall shelter index rose 1.9 percent since last November.

The Philadelphia area shelter index stood at 279.365 on the 1982-84 reference base, which means that local residents would have had to spend $27.94 last month for various types of shelter that cost $10.00 in 1982-84.

The Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md., Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland.