The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Dallas-Fort Worth area fell 0.4 percent in April and May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that the decrease followed a 1.3-percent advance in February and March. During the latest period, declines in the indexes for all items less food and energy (-0.4 percent) and for energy (-1.3 percent) more than offset an increase in food prices (0.3 percent). (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, short-term changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

For the year ended in May 2013, the all items CPI-U rose 1.6 percent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Since May 2012, annual rates of increase have ranged from 1.3 percent to 2.3 percent, below the annual rates experienced throughout most of 2011. During the previous 12 months, prices for all items less food and energy rose at a 1.5-percent pace. (See chart 1.)

Food

Local food prices were up 0.3 percent in April and May after increasing 0.6 percent in February and March. Among the two components of the index, prices for food at home (grocery stores) increased 0.4 percent while prices for food away from home rose 0.2 percent. Within the grocery group, higher prices were registered for a host of items, including various fresh fruits, ham, and condiments. At the same time, lower prices were noted for ice cream, eggs, and tomatoes.

From May 2012 to May 2013, the food index was up 2.5 percent, reflecting the combined effects of a 2.2-percent price rise at grocery stores and a 2.9-percent price rise for food away from home. Annual increases in food prices have been 3.0 percent or less since March 2012.

Energy

The energy index fell 1.3 percent in April and May following a 7.9-percent increase in February and March. The decrease was the result of a 4.5-percent decline in motor fuel prices. Partially offsetting the gasoline decline, natural gas prices increased 6.8 percent and electricity costs rose 3.9 percent.

During the year ended in May 2013, the energy index rose 1.1 percent reflecting price increases for both natural gas (9.3 percent) and electricity (7.7percent). In contrast, prices for motor fuel fell 2.9 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy fell 0.4 percent in April and May, after increasing 0.5 percent in the previous bimonthly period. The leading factor in the current decrease was lower apparel costs (-4.2 percent), but decreases in the indexes for medical care (-2.0 percent) and shelter (-0.4 percent) were also major contributors. Offsetting a portion of these decreases, recreation costs rose 0.8 percent during the bimonthly period, the first increase in this category since August and September 2012.

From May 2012 to May 2013, the index for all items less food and energy rose 1.5 percent, the slowest annual increase registered since May 2011. The leading factor in the current increase was a 2.8-percent advance in shelter costs. In contrast, over-the-year price declines were registered for apparel and recreation, down 6.1 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.

Next Release Date: The July 2013 Consumer Price Index for All Items for Dallas-Fort Worth will be released on August 15, 2013.

Technical Note

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 88 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 percent of the total 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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 (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details, see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch17_a.htm.

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 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant Counties.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods,
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013	May 2013	May 2012	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
All items		216.465		215.670	1.6	-0.4
All items (1967 = 100)		679.040		676.545
Food and beverages		241.362		242.158	2.7	0.3
Food		235.765		236.486	2.5	0.3
Food at home		215.202	214.400	216.059	2.2	0.4	0.8
Food away from home		267.830		268.345	2.9	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		317.822		320.148	4.7	0.7
Housing		188.472		188.881	3.2	0.2
Shelter		198.999	198.585	198.107	2.8	-0.4	-0.2
Rent of primary residence (1)		204.423	203.969	202.870	2.4	-0.8	-0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of residences (1) (2)		214.722	214.637	214.040	3.1	-0.3	-0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (1) (2)		214.722	214.637	214.040	3.1	-0.3	-0.3
Fuels and utilities		216.403		222.935	6.7	3.0
Household energy		203.325	204.955	211.719	7.8	4.1	3.3
Energy services (1) (3)		199.304	200.885	207.651	7.8	4.2	3.4
Electricity (1)		195.780	196.748	203.384	7.7	3.9	3.4
Utility (piped) gas service (1)		162.498	167.897	173.476	9.3	6.8	3.3
Household furnishings and operations		133.156		134.530	1.4	1.0
Apparel		118.715		113.729	-6.1	-4.2
Transportation		229.883		226.600	-0.2	-1.4
Private transportation		232.727		228.381	-0.2	-1.9
Motor fuel		333.266	319.065	318.286	-2.9	-4.5	-0.2
Gasoline (all types)		331.277	317.159	316.585	-2.8	-4.4	-0.2
Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)		326.259	311.871	311.507	-3.0	-4.5	-0.1
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)		336.107	322.756	321.881	-2.6	-4.2	-0.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)		328.729	316.541	315.090	-1.9	-4.1	-0.5
Medical care		387.301		379.470	0.8	-2.0
Recreation (6)		109.518		110.428	-1.2	0.8
Education and communication (6)		141.409		141.226	2.2	-0.1
Other goods and services		372.363		373.737	3.1	0.4
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities		186.689		184.789	-0.5	-1.0
Commodities less food and beverages		159.879		156.943	-2.4	-1.8
Nondurables less food and beverages		199.303		193.029	-3.3	-3.1
Durables		123.932		125.149	-0.6	1.0
Services		245.835		246.045	3.2	0.1
SPECIAL AGGREGATE INDEXES
All items less shelter		225.191		224.441	1.1	-0.3
All items less medical care		207.995		207.481	1.7	-0.2
Commodities less food		164.426		161.544	-2.2	-1.8
Nondurables		219.811		216.493	-0.5	-1.5
Nondurables less food		205.877		199.773	-2.9	-3.0
Services less rent of shelter (2)		313.447		315.412	3.6	0.6
Services less medical care services		231.153		231.916	3.3	0.3
Energy		268.784	262.417	265.365	1.1	-1.3	1.1
All items less energy		215.132		214.590	1.7	-0.3
All items less food and energy		211.768		211.001	1.5	-0.4
Footnotes (1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (3) Prior to January 2011 this series was titled Gas (piped) and electricity. (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.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Last Modified Date: June 18, 2013