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News Release Information

17-846-PHI
Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Washington-Baltimore – May 2017

Area prices up 0.2 percent since March and 0.7 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Washington-Baltimore edged up 0.2 percent over the last two months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins noted the increase was due to advances in both the energy index (2.4 percent) and the food index (0.9 percent). The all items less food and energy index declined over the last two months, down 0.1 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 CPI-U increased 0.7 percent, due mostly to a 5.8-percent increase in the energy index. (See chart 1 and table A.) Since May 2016, the all items less food and energy index and the food index both increased, up 0.3 and 0.9 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

After decreasing 0.6 percent from January to March, the food index increased 0.9 percent over the last two months. Prices for food away from home rose 1.7 percent, and those for food at home edged up 0.3 percent. Within the food at home component, higher prices for various items including lettuce and fresh fish and seafood were moderated by lower prices for milk and ham, among others.

Food prices increased 0.9 percent over the year. Higher prices for food away from home, up 3.0 percent, were moderated by lower prices for food at home, down 0.8 percent, since last May.

Energy

Since March, the energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 2.4 percent, due mainly to higher prices for utility (piped) gas service (10.0 percent) and gasoline (2.2 percent). Prices for electricity also increased since March, up 1.1 percent.

Energy prices rose 5.8 percent over the year. The advance was led by a 25.6-percent jump in utility (piped) gas service prices, the largest over-the-year increase in this index since 2008. Prices also increased over the year for gasoline (4.9 percent) and electricity (2.1 percent).

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched down 0.1 percent since March. Lower prices for a number of items, including new vehicles and education and communication (-1.6 percent), were moderated by price increases for shelter (0.2 percent) and apparel (2.3 percent), among others.

Since May 2016, the index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent. The increase was due largely to an over-the-year rise in shelter prices (0.8 percent), particularly owners’ equivalent rent of residences (1.3 percent). Higher prices for medical care (3.5 percent) also contributed to the rise. Prices declined over the year for recreation (-4.9 percent) and education and communication (-1.9 percent), among others.

Table A. Washington, D.C. CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20132014201520162017
2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month

January

0.11.80.41.9-1.0-0.2-0.21.40.21.7

March

0.91.40.61.61.00.20.61.00.31.3

May

-0.21.20.42.20.60.40.81.20.20.7

July

0.51.90.01.7-0.20.2-0.11.4  

September

0.61.20.21.30.50.5-0.10.8  

November

-0.21.7-0.41.2-0.30.60.11.2  

The Consumer Price Index for July 2017 is scheduled to be released on Friday, August 11, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Washington-Baltimore is published bi-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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 28 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/pdf/homch17.pdf.

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 Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va., Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; Baltimore City and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, and Washington in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, King George, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the counties of Berkeley and Jefferson in West Virginia.

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. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va., (December 1997=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
 
Historical
data
Mar.
2017
Apr.
2017
May
2017
May
2016
Mar.
2017
Apr.
2017

All items(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SA0
158.558 158.8440.70.2 
 

Food and beverages(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAF
156.842 158.2110.90.9 

Food(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAF1
158.154 159.6510.90.9 

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAF11
146.365147.214146.769-0.80.3-0.3

Food away from home(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEFV
170.597 173.5293.01.7 

Alcoholic beverages(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAF116
138.426 138.0401.1-0.3 
 

Housing(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAH
172.136 172.7441.20.4 

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAH1
184.226184.359184.6720.80.20.2

Rent of primary residence(1)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEHA
205.233205.991206.9612.60.80.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEHC
184.114184.346184.5181.30.20.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEHC01
184.106184.341184.5131.30.20.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAH2
194.404 198.3836.12.0 

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAH21
182.851185.360187.5156.52.61.2

Gas (piped) and electricity(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEHF
175.481178.101180.5046.42.91.3

Electricity(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEHF01
185.243187.210187.2072.11.10.0

Utility (piped) gas service(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SEHF02
129.319133.458142.24725.610.06.6

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAH3
87.015 86.527-1.0-0.6 
 

Apparel(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAA
101.528 103.8490.92.3 
 

Transportation(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAT
143.199 142.4481.1-0.5 

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAT1
141.474 140.2581.5-0.9 

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SETB
200.725207.231205.1195.02.2-1.0

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SETB01
200.511207.138205.0154.92.2-1.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SS47014
198.433205.394203.1134.92.4-1.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SS47015
213.296218.682217.7585.02.1-0.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SS47016
221.215224.882223.9744.41.2-0.4
 

Medical care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAM
187.934 189.0053.50.6 
 

Recreation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAR
113.371 113.853-4.90.4 
 

Education and communication

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAE
151.435 149.019-1.9-1.6 
 

Other goods and services(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAG
178.363 178.381-0.50.0 
 

Commodity and service group

 

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAC
126.227 126.2050.10.0 

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SACL11
109.342 108.705-0.4-0.6 

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SANL11
138.415 140.0651.61.2 

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAD
79.461 77.536-2.6-2.4 

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAS
180.365 180.8661.00.3 
 

Special aggregate indexes

 

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SA0L2
145.862 146.0750.60.1 

All items less medical care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SA0L5
156.672 156.9030.50.1 

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SACL1
110.706 110.073-0.4-0.6 

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SAN
147.269 148.7631.21.0 

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SANL1
138.576 140.0851.61.1 

Services less rent of shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SASL2RS
176.752 177.3111.10.3 

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SASL5
179.538 179.9850.80.2 

Energy(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SA0E
189.961194.130194.5055.82.40.2

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SA0LE
155.304 155.3580.40.0 

All items less food and energy(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURA311SA0L1E
155.806 155.6490.3-0.1 

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1996=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a November 1997=100 base.
(3) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(4) This index series underwent a change in composition in January 2010. The expenditure class now includes weight from secondary residences, and has been re-titled "Owners' equivalent rent of residences." The item stratum "Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence" excludes secondary residences.
(5) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2017