The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast increased 0.4 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the recent increase was due mostly to an increase in the all items less food and energy index, up 0.5 percent since June. The energy index also rose over the month, up 0.8 percent, while the food index decreased 0.4 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 Northeast all items CPI-U increased 1.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This reflected an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.6 percent. The food index also rose, up 4.2 percent, while the energy index fell 10.7 percent since July 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index decreased 0.4 percent since June. Prices for food at home declined 0.6 percent while those for food away from home were unchanged over the month.  

From July 2019 to July 2020, the food index increased 4.2 percent. Prices for food at home increased over the year, up 4.7 percent; those for food away from home also rose, up 3.6 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 0.8 percent in July, due to a 3.1-percent rise in gasoline prices. Prices were lower for electricity (-0.9 percent) and for utility (piped) gas service (-1.7 percent) over the month.

The energy index decreased 10.7 percent since July 2019. The decrease reflected a drop in prices for gasoline (-20.6 percent). Prices for utility (piped) gas service also decreased over the year, down 4.0 percent, while those for electricity increased 3.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent over the month. Higher prices for education and communication (1.4 percent) and motor vehicle insurance (7.6 percent) were moderated by lower prices for apparel (-0.1 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.6 percent since July 2019, led by higher prices for shelter and medical care, up 2.2 and 5.4 percent, respectively. Prices also rose over the year for education and communication (3.6 percent), recreation (1.4 percent), and other goods and services (2.2 percent).

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2016		2017		2018		2019		2020
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.0	0.7	0.6	2.5	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3
February	0.2	0.7	0.3	2.6	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3	0.3	2.4
March	0.2	0.6	-0.1	2.2	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7	-0.2	1.7
April	0.6	1.0	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8
May	0.3	0.9	0.1	1.7	0.4	2.5	0.3	1.5	0.0	0.6
June	0.2	0.7	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8
July	0.0	0.8	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1
August	0.1	1.0	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5
September	0.2	1.3	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4
October	0.2	1.6	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5
November	0.0	1.6	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9	0.1	1.9
December	0.0	1.9	0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.9

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U increased in the New England division, up 0.1 percent, and rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 0.5 percent.

Over the year, the all items index increased in the New England division (0.5 percent). (See table B.) Prices rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 1.3 percent.

 Table B. CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, Northeast region and divisions, not seasonally adjusted

Area	1-month change	12-month change
Northeast	0.4	1.1
New England Division	0.1	0.5
Middle Atlantic Division	0.5	1.3

The Consumer Price Index for August 2020 is scheduled to be released Friday, September 11, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 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 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 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 (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 Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The New England division is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Middle Atlantic division is comprised of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

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, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	May 2020	Jun. 2020	Jul. 2020	Jul. 2019	May 2020	Jun. 2020
All items		271.345	272.283	273.347	1.1	0.7	0.4
All items (December 1977 = 100)		427.285	428.762	430.438
Food and beverages		275.327	275.422	274.510	4.1	-0.3	-0.3
Food		276.418	276.511	275.506	4.2	-0.3	-0.4
Food at home		264.135	263.522	261.877	4.7	-0.9	-0.6
Cereals and bakery products		312.739	318.380	316.387	6.7	1.2	-0.6
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		279.088	277.864	269.532	6.8	-3.4	-3.0
Dairy and related products		242.054	242.169	237.521	3.8	-1.9	-1.9
Fruits and vegetables		321.906	318.167	323.536	3.4	0.5	1.7
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		181.340	180.292	179.745	2.7	-0.9	-0.3
Other food at home		232.173	231.093	232.015	3.9	-0.1	0.4
Food away from home		298.070	299.261	299.243	3.6	0.4	0.0
Alcoholic beverages		259.914	260.041	260.391	2.3	0.2	0.1
Housing		291.328	293.283	293.550	1.6	0.8	0.1
Shelter		365.728	367.321	367.962	2.2	0.6	0.2
Rent of primary residence		369.469	369.973	370.379	2.3	0.2	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		379.410	380.135	380.755	2.9	0.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		379.093	379.810	380.423	2.9	0.4	0.2
Fuels and utilities		217.304	223.222	222.193	-1.7	2.2	-0.5
Household energy		188.822	194.986	193.728	-2.4	2.6	-0.6
Energy services		195.422	201.147	198.819	1.4	1.7	-1.2
Electricity		203.446	212.556	210.574	3.3	3.5	-0.9
Utility (piped) gas service		165.428	164.255	161.440	-4.0	-2.4	-1.7
Household furnishings and operations		119.994	120.756	120.699	-0.4	0.6	0.0
Apparel		118.529	117.665	117.501	-7.1	-0.9	-0.1
Transportation		190.787	193.629	197.215	-6.1	3.4	1.9
Private transportation		185.148	188.195	191.958	-5.0	3.7	2.0
New and used motor vehicles(2)		96.679	96.629	97.670	0.2	1.0	1.1
New vehicles		145.786	145.161	145.364	0.1	-0.3	0.1
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		101.004	100.569	100.738	0.0	-0.3	0.2
New cars(3)		135.082	135.008	135.118	0.8	0.0	0.1
Used cars and trucks		144.269	142.665	147.569	-1.1	2.3	3.4
Motor fuel		175.899	184.823	190.439	-20.6	8.3	3.0
Gasoline (all types)		174.767	183.774	189.428	-20.6	8.4	3.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		171.025	180.212	185.855	-21.3	8.7	3.1
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		195.799	203.737	209.462	-17.0	7.0	2.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		194.354	201.483	206.943	-16.1	6.5	2.7
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		529.141	563.674	606.423	-2.3	14.6	7.6
Medical care		548.862	552.744	554.273	5.4	1.0	0.3
Medical care commodities		390.799	392.995	392.571	-3.1	0.5	-0.1
Medical care services		594.982	599.370	601.504	7.3	1.1	0.4
Professional services		403.512	407.393	407.557	3.4	1.0	0.0
Recreation(2)		132.380	128.712	128.781	1.4	-2.7	0.1
Education and communication(2)		146.915	146.720	148.820	3.6	1.3	1.4
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,301.458	1,302.856	1,305.924	3.8	0.3	0.2
Other goods and services		509.456	507.516	511.039	2.2	0.3	0.7
Commodity and service group
Commodities		188.241	188.755	189.329	-1.6	0.6	0.3
Commodities less food and beverages		143.583	144.240	145.387	-5.5	1.3	0.8
Nondurables less food and beverages		179.901	181.757	183.094	-8.4	1.8	0.7
Durables		100.950	100.711	101.585	-1.6	0.6	0.9
Services		351.075	352.420	353.955	2.5	0.8	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		238.717	239.426	240.644	0.5	0.8	0.5
All items less medical care		259.099	259.905	260.950	0.7	0.7	0.4
Commodities less food		147.632	148.278	149.411	-5.1	1.2	0.8
Nondurables		226.778	227.792	228.048	-1.6	0.6	0.1
Nondurables less food		184.597	186.349	187.627	-7.6	1.6	0.7
Services less rent of shelter(1)		347.273	348.402	350.931	2.7	1.1	0.7
Services less medical care services		334.271	335.406	336.899	1.9	0.8	0.4
Energy		183.663	190.948	192.472	-10.7	4.8	0.8
All items less energy		282.786	283.159	284.195	2.0	0.5	0.4
All items less food and energy		285.717	286.141	287.546	1.6	0.6	0.5
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.