Gasoline prices averaged $3.077 per gallon in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area in July 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Alexandra Hall Bovee, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that area gasoline prices were 37.7 percent higher than their price last July when they averaged $2.234 per gallon. Baltimore-area households paid an average of 13.0 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in July 2021, close to its July 2020 average of 12.9 cents. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.502 per therm in July 2021 was 11.8 percent higher than its price of $1.343 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $3.077 per gallon, the price for gasoline in the Baltimore area was 7.5 percent below the national average of $3.326 per gallon in July 2021. Gasoline prices in the Baltimore area were below the national average in July for the previous four years, ranging from 0.4 to 5.3 percent lower. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

The 13.0 cents per kWh that Baltimore households paid for electricity in July 2021 was 9.1 percent lower than the nationwide average cost of 14.3 cents per kWh. Last July, electricity prices in Baltimore were 5.8 percent below the nation’s. From 2017 to 2019, prices paid by Baltimore-area consumers for electricity in July were lower than the U.S. average by 15.7 percent or less. (See chart 2.)

The price paid by Baltimore-area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, was $1.502 per therm in July 2021, 21.0 percent higher than the national average of $1.241 per therm. Local utility (piped) gas prices were 30.8 percent higher than those for the nation in July 2020. From 2017 to 2019, local prices for utility (piped) gas in July differed from the national average by 19.2 percent or less. (See chart 3.)

The Consumer Price Index for June 2021 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

Average prices are estimated from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for selected commodity series to support the research and analytic needs of CPI data users. Average prices for electricity, utility (piped) gas, and gasoline are published monthly for the U.S. city average, the 4 regions, 9 divisions, 2 population size classes, 8 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 23 largest local index areas. For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm are published. For gasoline, the average price per gallon is published. Average prices for commonly available grades of gasoline are published as well as the average price across all grades.

All eligible prices are converted to a price per normalized quantity. These prices are then used to estimate a price for a defined fixed quantity. The average price per kilowatt-hour represents the total bill divided by the kilowatt-hour usage. The total bill is the sum of all items applicable to all consumers appearing on an electricity bill including, but not limited to, variable rates per kWh, fixed costs, taxes, surcharges, and credits. This calculation also applies to the average price per therm for utility (piped) gas.

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.

The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Core Based Statistical Area includes Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, and Queen Anne’s Counties and Baltimore City in Maryland.

 Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, United States and the Baltimore area, July 2020–July 2021, not seasonally adjusted

Year and Month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Baltimore	United States	Baltimore	United States	Baltimore	United States
2020
July	$2.234	$2.243	$0.129	$0.137	$1.343	$1.027
August	2.255	2.245	0.123	0.137	1.372	1.031
September	2.270	2.260	0.121	0.137	1.388	1.064
October	2.266	2.228	0.125	0.135	1.357	1.067
November	2.223	2.159	0.125	0.136	1.413	1.104
December	2.315	2.235	0.125	0.136	1.474	1.114
2021
January	2.397	2.391	0.123	0.136	1.402	1.119
February	2.501	2.559	0.122	0.137	1.386	1.124
March	2.777	2.856	0.125	0.138	1.413	1.144
April	2.757	2.907	0.124	0.139	1.424	1.166
May	2.925	3.041	0.131	0140	1.446	1.201
June	3.034	3.245	0.130	0.142	1.465	1.219
July	3.077	3.326	0.130	0.143	1.502	1.241