Gasoline prices averaged $3.113 a gallon in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area in September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that area gasoline prices were up 84.3 cents compared to last September when they averaged $2.270 per gallon. Baltimore area households paid an average of 13.0 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in September 2021, up from 12.1 cents per kWh in September 2020. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.581 per therm in September was up from $1.388 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $3.113 a gallon, costs for gasoline in the Baltimore area were 24.8 cents, or 7.4 percent, below the national average of $3.361 a gallon in September 2021. Last September, gasoline prices in Baltimore were similar to the nation. Over the prior three Septembers, prices for a gallon of gasoline in Baltimore have been below the U.S. average by 1.2 to 26.9 cents. (See chart 1.)

The 13.0 cents per kWh that Baltimore households paid for electricity in September 2021 was 9.7 percent lower than the nationwide average cost of 14.4 cents per kWh. Last September, electricity costs in Baltimore were 11.7 percent lower than the nation. Baltimore area electricity costs have been lower than the national average by up to 16.5 percent over the past five Septembers. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Baltimore area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.581 per therm in September 2021, 21.4 percent above the national average of $1.302 per therm. With the exception of September 2018, utility (piped) gas prices in the Baltimore area have been above the national average over the previous five Septembers, ranging from 1.2 percent to 30.5 percent higher. (See chart 3.)

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.

The Consumer Price Index for October 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 10, 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.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, the United States and Baltimore-Columbia-Townson, MD, September 2020–September 2021, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	United States	Baltimore area	United States	Baltimore area	United States	Baltimore area
2020
September	$2.260	$2.270	$0.137	$0.121	$1.064	$1.388
October	2.228	2.266	0.135	0.125	1.067	1.357
November	2.159	2.223	0.136	0.125	1.104	1.413
December	2.235	2.315	0.136	0.125	1.114	1.474
2021
January	2.391	2.397	0.136	0.123	1.119	1.402
February	2.559	2.501	0.137	0.122	1.124	1.386
March	2.856	2.777	0.138	0.125	1.144	1.413
April	2.907	2.757	0.139	0.124	1.166	1.424
May	3.041	2.925	0.140	0.131	1.201	1.446
June	3.245	3.034	0.142	0.130	1.219	1.465
July	3.326	3.077	0.143	0.130	1.241	1.502
August	3.351	3.105	0.144	0.129	1.267	1.543
September	3.361	3.113	0.144	0.130	1.302	1.581