The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast rose 0.6 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the increase was largely due increases in the energy index and the all items less food and energy index, up 4.1 and 0.3 percent, respectively. The food index also increased in October, up 0.8 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 5.4 percent, the largest such increase in just over 13 years. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index was mostly responsible for the over-the-year increase, up 3.7 percent, and the energy index jumped 30.8 percent. The food index also advanced over the year, up 4.9 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices increased 0.8 percent in October following a 0.9 percent increase in September. Of the two components within the food index, prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 1.2 percent and prices for food at home (groceries) increased 0.4 percent over the month. That was the largest 1-month increase for food away from home in the over 34 year history of that index. Within the food at home group, prices were higher for the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs group (up 1.3 percent) as well as the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials group (up 1.2 percent) although there were areas that posted declines such as fruits and vegetables (down 0.1 percent).

From October 2020 to October 2021, the food index increased 4.9 percent, the largest rise in over 12 years. Grocery food prices rose 4.0 percent over the year, the highest since the end of 2020, and prices for food away from home increased 6.2 percent which was higher than any such increase since February 1982.

Energy

The energy index rose 4.1 percent in October led by an increase in the index for gasoline (4.5 percent). Prices also rose for utility (piped) gas service, up 7.2 percent – the largest 1-month increase in nearly a year, while those for electricity inched up 0.1 percent over the month.

On an annual basis, the Northeast energy index reflected months of significant increases, recording a 30.8-percent increase, the highest since July 2008. Over the year, the index for gasoline was higher than at any point since January 2010, jumping 49.1 percent. Prices for utility (piped) gas service and electricity also increased, up 25.6 and 8.6 percent, respectively; these were also the largest increases in years: utility (piped) gas since July 2008 and electricity since February 2015.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.3 percent in October. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for new and used motor vehicles (2.1 percent) after 3 months of slight declines. Within that category, prices for used cars and trucks increased 2.7 percent and those for new vehicles rose 1.8 percent. Prices were also higher for owners’ equivalent rent of residences (0.2 percent), household furnishings and operations (0.8 percent), and recreation (0.7 percent) over the month.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.7 percent. Annual increases in the indexes for new and used motor vehicles (17.0 percent)—more specifically, used cars and trucks (27.8 percent) —and shelter (2.2 percent) were the major contributing factors.  While it had less of a contribution to the overall index change, the 11.1 percent 12-month rise in the new vehicle index was the largest in the history of that index which began in December 1978.

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

Month	2017		2018		2019		2020		2021
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.6	2.5	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3	0.4	1.1
February	0.3	2.6	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3	0.3	2.4	0.4	1.2
March	-0.1	2.2	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7	-0.2	1.7	0.6	2.1
April	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8	0.7	3.3
May	0.1	1.7	0.4	2.5	0.3	1.5	0.0	0.6	0.6	3.9
June	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8	1.0	4.6
July	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1	0.2	4.3
August	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5	0.1	1.1	0.1	4.4
September	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4	0.1	1.2	0.3	4.6
October	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5	-0.2	1.1	0.6	5.4
November	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9	0.1	1.9	0.1	1.1
December	0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.9	0.2	1.4

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U was 0.9 percent higher in the New England division, while prices in the Middle Atlantic division rose 0.5 percent.

Over the year, prices rose in the New England division (5.6 percent). The all items index also rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 5.4 percent. (See table B.)

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	0.6	5.4
New England Division	0.9	5.6
Middle Atlantic Division	0.5	5.4

The Consumer Price Index for November 2021 is scheduled to be released on Friday, December 10, 2021, 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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000. Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 individuals with sensory impairments 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	Aug. 2021	Sep. 2021	Oct. 2021	Oct. 2020	Aug. 2021	Sep. 2021
All items		285.630	286.423	288.236	5.4	0.9	0.6
All items (December 1977 = 100)		449.780	451.029	453.884
Food and beverages		282.961	285.289	287.264	4.7	1.5	0.7
Food		283.919	286.517	288.670	4.9	1.7	0.8
Food at home		266.563	268.880	270.004	4.0	1.3	0.4
Cereals and bakery products		315.297	318.334	318.587	3.9	1.0	0.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		284.185	284.630	288.273	7.9	1.4	1.3
Dairy and related products		237.133	242.373	242.796	2.7	2.4	0.2
Fruits and vegetables		323.268	326.956	326.494	0.6	1.0	-0.1
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		182.802	184.249	186.416	3.9	2.0	1.2
Other food at home		236.327	238.198	238.065	3.6	0.7	-0.1
Food away from home		313.536	316.597	320.371	6.2	2.2	1.2
Alcoholic beverages		269.351	267.982	267.533	1.0	-0.7	-0.2
Housing		302.869	303.670	304.637	4.1	0.6	0.3
Shelter		375.128	375.444	374.986	2.2	0.0	-0.1
Rent of primary residence		375.419	376.101	376.831	1.3	0.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		387.353	387.819	388.619	1.8	0.3	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		387.018	387.483	388.285	1.8	0.3	0.2
Fuels and utilities		242.377	244.785	252.666	15.9	4.2	3.2
Household energy		213.103	215.583	223.704	18.4	5.0	3.8
Energy services		212.975	214.547	219.600	13.6	3.1	2.4
Electricity		218.971	218.897	219.185	8.6	0.1	0.1
Utility (piped) gas service		185.538	190.139	203.917	25.6	9.9	7.2
Household furnishings and operations		129.555	130.754	131.833	8.2	1.8	0.8
Apparel		126.770	129.301	128.269	5.2	1.2	-0.8
Transportation		229.115	227.953	233.253	17.0	1.8	2.3
Private transportation		226.958	226.600	232.151	20.1	2.3	2.4
New and used motor vehicles(2)		114.688	113.903	116.325	17.0	1.4	2.1
New vehicles		154.521	157.135	159.984	11.1	3.5	1.8
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		107.112	108.984	110.971	11.2	3.6	1.8
New cars(3)		144.901	146.816	149.375	11.4	3.1	1.7
Used cars and trucks		207.501	200.592	205.923	27.8	-0.8	2.7
Motor fuel		267.920	270.912	283.299	48.9	5.7	4.6
Gasoline (all types)		266.967	269.979	282.237	49.1	5.7	4.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		264.312	267.337	279.880	50.7	5.9	4.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		283.329	286.199	297.383	42.1	5.0	3.9
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		274.025	276.861	286.894	38.7	4.7	3.6
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		615.703	616.376	619.073	5.9	0.5	0.4
Medical care		549.119	549.485	550.296	0.5	0.2	0.1
Medical care commodities		379.075	382.207	385.545	-0.3	1.7	0.9
Medical care services		599.010	598.502	598.512	0.7	-0.1	0.0
Professional services		421.814	420.742	420.936	3.4	-0.2	0.0
Recreation(2)		131.560	131.655	132.516	2.8	0.7	0.7
Education and communication(2)		151.672	152.328	152.601	2.4	0.6	0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,336.247	1,341.166	1,343.986	2.4	0.6	0.2
Other goods and services		529.842	533.200	536.030	4.4	1.2	0.5
Commodity and service group
Commodities		206.479	207.957	210.785	10.6	2.1	1.4
Commodities less food and beverages		165.194	166.255	169.286	15.1	2.5	1.8
Nondurables less food and beverages		206.549	209.180	212.853	15.4	3.1	1.8
Durables		116.435	116.298	118.513	14.7	1.8	1.9
Services		361.603	361.742	362.587	2.8	0.3	0.2
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		254.791	255.757	258.384	7.2	1.4	1.0
All items less medical care		274.030	274.843	276.703	5.9	1.0	0.7
Commodities less food		169.049	170.051	173.006	14.4	2.3	1.7
Nondurables		244.363	246.859	249.728	9.2	2.2	1.2
Nondurables less food		210.212	212.603	216.030	14.2	2.8	1.6
Services less rent of shelter(1)		359.289	359.250	361.520	3.3	0.6	0.6
Services less medical care services		345.246	345.430	346.333	3.0	0.3	0.3
Energy		235.385	238.073	247.925	30.8	5.3	4.1
All items less energy		293.846	294.476	295.580	3.9	0.6	0.4
All items less food and energy		297.478	297.763	298.688	3.7	0.4	0.3
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.