Gasoline prices averaged $2.925 per gallon in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area in May 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Alexandra Hall Bovee, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that area gasoline prices were 57.4 percent higher than their price last May when they averaged $1.858 per gallon. Baltimore-area households paid an average of 13.1 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2021, close to its May 2020 average of 13.2 cents. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.446 per therm in May 2021 was 5.8 percent higher than its price of $1.367 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.925 per gallon, the price for gasoline in the Baltimore area was 3.8 percent below the national average of $3.041 per gallon in May 2021. Gasoline prices in the Baltimore area were below the national average in May for the previous four years, ranging from 3.6 to 5.6 percent lower. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

The 13.1 cents per kWh that Baltimore households paid for electricity in May 2021 was 6.4 percent lower than the nationwide average cost of 14.0 cents per kWh. Last May, electricity prices in Baltimore were close to the nation’s. From 2017 to 2019, prices paid by Baltimore-area consumers for electricity in May differed from the U.S. average by 8.8 percent or less. (See chart 2.)

The price paid by Baltimore-area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, was $1.446 per therm in May 2021, 20.4 percent higher than the national average of $1.201 per therm. Local utility (piped) gas prices were 31.8 percent higher than those for the nation in May 2020. From 2017 to 2019, local prices for utility (piped) gas in May differed from the national average by 17.8 percent or less. (See chart 3.)

The Consumer Price Index for June 2021 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, July 13, 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.