Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased by 0.3 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the October increase was predominantly due to higher prices for food; the food index rose 1.0 percent. The all items less food and energy index was up 0.2 percent, and the energy index rose by 0.3 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 index rose 6.9 percent— the smallest 12-month increase since February. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index, up 5.2 percent, was largely responsible for the over-the-year increase in October. The food index increased 10.3 percent over the year with 12-month increases across all food components and the energy index advanced 19.2 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 1.0 percent for the month of October. (See table 1.) Of the two major components within the food index, prices for food away from home increased 1.3 percent, the same as in September, which was the highest 1-month increase since the series started in 1987. Food at home prices advanced 0.8 percent, with price increases for cereals and bakery products leading at 2.0 percent. Prices rose 0.7 percent for both the other food at home category and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs. A decrease of 0.2 percent in prices for fruits and vegetables partially offset these increases.

From October 2021 to October 2022, the food index increased 10.3 percent, the highest over-the-year rise in over 40 years. Prices for food at home advanced 11.9 percent since a year ago. This advance was led by an increase of 14.0 percent for other food at home and a 17.1 percent rise in cereals and bakery products—the highest 12-month increase for each index since they began reporting in 2018. Prices for food away from home increased 7.7 percent, the largest increase in over 40 years.

Energy

The energy index increased following 4 months of decline, up 0.3 percent over the month due to rises in the fuel oil index. Gasoline prices continued to decline, down 2.0 percent in October, moderating the increase. The index for utility (piped) gas service also fell, down 3.0 percent over the month following a 4.4 percent increase in September, and the electricity index declined 0.9 percent.

Energy prices increased over the year, up 19.2 percent – the smallest 12-month increase since April 2021 and well below the recent peak of 44.2 percent in June. Over the year, prices for electricity were up 17.7 percent, the fuel oil index rose, and the utility (piped) gas service index was up 26.3 percent, ending 5 consecutive months of increases over 30.0 percent. Gasoline prices rose 9.2 percent—the smallest 12-month increase since February 2021 and notably below the 60.0 percent peak in June.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent in October. Rising prices for shelter (up 0.5 percent) were most of the reason for the increase. The indexes for owners' equivalent rent of residences and for rent of primary residence (each up 0.5 percent after two 1-month increases of 0.6 percent) contributed to the increase of the shelter index. Recreation prices (up 0.7 percent) contributed to the all items less food and energy increase. Lower prices for used cars and trucks (down 2.4 percent following a 4.0 percent decline in September), medical care (down 0.5 percent—the first decrease since June 2021), and apparel (down 1.2 percent) partially offset the overall rise.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 5.2 percent. The 12-month increases in the shelter index (up 4.8 percent – the largest increase since January 2007), the new and used motor vehicles index (up 9.2 percent – the smallest 12-month rise since March 2021), the medical care index (up 5.4 percent following a 6.1 increase in September), and household furnishings and operations (up 7.0 percent) contributed to the increase in the all items less food and energy index. Within the shelter index, gains were led by the index for owners’ equivalent rent of residences (up 4.6 percent— the highest 12-month increase since March 2007) and rent of primary residence (up 4.8 percent). The medical care services index increased 6.4 percent, contributing to the rise in the medical care index. Prices for new vehicles were up 7.1 percent, leading the new and used motor vehicles index gains.

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for the New England division increased by 0.5 percent. For the Middle Atlantic division, the all items CPI-U index rose by 0.2 percent.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 7.0 percent in the New England division and 6.8 percent in the Middle Atlantic division. (See table B.)

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

Month	2018		2019		2020		2021		2022
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3	0.4	1.1	0.8	6.3
February	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3	0.3	2.4	0.4	1.2	0.7	6.6
March	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7	-0.2	1.7	0.6	2.1	1.3	7.3
April	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8	0.7	3.3	0.6	7.2
May	0.4	2.5	0.3	1.5	0.0	0.6	0.6	3.9	0.9	7.5
June	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8	1.0	4.6	1.2	7.6
July	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1	0.2	4.3	-0.2	7.3
August	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5	0.1	1.1	0.1	4.4	0.3	7.4
September	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4	0.1	1.2	0.3	4.6	0.1	7.2
October	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5	-0.2	1.1	0.6	5.4	0.3	6.9
November	-0.4	1.9	0.1	1.9	0.1	1.1	0.6	6.0
December	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.9	0.2	1.4	0.2	5.9

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	0.3	6.9
New England Division	0.5	7.0
Middle Atlantic Division	0.2	6.8

The November 2022 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on December 13, 2022.

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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

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. 2022	Sep. 2022	Oct. 2022	Oct. 2021	Aug. 2022	Sep. 2022
All items		306.855	307.152	308.001	6.9	0.4	0.3
All items (December 1977 = 100)		483.203	483.671	485.007
Food and beverages		310.957	313.217	316.024	10.0	1.6	0.9
Food		313.018	315.305	318.362	10.3	1.7	1.0
Food at home		298.620	299.757	302.019	11.9	1.1	0.8
Cereals and bakery products		365.857	365.819	373.078	17.1	2.0	2.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		311.643	309.752	311.783	8.2	0.0	0.7
Dairy and related products		272.872	276.830	278.263	14.6	2.0	0.5
Fruits and vegetables		350.867	356.186	355.404	8.9	1.3	-0.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		204.097	204.557	207.291	11.2	1.6	1.3
Other food at home		268.460	269.510	271.297	14.0	1.1	0.7
Food away from home		335.920	340.447	345.023	7.7	2.7	1.3
Alcoholic beverages		282.405	284.298	283.842	6.1	0.5	-0.2
Housing		322.473	324.264	326.092	7.0	1.1	0.6
Shelter		388.910	390.895	392.926	4.8	1.0	0.5
Rent of primary residence		390.595	393.010	394.859	4.8	1.1	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		402.291	404.582	406.433	4.6	1.0	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		401.941	404.233	406.081	4.6	1.0	0.5
Fuels and utilities		304.524	307.114	312.110	23.5	2.5	1.6
Household energy		276.998	278.482	283.553	26.8	2.4	1.8
Energy services		265.863	269.071	264.661	20.5	-0.5	-1.6
Electricity		261.603	260.393	258.006	17.7	-1.4	-0.9
Utility (piped) gas service		254.123	265.405	257.518	26.3	1.3	-3.0
Household furnishings and operations		140.835	141.593	141.125	7.0	0.2	-0.3
Apparel		131.471	133.500	131.933	2.9	0.4	-1.2
Transportation		261.376	255.809	254.525	9.1	-2.6	-0.5
Private transportation		259.953	253.996	252.491	8.8	-2.9	-0.6
New and used motor vehicles(2)		128.040	128.100	126.999	9.2	-0.8	-0.9
New vehicles		169.702	170.617	171.359	7.1	1.0	0.4
New cars(3)		160.651	162.020	162.928	9.1	1.4	0.6
Used cars and trucks		224.905	215.905	210.817	2.4	-6.3	-2.4
Motor fuel		355.248	316.215	310.168	9.5	-12.7	-1.9
Gasoline (all types)		353.429	314.408	308.192	9.2	-12.8	-2.0
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		349.249	309.646	303.711	8.5	-13.0	-1.9
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		380.131	343.478	333.902	12.3	-12.2	-2.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		367.488	334.331	326.586	13.8	-11.1	-2.3
Medical care		580.669	582.964	579.822	5.4	-0.1	-0.5
Medical care commodities		392.344	389.234	387.913	0.6	-1.1	-0.3
Medical care services		636.224	640.286	636.577	6.4	0.1	-0.6
Professional services		429.925	431.933	431.627	2.5	0.4	-0.1
Recreation(2)		137.263	136.871	137.813	4.0	0.4	0.7
Education and communication(2)		152.938	153.479	153.585	0.6	0.4	0.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,360.598	1,369.863	1,374.311	2.3	1.0	0.3
Other goods and services		561.095	566.144	569.966	6.3	1.6	0.7
Commodity and service group
Commodities		228.782	226.692	227.437	7.9	-0.6	0.3
Commodities less food and beverages		184.062	180.441	180.359	6.5	-2.0	0.0
Nondurables less food and beverages		237.946	230.417	231.542	8.8	-2.7	0.5
Durables		125.418	124.593	123.827	4.5	-1.3	-0.6
Services		381.613	384.330	385.271	6.3	1.0	0.2
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		278.698	278.401	278.836	7.9	0.0	0.2
All items less medical care		294.797	295.009	296.023	7.0	0.4	0.3
Commodities less food		187.880	184.382	184.289	6.5	-1.9	-0.1
Nondurables		274.208	271.415	273.362	9.5	-0.3	0.7
Nondurables less food		240.453	233.523	234.547	8.6	-2.5	0.4
Services less rent of shelter(1)		386.711	390.317	390.075	7.9	0.9	-0.1
Services less medical care services		364.085	366.708	367.948	6.2	1.1	0.3
Energy		308.830	294.732	295.557	19.2	-4.3	0.3
All items less energy		310.669	312.252	313.113	5.9	0.8	0.3
All items less food and energy		312.234	313.702	314.180	5.2	0.6	0.2
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.