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News Release Information

23-716-PHI
Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area – March 2023

Area prices were up 1.3 percent over the past 2 months, up 3.7 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 1.3 percent for the 2 months ending in March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the March rise was due largely to a rapid increase in the shelter index. The all items less food and energy index, which includes shelter, contributed the most to the increase as it rose 1.9 percent. Lower prices in the energy index and the food index offset the increase and kept the overall index within the range for the last year. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U index was up 3.7 percent. The all items less food and energy index was mainly responsible as it rose 4.0 percent, although food prices were up 5.8 percent over the year. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index tempered the overall increase, declining 6.0 percent since March 2022. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index fell 0.4 percent over the last 2 months, with prices for food at home down 1.0 percent. Within the food at home category, prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs decreased 3.7 percent, the largest decline since the index began in 2018, and largely due to falling prices for eggs. Dairy and related products were down 3.0 percent, the largest decrease since November 2020 (-4.0 percent). After increasing 3.5 percent in January, cereals and bakery products prices were down 0.5 percent in March. Prices for fruits and vegetables and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials both had increases of 0.6 percent, and other food at home reported no change. Prices for food away from home increased 0.5 percent, moderating after larger increases in November (2.1 percent) and January (1.7 percent).

Over-the-year, food prices increased 5.8 percent, the smallest since November 2021 (+5.6 percent); since then, increases ranged from 6.2 percent to 8.9 percent. The 7.3-percent increase for food away from home was the highest reported 12-month increase since the index began in January 1999. Comparatively, the food at home index reported the smallest 12-month increase (+4.9 percent) since September 2021. All grocery categories had price increases from a year ago but generally moderated from previous rates of increase. The other food at home index had a 6.1-percent rise; prices for fruits and vegetables were up 5.1 percent; and cereals and bakery products increased 6.7 percent. Prices for dairy and related products were up 6.6 percent, much less than July’s series high of 18.8 percent. Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials had a 5.7-percent rise and prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 1.2 percent, well below May’s peak (+13.5 percent).

Energy

In March, the energy index had its fourth consecutive bi-monthly decline, decreasing 3.7 percent over the 2-month period. Contributing the most to the decline was the utility (piped) gas index, down 24.1 percent following a 2-month increase of 9.5 percent in January; March marked the largest decline since September 2018’s 45.6-percent decrease. Declining prices for gasoline (-1.0 percent), part of a general decline since July, and fuel oil contributed to the continued decrease. The electricity index was the only component of energy to increase, with a 0.9-percent rise after -1.9 percent in November and no change in January.  

Energy prices declined 6.0 percent over the year as gasoline and utility (piped) gas had double-digit decreases of 18.2 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively — the first over-the-year decline for all three indexes since January 2021.  Prices advanced for electricity (+15.1 percent, moderating some the recent 19.1-percent peak in November) and fuel oil.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.9 percent in the 2 months ending in March 2023, the largest increase in the broad category since September 1991. The recent rise was mainly because of higher prices for shelter, up 1.7 percent, the largest 2-month increase since July 2007. Rising prices for lodging away from home, followed by owners’ equivalent rent (up 0.9 percent) contributed to the index increase while a 0.6 percent increase in rent of primary residence was well below its recent peak of 2.0 in November. Prices for new and used motor vehicles were up 2.7 percent, the first bi-monthly increase after 3 consecutive periods of decline. Prices for new vehicles advanced 0.6 percent whereas used cars and trucks prices continued to decline (down 0.7 percent); the used cars and trucks index only increased once in the past year. The household furnishings and operations index (+3.1 percent) and public transportation were both up over the month. Other components of the all items less food and energy index that supported the increase included apparel (up 5.9 percent), medical care (up 1.4 percent after two periods of decline), and recreation (up 1.0 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.0 percent; in general, the 12-month rate of increase has slowed over the last year. This increase was primarily due to a 5.3-percent rise in the shelter index as a component index, owners’ equivalent rent of residences, was up 4.9 percent; each of these were the largest over-the-year increases since 2007. Also in shelter, the index for rent of primary residence advanced 6.5 percent; this index has accelerated over the last year – it was up just 0.9 percent last March. All other main components of the all items less food and energy index were up over the year, except medical care (down 2.7 percent, the first 12-month drop since July 2018). Prices for recreation rose 4.4 percent, and the new and used motor vehicle index had a 3.5-percent increase, the lowest since January 2021 and well below the recent peak of 25.9 percent. Within the new and used motor vehicle index, prices for new vehicles were up 4.9 percent, and used cars and trucks were down 11.2 percent, similar to the previous largest decline since the series began in 2018 reported in January (-11.3 percent).

Table A. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20192020202120222023
2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month

January

0.50.80.51.60.71.50.96.0-0.24.4

March

0.71.6-0.40.40.72.61.97.31.33.7

May

0.61.60.1-0.11.33.81.57.5

July

-0.31.20.60.81.24.41.17.5

September

0.10.90.61.20.74.5-0.26.5

November

-0.21.50.01.41.25.80.35.6

The May 2023 Consumer Price Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area is scheduled to be released on June 13, 2023.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is published bi-monthly. 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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 percent of the total 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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 (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch17_a.htm.

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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Core Based Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; the counties of Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the county of Jefferson in West Virginia.

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, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Jan.
2023
Feb.
2023
Mar.
2023
Mar.
2022
Jan.
2023
Feb.
2023

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0
299.149 302.9303.71.3 

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF
300.246 299.0665.7-0.4 

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF1
309.141 307.7835.8-0.4 

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF11
292.227292.633289.2294.9-1.0-1.2

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF111
388.780 386.8106.7-0.5 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF112
325.326 313.3961.2-3.7 

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEFJ
295.614 286.8806.6-3.0 

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF113
298.774 300.4695.10.6 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF114
253.918 255.4045.70.6 

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF115
237.967 237.8746.10.0 

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEFV
330.605 332.3817.30.5 

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF116
217.549 218.7144.50.5 

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH
310.474 314.6805.21.4 

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH1
367.096370.347373.3755.31.70.8

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHA
403.934405.528406.2436.50.60.2

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHC
376.231379.329379.6704.90.90.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHC01
376.231379.329379.6704.90.90.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH2
290.883 277.2377.5-4.7 

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH21
233.225233.533219.3427.7-6.0-6.1

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHF
237.199237.457223.0237.9-6.0-6.1

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHF01
247.996248.488250.28515.10.90.7

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHF02
202.561202.304153.845-11.2-24.1-24.0

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH3
128.072 132.0443.33.1 

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAA
158.712 168.1355.05.9 

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAT
256.886 263.4581.52.6 

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAT1
268.036 272.6670.71.7 

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETA
123.914 127.3213.52.7 

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETA01
229.051 230.4394.90.6 

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETA02
403.196 400.310-11.2-0.7 

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETB
319.274317.958315.956-18.0-1.0-0.6

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETB01
314.350313.195311.305-18.2-1.0-0.6

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASS47014
306.838305.518303.717-18.8-1.0-0.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASS47015
322.733322.894320.617-15.2-0.7-0.7

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASS47016
338.201338.431336.069-13.3-0.6-0.7

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAM
505.570 512.859-2.71.4 

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAR
126.038 127.3424.41.0 

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAE
163.522 164.0291.80.3 

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEEB
1,585.466 1,585.4665.30.0 

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAG
489.667 491.4255.40.4 

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAC
211.450 213.3181.60.9 

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASACL11
167.723 170.722-0.71.8 

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASANL11
215.361 221.637-2.12.9 

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAD
121.585 122.4100.60.7 

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAS
377.196 382.7574.91.5 

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0L2
271.098 273.8172.81.0 

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0L5
289.501 293.1144.31.2 

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASACL1
169.809 172.776-0.51.7 

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAN
256.691 259.1772.01.0 

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASANL1
214.925 220.864-1.62.8 

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASASL2RS
400.108 404.6894.21.1 

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASASL5
364.183 370.0416.11.6 

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0E
278.054277.718267.858-6.0-3.7-3.6

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0LE
305.045 309.7634.31.5 

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0L1E
305.582 311.3684.01.9 

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1977=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023