Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in November the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that price changes were mixed throughout each major category. The all items less food and energy index declined 0.1 percent, counterbalancing an increase of 0.1 percent in the food index and 0.2 percent in the energy index. (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 increased 3.5 percent, mostly due to rises in the shelter index which contributed to the 4.3-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index. (See chart 1.) Food prices rose 2.0 percent and energy prices decreased 2.7 percent. (See table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Northeast region, November 2021–November 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Nov 2021	6.0	4.1
Dec 2021	5.9	4.3
Jan 2022	6.3	4.6
Feb 2022	6.6	5.0
Mar 2022	7.3	5.0
Apr 2022	7.2	4.9
May 2022	7.5	4.6
Jun 2022	7.6	4.4
Jul 2022	7.3	4.3
Aug 2022	7.4	5.0
Sep 2022	7.2	5.4
Oct 2022	6.9	5.2
Nov 2022	6.4	4.7
Dec 2022	6.1	4.8
Jan 2023	6.0	4.9
Feb 2023	5.9	5.1
Mar 2023	4.3	4.5
Apr 2023	3.8	4.2
May 2023	3.1	4.3
Jun 2023	2.2	3.8
Jul 2023	2.6	4.0
Aug 2023	2.8	3.7
Sep 2023	3.0	3.5
Oct 2023	2.7	3.4
Nov 2023	2.5	3.5
Dec 2023	2.6	3.5
Jan 2024	2.5	3.5
Feb 2024	2.4	3.2
Mar 2024	3.4	4.0
Apr 2024	3.6	4.1
May 2024	3.9	4.3
Jun 2024	3.8	4.3
Jul 2024	3.6	3.9
Aug 2024	3.4	4.0
Sep 2024	3.4	4.2
Oct 2024	3.5	4.4
Nov 2024	3.5	4.3

In November, the food index was up 0.1 percent over the month. This was mainly due to a 0.2-percent rise in prices for food away from home. (See table 1.) The food at home index was also up 0.1 percent for the same period. Within food at home, the increase was led by a 1.0-percent increase in the fruits and vegetables index and a 1.2-percent increase in the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index. The cereals and bakery products index offset some of the rises as it declined 2.0 percent.

From November 2023 to November 2024, the food index increased 2.0 percent as the food away from home index advanced 3.5 percent. Prices for food at home were up 1.0 percent. The nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index advanced 5.9 percent, and the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index rose 3.1 percent. Prices for cereals and bakery products declined 2.2 percent, the largest decline in the index since June 2021.

The energy index increased 0.2 percent over the month, mostly due to a 10.4-percent rise in the utility (piped) gas service index, the largest index increase since November 2009. Prices for gasoline were down 1.8 percent while prices for electricity were down 1.4 percent in November. The fuel oil index also decreased.

Over the year, energy prices were down 2.7 percent, primarily because of an 11.0-percent decrease in the gasoline index. Prices for fuel oil also declined. The electricity index rose 6.7 percent, and the utility (piped) gas service index increased 9.1 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy edged down 0.1 percent in November. This was driven mainly by a 3.1-percent decline in the apparel index, which has declined in November every year since 1992. The lodging away from home index and the public transportation index also decreased. Prices for education and communication and prices for household furnishings and operations were both down 0.3 percent over the month. Some indexes rose and tempered the declines, including the shelter index—up 0.2 percent. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index increased 0.3 percent, and the rent of primary residence index rose 0.4 percent.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 4.3 percent, mainly because of the 5.7-percent rise in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index rose 6.2 percent, and the rent of primary residence index increased 5.7 percent. The medical care index rose 4.3 percent, driven by a 4.4-percent advance in prices for medical care services. One index that declined was the new and used motor vehicles index, down 1.2 percent over the year, mostly due to a 2.8-percent decline in prices for used cars and trucks.

Additional price indexes are available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for the Middle Atlantic division was down 0.1 percent while the New England division was up 0.1 percent.

Over the year, the all items index rose 3.7 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 3.1 percent in the New England division. (See table B.)

The December Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on January 15, 2025.

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 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast region is published monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. 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.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

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	Sep. 2024	Oct. 2024	Nov. 2024	Nov. 2023	Sep. 2024	Oct. 2024
All items		327.156	327.421	327.277	3.5	0.0	0.0
All items (December 1977 = 100)		515.171	515.588	515.361
Food and beverages		331.677	331.010	331.460	1.9	-0.1	0.1
Food		334.297	333.548	333.979	2.0	-0.1	0.1
Food at home		311.030	309.656	309.891	1.0	-0.4	0.1
Cereals and bakery products		383.808	387.878	380.141	-2.2	-1.0	-2.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		321.462	316.945	317.261	3.1	-1.3	0.1
Dairy and related products		280.619	281.335	280.266	-0.5	-0.1	-0.4
Fruits and vegetables		354.844	354.236	357.800	0.2	0.8	1.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		224.999	225.595	228.314	5.9	1.5	1.2
Other food at home		280.835	277.371	277.729	0.1	-1.1	0.1
Food away from home		375.790	376.241	377.043	3.5	0.3	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		295.662	296.095	296.810	0.5	0.4	0.2
Housing		357.067	358.275	359.129	5.2	0.6	0.2
Shelter		441.126	442.607	443.365	5.7	0.5	0.2
Rent of primary residence		443.231	445.347	447.338	5.7	0.9	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		458.636	461.175	462.352	6.2	0.8	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		458.182	460.710	461.882	6.1	0.8	0.3
Fuels and utilities		300.684	302.948	307.171	4.1	2.2	1.4
Household energy		267.917	269.507	274.004	4.0	2.3	1.7
Energy services		268.020	268.850	274.049	7.4	2.2	1.9
Electricity		285.266	284.796	280.868	6.7	-1.5	-1.4
Utility (piped) gas service		215.519	218.843	241.584	9.1	12.1	10.4
Household furnishings and operations		146.491	146.415	145.936	2.4	-0.4	-0.3
Apparel		138.114	134.796	130.635	1.9	-5.4	-3.1
Transportation		266.495	265.975	264.331	1.3	-0.8	-0.6
Private transportation		266.229	264.142	262.828	1.1	-1.3	-0.5
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.902	124.739	125.297	-1.2	0.3	0.4
New vehicles		174.659	174.392	174.541	-0.3	-0.1	0.1
New cars(3)		164.021	163.540	164.087	-0.8	0.0	0.3
Used cars and trucks		190.349	191.294	192.566	-2.8	1.2	0.7
Motor fuel		279.895	270.546	265.748	-11.1	-5.1	-1.8
Gasoline (all types)		279.428	269.998	265.179	-11.0	-5.1	-1.8
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		273.394	263.796	258.941	-11.5	-5.3	-1.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		311.312	302.024	296.899	-9.7	-4.6	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		309.385	301.101	296.595	-8.6	-4.1	-1.5
Medical care		572.052	572.947	574.290	4.3	0.4	0.2
Medical care commodities		418.825	414.876	417.234	3.4	-0.4	0.6
Medical care services		616.903	619.330	620.342	4.4	0.6	0.2
Professional services		423.270	425.238	429.761	1.2	1.5	1.1
Recreation(2)		141.504	142.810	142.989	1.8	1.0	0.1
Education and communication(2)		158.684	158.250	157.764	2.0	-0.6	-0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,471.231	1,472.856	1,472.663	4.4	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		609.443	612.540	612.907	2.2	0.6	0.1
Commodity and service group
Commodities		228.994	227.665	226.767	-0.3	-1.0	-0.4
Commodities less food and beverages		176.240	174.707	173.306	-1.9	-1.7	-0.8
Nondurables less food and beverages		226.642	223.393	220.522	-2.7	-2.7	-1.3
Durables		120.621	120.383	120.102	-1.0	-0.4	-0.2
Services		421.367	423.155	423.731	5.5	0.6	0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		287.240	287.046	286.558	2.2	-0.2	-0.2
All items less medical care		316.426	316.663	316.452	3.4	0.0	-0.1
Commodities less food		180.575	179.086	177.735	-1.8	-1.6	-0.8
Nondurables		278.479	276.491	275.244	-0.1	-1.2	-0.5
Nondurables less food		230.690	227.675	225.030	-2.5	-2.5	-1.2
Services less rent of shelter(1)		412.921	415.166	415.541	5.2	0.6	0.1
Services less medical care services		407.905	409.649	410.194	5.6	0.6	0.1
Energy		273.529	270.508	271.093	-2.7	-0.9	0.2
All items less energy		336.057	336.585	336.381	3.9	0.1	-0.1
All items less food and energy		338.498	339.254	338.937	4.3	0.1	-0.1
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.