Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in December, 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 0.3 percent in the food index and 0.7 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 3.9-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index. (See chart 1.) Food prices rose 2.3 percent and energy prices increased 0.9 percent. (See table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
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
Dec 2024	3.5	3.9

In December, the food index was up 0.3 percent over the month. This was mainly due to an equivalent rise in prices for food at home. (See table 1.) Within food at home, the advance was led by a 0.9-percent rise in the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index and a 1.4-percent increase in the cereals and bakery products index. The other food at home index rose 0.6 percent. Some indexes declined, including the fruits and vegetables index, down 0.8 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 0.4 percent over the month.

From December 2023 to December 2024, the food index increased 2.3 percent as the food away from home index advanced 3.5 percent. Prices for food at home were up 1.5 percent. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index increased 4.0 percent, and the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index advanced 4.3 percent. Prices for fruits and vegetables declined 0.8 percent over the year.

The energy index increased 0.7 percent over the month, due to a 2.3-percent rise in the utility (piped) gas service index and a 0.9-percent rise in the electricity index. Prices for fuel oil also rose. The gasoline index offset some of the overall rise as it decreased 0.4 percent.

Over the year, energy prices were up 0.9 percent, the first rise in this index since July 2024. The electricity index advanced 9.0 percent and the utility (piped) gas service index rose 12.9 percent. Prices for gasoline decreased, down 7.2 percent from December 2023 to December 2024. The fuel oil index also declined.

The index for all items less food and energy edged down 0.1 percent in December, the same as in November. This was led by a 1.6-percent decline in prices for apparel, which is typical in December. There was also a decrease in the public transportation index, and a 0.6-percent decline in the recreation index. Other indexes contributed to the overall decrease, including the other goods and services index, down 0.7 percent, and the new and used motor vehicle index, down 0.3 percent. The shelter index tempered the decrease as it rose 0.2 percent over the month. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index was also up 0.2 percent, and the rent of primary residence index increased 0.5 percent.

Over the year, the all items less food and energy index was up 3.9 percent, mainly because of the 5.3-percent rise in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index rose 5.9 percent, and the rent of primary residence index increased 5.7 percent. The medical care index rose 3.9 percent, driven by a 4.3-percent advance in prices for medical care services.

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 3.6 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 3.3 percent in the New England division. (See table B.)

The January Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on February 12, 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	Oct. 2024	Nov. 2024	Dec. 2024	Dec. 2023	Oct. 2024	Nov. 2024
All items		327.421	327.277	327.240	3.5	-0.1	0.0
All items (December 1977 = 100)		515.588	515.361	515.303
Food and beverages		331.010	331.460	332.474	2.2	0.4	0.3
Food		333.548	333.979	335.063	2.3	0.5	0.3
Food at home		309.656	309.891	310.743	1.5	0.4	0.3
Cereals and bakery products		387.878	380.141	385.432	0.7	-0.6	1.4
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		316.945	317.261	320.237	4.0	1.0	0.9
Dairy and related products		281.335	280.266	279.658	0.1	-0.6	-0.2
Fruits and vegetables		354.236	357.800	354.808	-0.8	0.2	-0.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		225.595	228.314	226.638	4.3	0.5	-0.7
Other food at home		277.371	277.729	279.461	0.9	0.8	0.6
Food away from home		376.241	377.043	378.562	3.5	0.6	0.4
Alcoholic beverages		296.095	296.810	296.882	0.6	0.3	0.0
Housing		358.275	359.129	360.210	5.2	0.5	0.3
Shelter		442.607	443.365	444.459	5.3	0.4	0.2
Rent of primary residence		445.347	447.338	449.357	5.7	0.9	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		461.175	462.352	463.344	5.9	0.5	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		460.710	461.882	462.883	5.9	0.5	0.2
Fuels and utilities		302.948	307.171	310.797	7.1	2.6	1.2
Household energy		269.507	274.004	277.860	7.5	3.1	1.4
Energy services		268.850	274.049	277.749	10.2	3.3	1.4
Electricity		284.796	280.868	283.513	9.0	-0.5	0.9
Utility (piped) gas service		218.843	241.584	247.097	12.9	12.9	2.3
Household furnishings and operations		146.415	145.936	145.767	2.5	-0.4	-0.1
Apparel		134.796	130.635	128.493	1.0	-4.7	-1.6
Transportation		265.975	264.331	262.634	2.0	-1.3	-0.6
Private transportation		264.142	262.828	261.579	1.9	-1.0	-0.5
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.739	125.297	124.960	0.4	0.2	-0.3
New vehicles		174.392	174.541	174.458	-0.1	0.0	0.0
New cars(3)		163.540	164.087	164.012	-0.4	0.3	0.0
Used cars and trucks		191.294	192.566	192.995	-2.7	0.9	0.2
Motor fuel		270.546	265.748	264.669	-7.3	-2.2	-0.4
Gasoline (all types)		269.998	265.179	264.156	-7.2	-2.2	-0.4
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		263.796	258.941	257.865	-7.5	-2.2	-0.4
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		302.024	296.899	296.001	-6.3	-2.0	-0.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		301.101	296.595	295.907	-5.6	-1.7	-0.2
Medical care		572.947	574.290	573.478	3.9	0.1	-0.1
Medical care commodities		414.876	417.234	413.516	2.1	-0.3	-0.9
Medical care services		619.330	620.342	620.459	4.3	0.2	0.0
Professional services		425.238	429.761	429.193	1.0	0.9	-0.1
Recreation(2)		142.810	142.989	142.170	0.7	-0.4	-0.6
Education and communication(2)		158.250	157.764	157.890	2.1	-0.2	0.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,472.856	1,472.663	1,472.117	4.4	-0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		612.540	612.907	608.820	1.6	-0.6	-0.7
Commodity and service group
Commodities		227.665	226.767	226.458	0.2	-0.5	-0.1
Commodities less food and beverages		174.707	173.306	172.476	-1.3	-1.3	-0.5
Nondurables less food and beverages		223.393	220.522	219.134	-1.8	-1.9	-0.6
Durables		120.383	120.102	119.738	-0.6	-0.5	-0.3
Services		423.155	423.731	423.954	5.3	0.2	0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		287.046	286.558	286.093	2.5	-0.3	-0.2
All items less medical care		316.663	316.452	316.450	3.5	-0.1	0.0
Commodities less food		179.086	177.735	176.925	-1.2	-1.2	-0.5
Nondurables		276.491	275.244	275.031	0.5	-0.5	-0.1
Nondurables less food		227.675	225.030	223.734	-1.6	-1.7	-0.6
Services less rent of shelter(1)		415.166	415.541	414.687	5.2	-0.1	-0.2
Services less medical care services		409.649	410.194	410.425	5.4	0.2	0.1
Energy		270.508	271.093	272.876	0.9	0.9	0.7
All items less energy		336.585	336.381	336.200	3.7	-0.1	-0.1
All items less food and energy		339.254	338.937	338.533	3.9	-0.2	-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.