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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Prices in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), decreased 0.4 percent for the 2 months ending in December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted the decline was the first of the year and was influenced by price decreases in the energy and the all items less food and energy indexes. The food index was up 0.1 percent in the same period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.) (See table A.)
Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 3.4 percent, mostly due to a 4.0-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index. The food index was up 2.9 percent, and the energy index decreased 2.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
FoodFood prices increased 0.1 percent for the 2 months ending in December 2024, as did prices for food away from home. The food at home index was unchanged with the grocery categories being a mix of increases and decreases. Prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs were up 0.9 percent, well below this year’s high of 3.7 percent seen in October. Offsetting the higher grocery prices, were lower prices for fruits and vegetables (-3.2 percent), and cereals and bakery products (-2.6 percent).
Over the year, the food index rose 2.9 percent as prices for food away from home were up 3.8 percent. The food at home index increased 2.2 percent due to higher prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (7.4 percent); nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (4.3 percent); and cereals and bakery products (3.2 percent). In the same period, prices for fruits and vegetables declined 3.0 percent, and dairy and related products decreased 2.2 percent.
EnergyIn the two months ending in December, the energy index decreased 3.4 percent. The energy index decline was mainly due to falling prices for gasoline, down 8.2 percent. Prices for electricity were unchanged, and prices for utility (piped) gas service increased 9.2 percent for the same period.
From December 2023 to December 2024 the energy index declined 2.6 percent due largely to the gasoline index decreasing 7.9 percent. Offsetting the energy index decline were higher prices for electricity and natural gas service, up 1.8 percent and 20.1 percent, respectively.
All items less food and energyThe index for all items less food and energy was down 0.2 percent in the two months ending in December 2024. Lower prices for apparel (-7.9 percent), education and communication (-1.3 percent), and shelter (-0.3 percent) — due to lower prices for lodging away from home — led the overall index decline. Tempering the decreases were price increases in recreation and household furnishings and operations, up 1.5 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.
Over the year, the all items less food and energy index advanced 4.0 percent, led by a 3.7-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, a 3.6-percent rise in the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index, a 4.4-percent rise in the rent of primary residence index, and higher prices for lodging away from home contributed to the shelter index increase. Also contributing to the increase was the recreation index (5.4 percent) and the medical care index (3.1 percent) — due to higher prices for medical care services). Other goods and services rose 8.1 percent in the same period. Partially tempering the all items less food and energy index rise was the apparel index (-2.5 percent), and the new and used motor vehicles index, down 0.9 percent. Within the new and used motor vehicle index, prices for used cars and trucks fell 2.1 percent, continuing a two-year trend of price decreases that started in December 2022, and new vehicle prices decreased 0.2 percent. The education and communication index declined 0.4 percent, the first over-the-year decrease since December 2022 (-0.2 percent), and the largest 12-month decline since September 2011 (-1.0 percent).
The February 2025 Consumer Price Index for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area is scheduled to be released on March 12, 2025.
With the publication of January 2025 data in February 2025, several indexes and average price series will be discontinued.
The following CPI indexes will continue to be published at the national level, but will be discontinued for all metropolitan areas, census divisions, and regional size classes:
The following CPI average price series will continue to be published at the national level, but will be discontinued for all metropolitan areas, census divisions, and regional size classes:
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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson is published bi-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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, Core Based Statistical Area includes Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, and Queen Anne’s counties, as well as Baltimore City, in Maryland.
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.
Expenditure category | Indexes | Percent change from | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Historical data |
Oct. 2024 |
Nov. 2024 |
Dec. 2024 |
Dec. 2023 |
Oct. 2024 |
Nov. 2024 |
|
All items |
317.866 | 316.753 | 3.4 | -0.4 | |||
Food and beverages |
338.573 | 338.691 | 2.8 | 0.0 | |||
Food |
338.961 | 339.221 | 2.9 | 0.1 | |||
Food at home |
299.064 | 296.837 | 299.153 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.8 | |
Cereals and bakery products |
376.284 | 357.975 | 366.460 | 3.2 | -2.6 | 2.4 | |
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs |
314.466 | 309.121 | 317.336 | 7.4 | 0.9 | 2.7 | |
Dairy and related products |
272.664 | 276.076 | 276.667 | -2.2 | 1.5 | 0.2 | |
Fruits and vegetables |
327.936 | 315.968 | 317.570 | -3.0 | -3.2 | 0.5 | |
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1) |
225.324 | 231.647 | 231.514 | 4.3 | 2.7 | -0.1 | |
Other food at home |
272.010 | 277.147 | 274.787 | 1.3 | 1.0 | -0.9 | |
Food away from home |
394.339 | 394.874 | 3.8 | 0.1 | |||
Alcoholic beverages |
329.302 | 327.684 | 1.3 | -0.5 | |||
Housing(1) |
320.647 | 320.891 | 3.4 | 0.1 | |||
Shelter |
378.820 | 377.511 | 377.815 | 3.7 | -0.3 | 0.1 | |
Rent of primary residence |
441.471 | 440.578 | 441.779 | 4.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2) |
396.920 | 397.166 | 398.624 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2) |
396.920 | 397.166 | 398.624 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
Fuels and utilities |
317.156 | 319.890 | 2.8 | 0.9 | |||
Household energy |
280.854 | 280.585 | 283.714 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | |
Energy services |
303.457 | 303.216 | 305.504 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | |
Electricity |
285.496 | 284.140 | 285.395 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.4 | |
Utility (piped) gas service |
243.474 | 254.835 | 265.860 | 20.1 | 9.2 | 4.3 | |
Household furnishings and operations |
133.332 | 136.304 | 1.0 | 2.2 | |||
Apparel |
124.408 | 114.563 | -2.5 | -7.9 | |||
Transportation |
283.777 | 280.980 | 4.7 | -1.0 | |||
Private transportation |
289.479 | 287.706 | 4.7 | -0.6 | |||
New and used motor vehicles(3) |
134.288 | 135.088 | -0.9 | 0.6 | |||
New vehicles(1) |
276.394 | 276.392 | -0.2 | 0.0 | |||
Used cars and trucks(1) |
317.462 | 320.234 | -2.1 | 0.9 | |||
Motor fuel |
279.188 | 271.549 | 256.490 | -8.1 | -8.1 | -5.5 | |
Gasoline (all types) |
273.119 | 265.387 | 250.594 | -7.9 | -8.2 | -5.6 | |
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4) |
274.989 | 266.668 | 251.460 | -8.3 | -8.6 | -5.7 | |
301.694 | 296.260 | 280.972 | -5.8 | -6.9 | -5.2 | ||
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4) |
290.138 | 285.165 | 271.443 | -5.3 | -6.4 | -4.8 | |
Medical care |
515.496 | 511.383 | 3.1 | -0.8 | |||
Recreation |
150.757 | 153.083 | 5.4 | 1.5 | |||
Education and communication(3) |
163.446 | 161.240 | -0.4 | -1.3 | |||
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1) |
1,431.578 | 1,432.433 | 4.7 | 0.1 | |||
Other goods and services |
560.947 | 562.915 | 8.1 | 0.4 | |||
Commodity and service group |
|||||||
Commodities |
229.245 | 226.587 | -0.2 | -1.2 | |||
Commodities less food and beverages |
181.268 | 177.641 | -2.2 | -2.0 | |||
Nondurables less food and beverages |
226.133 | 218.465 | -2.1 | -3.4 | |||
Durables |
130.366 | 129.847 | -2.2 | -0.4 | |||
Services |
404.633 | 405.075 | 5.5 | 0.1 | |||
Special aggregate indexes |
|||||||
All items less shelter |
295.333 | 294.164 | 3.2 | -0.4 | |||
All items less medical care |
308.040 | 307.083 | 3.4 | -0.3 | |||
Commodities less food |
185.712 | 182.135 | -2.0 | -1.9 | |||
Nondurables |
277.841 | 273.828 | 0.7 | -1.4 | |||
Nondurables less food |
231.763 | 224.497 | -1.8 | -3.1 | |||
Services less rent of shelter(2) |
448.626 | 451.146 | 7.7 | 0.6 | |||
Services less medical care services |
393.430 | 394.601 | 5.6 | 0.3 | |||
Energy(1) |
290.016 | 286.015 | 280.069 | -2.6 | -3.4 | -2.1 | |
All items less energy |
322.086 | 321.652 | 3.8 | -0.1 | |||
All items less food and energy |
319.612 | 319.064 | 4.0 | -0.2 | |||
Footnotes |
Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025