Prices in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.2 percent for the 2 months ending in October 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted the increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and recreation, both of which are index sub-components. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.2 percent while the food index increased 1.2 percent in the same period. The energy index decreased 2.7 percent. (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 3.9-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index. The food index was up 3.7 percent, and the energy index decreased 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, October 2021–October 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Oct 2021	6.3	5.3
Dec 2021	8.0	6.5
Feb 2022	9.3	7.6
Apr 2022	9.1	7.1
Jun 2022	10.6	7.9
Aug 2022	10.2	8.8
Oct 2022	8.4	7.0
Dec 2022	6.3	5.6
Feb 2023	6.1	5.8
Apr 2023	5.3	5.4
Jun 2023	2.8	4.2
Aug 2023	3.1	3.1
Oct 2023	2.2	2.4
Dec 2023	2.1	2.0
Feb 2024	2.6	2.7
Apr 2024	2.9	2.8
Jun 2024	3.0	2.9
Aug 2024	3.0	3.6
Oct 2024	3.4	3.9

Food prices increased 1.2 percent for the 2 months ending in October 2024. The food at home index increased 1.8 percent due to higher prices for fruits and vegetables (4.5 percent), meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (3.7 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (3.1 percent). Two grocery categories declined — other food at home (-1.1 percent) and dairy and related products (-0.4 percent). The food away from home index increased 0.5 percent.

Over the year, the food index rose 3.7 percent as prices for food away from home were up 4.4 percent. The food at home index increased 3.2 percent due to higher prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (7.5 percent), cereals and bakery products (+5.4 percent), and fruits and vegetables (3.9 percent). In the same period, prices for dairy and related products decreased 3.6 percent.

In the two months ending in October, the energy index decreased 2.7 percent. The energy index decline was mainly due to falling prices for gasoline (-5.0 percent). Prices for electricity were down 0.1 percent. Utility (piped) gas service increased 2.0 percent.

From October 2023 to October 2024 the energy index declined 2.1 percent due largely to the gasoline index decreasing 5.1 percent. The utility (piped) gas service index rose 18.3 percent, up from the recent 14.4 percent increase in August. The electricity index increased 0.4 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent in the two months ending in October 2024. The shelter index was up 0.8 percent—within shelter, the rent of primary residence index rose 1.4 percent and the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index increased 0.7 percent. The recreation index rose 1.1 percent. In the same period the apparel (-2.8 percent), other goods and services (-1.4 percent) and medical care (-1.3 percent) indexes all decreased. The household furnishings and operations index decreased 1.2 percent.

Over the year, the all items less food and energy index advanced 3.9 percent, led by a 4.5-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, a 5.0-percent rise in the rent of primary residence index, a 4.0-percent rise in the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index, and higher prices for lodging away from home contributed to the shelter index increase. Also contributing to the increase was the recreation index (6.1 percent) and the medical care index (3.0 percent) due to higher prices for medical care services. Other goods and services rose 6.5 percent in the same period. Tempering the all items less food and energy index rise was the new and used motor vehicles index, down 2.8 percent, as prices for used cars and trucks declined 2.2 percent (continuing the trend of price decreases that started in December 2022) and new vehicle prices decreased 1.3 percent. The apparel index declined 8.0 percent, and the household furnishings and operations index declined 1.7 percent.

The December 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area 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 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.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024	Oct. 2024	Oct. 2023	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024
All items		317.366		317.866	3.4	0.2
Food and beverages		335.111		338.573	3.6	1.0
Food		334.904		338.961	3.7	1.2
Food at home		293.759	293.657	299.064	3.2	1.8	1.8
Cereals and bakery products		370.802	370.367	376.284	5.4	1.5	1.6
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		303.105	302.749	314.466	7.5	3.7	3.9
Dairy and related products		273.739	277.132	272.664	-3.6	-0.4	-1.6
Fruits and vegetables		313.690	315.789	327.936	3.9	4.5	3.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		218.594	227.046	225.324	0.7	3.1	-0.8
Other food at home		274.945	268.496	272.010	1.0	-1.1	1.3
Food away from home		392.478		394.339	4.4	0.5
Alcoholic beverages		333.175		329.302	2.0	-1.2
Housing(1)		319.023		320.647	3.5	0.5
Shelter		375.806	377.288	378.820	4.5	0.8	0.4
Rent of primary residence		435.514	438.909	441.471	5.0	1.4	0.6
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)		394.160	395.813	396.920	4.0	0.7	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)		394.160	395.813	396.920	4.0	0.7	0.3
Fuels and utilities		318.096		317.156	1.0	-0.3
Household energy		282.223	272.312	280.854	0.8	-0.5	3.1
Energy services		303.293	293.219	303.457	1.7	0.1	3.5
Electricity		285.785	275.471	285.496	0.4	-0.1	3.6
Utility (piped) gas service		238.791	239.279	243.474	18.3	2.0	1.8
Household furnishings and operations		134.912		133.332	-1.7	-1.2
Apparel		128.016		124.408	-8.0	-2.8
Transportation		284.881		283.777	4.6	-0.4
Private transportation		291.963		289.479	4.3	-0.9
New and used motor vehicles(3)		134.262		134.288	-2.8	0.0
New vehicles(1)		276.355		276.394	-1.3	0.0
Used cars and trucks(1)		316.182		317.462	-2.2	0.4
Motor fuel		293.622	274.145	279.188	-5.5	-4.9	1.8
Gasoline (all types)		287.429	268.349	273.119	-5.1	-5.0	1.8
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		289.944	269.874	274.989	-5.3	-5.2	1.9
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		315.572	298.586	301.694	-3.9	-4.4	1.0
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		301.952	286.915	290.138	-3.7	-3.9	1.1
Medical care		522.241		515.496	3.0	-1.3
Recreation		149.092		150.757	6.1	1.1
Education and communication(3)		163.573		163.446	1.0	-0.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		1,419.940		1,431.578	4.6	0.8
Other goods and services		568.731		560.947	6.5	-1.4
Commodity and service group
Commodities		231.074		229.245	-0.2	-0.8
Commodities less food and beverages		185.039		181.268	-2.4	-2.0
Nondurables less food and beverages		234.308		226.133	-3.1	-3.5
Durables		130.773		130.366	-2.7	-0.3
Services		401.804		404.633	5.7	0.7
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		295.888		295.333	2.9	-0.2
All items less medical care		307.159		308.040	3.5	0.3
Commodities less food		189.493		185.712	-2.2	-2.0
Nondurables		280.565		277.841	0.7	-1.0
Nondurables less food		239.643		231.763	-2.7	-3.3
Services less rent of shelter(2)		446.018		448.626	7.1	0.6
Services less medical care services		390.061		393.430	5.8	0.9
Energy(1)		298.031	282.936	290.016	-2.1	-2.7	2.5
All items less energy		320.921		322.086	3.9	0.4
All items less food and energy		318.922		319.612	3.9	0.2
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a March 1978=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.