Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), rose 0.3 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the rise was primarily due to increases in the shelter index and the education and communication index. These contributed to the 0.5-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index. The food index was up 0.6 percent over the month while the energy index tempered the overall increase as it declined 2.1 percent. (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 3.4 percent, mainly due to a rise in the shelter index which contributed to the 4.2-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index.(See chart 1.) Food prices rose 2.4 percent, slightly up from last month’s 2.2-percent rise. Energy prices decreased 4.0 percent, mostly due to a decline in gasoline prices. (See table 1.) 

  

View Chart Data

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	4.6	3.2
Oct 2021	5.4	3.7
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

In September, the food index was up 0.6 percent over the month, the largest increase since January’s 0.8 percent. It was mainly due to a 0.7-percent increase in prices for food at home. (See table 1.) Within food at home, most grocery prices rose, led by a 0.9-percent uptick in the miscellaneous other food at home index. The 1.8-percent advance in the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index counterbalanced last month’s 1.8-percent decline in the index. Prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs were up 0.9 percent. Cereals and bakery products was the only grocery category to decline, down 0.9 percent partially due to a decrease in prices for breakfast cereals. The food away from home index rose 0.4 percent over the month.

From September 2023 to September 2024, the food index increased 2.4 percent as the food away from home index advanced 4.1 percent. Prices for food at home were up 1.4 percent, led by the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index as it rose 4.5 percent. The nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index was up 4.7 percent over the year, compared to a 4.6-percent increase in July and 2.0 percent in August.

The energy index decreased 2.1 percent over the month, mostly due to a 5.4-percent decrease in prices for gasoline. This was the largest decline in gasoline prices since December 2022. Fuel oil prices also declined. The electricity index remained unchanged while the utility (piped) gas service index rose 3.5 percent, the largest increase since November 2023.

Over the year, energy prices were down 4.0 percent, predominantly due to the gasoline index as it declined 13.1 percent. The fuel oil index also decreased. Prices for electricity increased 8.3 percent over the year as utility (piped) gas service prices rose 5.6 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 0.5 percent in September, the same as last month. This was due to price increases throughout the index. Shelter rose 0.3 percent over the month. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index and the rent of primary residence index were both up 0.5 percent. The education and communication index rose 1.5 percent as prices for tuition, other school fees, and childcare advanced 2.6 percent. The apparel index also contributed to the overall rise as it advanced 3.0 percent over the month. Both the education and communication index and apparel index have risen in September every year since these indexes began. Tempering the overall rise, the recreation index declined 1.0 percent.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 4.2 percent, mainly because of the 5.9-percent rise in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index rose 6.3 percent, and the rent of primary residence index increased 5.7 percent. The medical care index rose 2.8 percent over the year, due primarily to medical care services increasing 2.5 percent. The new and used motor vehicles index decreased 1.9 percent and was the only index to decline over the year, down for the sixth consecutive month. Used cars and trucks decreased 4.5 percent while new vehicles were down 0.5 percent.

Additional price indexes are available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for both divisions was up 0.3 percent.

Over the year, the all items index rose 3.4 percent in both divisions. (See table B.)

The October Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on November 13, 2024.

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.

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	Jul. 2024	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024	Sep. 2023	Jul. 2024	Aug. 2024
All items		325.339	326.140	327.156	3.4	0.6	0.3
All items (December 1977 = 100)		512.309	513.571	515.171
Food and beverages		329.749	329.911	331.677	2.3	0.6	0.5
Food		332.234	332.435	334.297	2.4	0.6	0.6
Food at home		309.000	308.935	311.030	1.4	0.7	0.7
Cereals and bakery products		385.818	387.374	383.808	-0.6	-0.5	-0.9
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		313.213	318.729	321.462	4.5	2.6	0.9
Dairy and related products		279.924	279.124	280.619	-0.4	0.2	0.5
Fruits and vegetables		353.095	352.107	354.844	-0.4	0.5	0.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		225.084	221.129	224.999	4.7	0.0	1.8
Other food at home		280.052	278.451	280.835	0.5	0.3	0.9
Food away from home		373.682	374.390	375.790	4.1	0.6	0.4
Alcoholic beverages		295.550	295.188	295.662	0.6	0.0	0.2
Housing		354.777	355.938	357.067	5.2	0.6	0.3
Shelter		437.068	439.750	441.126	5.9	0.9	0.3
Rent of primary residence		438.034	441.048	443.231	5.7	1.2	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		453.685	456.323	458.636	6.3	1.1	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		453.220	455.868	458.182	6.3	1.1	0.5
Fuels and utilities		302.989	299.076	300.684	3.4	-0.8	0.5
Household energy		271.118	266.603	267.917	3.4	-1.2	0.5
Energy services		269.198	265.459	268.020	7.7	-0.4	1.0
Electricity		288.277	285.238	285.266	8.3	-1.0	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service		213.020	208.168	215.519	5.6	1.2	3.5
Household furnishings and operations		147.046	146.292	146.491	1.9	-0.4	0.1
Apparel		130.491	134.137	138.114	0.8	5.8	3.0
Transportation		267.463	267.101	266.495	1.2	-0.4	-0.2
Private transportation		267.701	267.717	266.229	1.2	-0.5	-0.6
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.986	125.016	124.902	-1.9	-0.1	-0.1
New vehicles		174.967	174.634	174.659	-0.5	-0.2	0.0
New cars(3)		164.696	164.462	164.021	-0.9	-0.4	-0.3
Used cars and trucks		192.432	190.911	190.349	-4.5	-1.1	-0.3
Motor fuel		303.288	295.782	279.895	-13.2	-7.7	-5.4
Gasoline (all types)		302.970	295.432	279.428	-13.1	-7.8	-5.4
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		297.770	289.880	273.394	-13.8	-8.2	-5.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		331.681	325.231	311.312	-10.5	-6.1	-4.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		327.972	322.489	309.385	-9.4	-5.7	-4.1
Medical care		572.336	573.346	572.052	2.8	0.0	-0.2
Medical care commodities		424.001	423.427	418.825	4.6	-1.2	-1.1
Medical care services		615.631	617.137	616.903	2.5	0.2	0.0
Professional services		425.016	425.014	423.270	-2.9	-0.4	-0.4
Recreation(2)		142.794	142.980	141.504	1.1	-0.9	-1.0
Education and communication(2)		155.599	156.370	158.684	2.0	2.0	1.5
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,422.147	1,434.313	1,471.231	3.6	3.5	2.6
Other goods and services		610.227	606.702	609.443	2.7	-0.1	0.5
Commodity and service group
Commodities		229.201	229.046	228.994	-0.6	-0.1	0.0
Commodities less food and beverages		177.303	177.027	176.240	-2.7	-0.6	-0.4
Nondurables less food and beverages		228.745	228.710	226.642	-3.7	-0.9	-0.9
Durables		120.881	120.490	120.621	-1.4	-0.2	0.1
Services		417.612	419.327	421.367	5.6	0.9	0.5
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		286.252	286.349	287.240	2.0	0.3	0.3
All items less medical care		314.513	315.305	316.426	3.5	0.6	0.4
Commodities less food		181.611	181.332	180.575	-2.5	-0.6	-0.4
Nondurables		278.609	278.671	278.479	-0.3	0.0	-0.1
Nondurables less food		232.653	232.598	230.690	-3.4	-0.8	-0.8
Services less rent of shelter(1)		409.397	410.055	412.921	5.2	0.9	0.7
Services less medical care services		403.982	405.710	407.905	5.9	1.0	0.5
Energy		285.253	279.467	273.529	-4.0	-4.1	-2.1
All items less energy		333.142	334.475	336.057	4.0	0.9	0.5
All items less food and energy		335.415	336.956	338.498	4.2	0.9	0.5
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.