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News Release Information

24-2139-PHI
Thursday, October 10, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area – September 2024

Area prices were up 0.3 percent over the past 2 months, up 2.6 percent from a year ago.

Prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 0.3 percent over the 2 months ending in September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the September increase was mostly due to a 0.6-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index, in large part due to rising shelter prices. For the same period, the energy index declined 3.7 percent while the food index fell 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U index advanced 2.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Leading the increase was the all items less food and energy index, up 3.1 percent. Food prices rose 3.0 percent while energy prices were down 4.7 percent over the year, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices decreased 0.1 percent for the 2-month period ending in September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home were down 0.2 percent in the same period. Leading the decrease in the grocery index were prices for other food at home (-1.4 percent), followed by fruits and vegetables (-1.9 percent) and cereals and bakery products (-1.7 percent). An increase in prices for meats, poultry, fish and eggs (+1.8 percent), dairy and related products (+2.5 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+1.8 percent) slightly lessened the decline of prices in the food at home index. Prices for food away from home rose 0.1 percent.

Over the year, food prices rose 3.0 percent, with prices for food away from home up 3.8 percent. Prices for food at home were up 2.4 percent. Within food at home, the 4.8 percent increase in the meats, poultry, fish and eggs index marked the index’s largest over the year increase since January 2023. Prices for the cereals and bakery products and other food at home indexes increased 5.2 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Tempering the food at home index were decreasing prices for fruits and vegetables, down 0.6 percent.

Energy

The energy index fell 3.7 percent for the 2 months ending in September, marking the largest decrease since the year began. The decrease was mainly due to falling prices for gasoline (-9.0 percent) and natural gas service (-7.2 percent). For the same period, electricity prices advanced 4.2 percent.

Energy prices decreased 4.7 percent over the year. The decline in the energy index was largely due to lower prices for gasoline, down 12.9 percent. Offsetting the energy index decline were higher prices for electricity and utility (piped) gas service, up 4.6 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

In the latest 2-month period, the index for all items less food and energy rose 0.6 percent. The overall index rise was led by higher prices for shelter (+0.9 percent), medical care (+3.0 percent) and apparel (+4.1 percent). Within the shelter index, prices rose for the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index (+1.0 percent) and rent of primary residence index (+0.9 percent). Partially moderating the all items less food and energy index were lower prices for household furnishings and operations (-1.2 percent), new and used motor vehicles (-0.5 percent), and education and communication (-0.7 percent).

For the year ending in September, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the rise were higher prices for shelter (+3.7 percent), recreation (+7.8) and medical care (+3.5). Within the shelter index, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index was up 4.7 percent and the index for rent of primary residence advanced 4.8 percent. Tempering the overall index in part were price declines in the new and used motor vehicles index (-2.1 percent) due to decreasing prices for used cars and trucks, down -3.8 percent, marking the 12th month of consecutive price decreases. New vehicle prices declined -2.0 percent. Since March 2024 new vehicle prices have declined by 0.9 percent or more over the year. The household furnishings and operations index decreased 1.4 percent in the same period.

Table A. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month

January

0.5 1.6 0.7 1.5 0.9 6.0 -0.3 4.4 0.5 3.6

March

-0.4 0.4 0.7 2.6 1.9 7.3 1.3 3.7 1.0 3.4

May

0.1 -0.1 1.3 3.8 1.5 7.5 0.9 3.1 0.8 3.3

July

0.6 0.8 1.2 4.4 1.1 7.5 -0.1 1.8 0.2 3.7

September

0.6 1.2 0.7 4.5 -0.2 6.5 1.3 3.3 0.3 2.6

November

0.0 1.4 1.2 5.8 0.3 5.6 -0.3 2.8

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2024.


Technical Note

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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Core Based Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; the counties of Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the county of Jefferson in West Virginia.

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, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, (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

316.445   317.382 2.6 0.3  

Food and beverages

311.808   311.727 3.0 0.0  

Food

321.240   321.071 3.0 -0.1  

Food at home

299.046 298.894 298.516 2.4 -0.2 -0.1

Cereals and bakery products

425.096 417.249 417.692 5.2 -1.7 0.1

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

314.830 310.978 320.508 4.8 1.8 3.1

Dairy and related products

282.606 288.454 289.737 2.2 2.5 0.4

Fruits and vegetables

299.466 299.223 293.807 -0.6 -1.9 -1.8

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

261.057 267.916 265.766 2.3 1.8 -0.8

Other food at home

256.337 256.220 252.752 1.7 -1.4 -1.4

Food away from home

352.198   352.541 3.8 0.1  

Alcoholic beverages

223.932   224.537 2.9 0.3  

Housing

330.069   332.671 3.2 0.8  

Shelter

394.249 396.463 397.985 3.7 0.9 0.4

Rent of primary residence

425.189 426.898 429.033 4.8 0.9 0.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

405.976 408.044 410.142 4.7 1.0 0.5

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

405.976 408.044 410.142 4.7 1.0 0.5

Fuels and utilities

291.292   295.088 3.5 1.3  

Household energy

230.212 231.010 233.610 3.5 1.5 1.1

Energy services

237.980 238.233 241.511 4.4 1.5 1.4

Electricity

262.793 266.375 273.848 4.6 4.2 2.8

Utility (piped) gas service

173.073 166.341 160.661 3.8 -7.2 -3.4

Household furnishings and operations

130.870   129.359 -1.4 -1.2  

Apparel

161.928   168.631 0.3 4.1  

Transportation

276.459   271.436 -0.6 -1.8  

Private transportation

289.983   284.085 -0.8 -2.0  

New and used motor vehicles(3)

127.059   126.372 -2.1 -0.5  

New vehicles(1)

228.238   227.225 -2.0 -0.4  

Used cars and trucks(1)

394.412   391.323 -3.8 -0.8  

Motor fuel

335.369 325.885 305.162 -12.9 -9.0 -6.4

Gasoline (all types)

330.575 321.235 300.796 -12.9 -9.0 -6.4

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

322.600 313.023 292.284 -13.4 -9.4 -6.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

342.223 334.017 317.234 -10.1 -7.3 -5.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

357.860 350.811 333.795 -9.4 -6.7 -4.9

Medical care

518.512   533.869 3.5 3.0  

Recreation(3)

135.873   135.825 7.8 0.0  

Education and communication(3)

170.358   169.241 0.3 -0.7  

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

1,698.514   1,706.679 1.4 0.5  

Other goods and services

531.492   528.255 4.4 -0.6  

Commodity and service group

Commodities

216.766   214.311 -0.5 -1.1  

Commodities less food and beverages

170.392   167.200 -2.8 -1.9  

Nondurables less food and beverages

226.293   222.238 -1.5 -1.8  

Durables

119.367   117.030 -4.2 -2.0  

Services

405.863   410.221 4.4 1.1  

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

284.217   283.937 2.0 -0.1  

All items less medical care

306.966   307.259 2.5 0.1  

Commodities less food

172.596   169.556 -2.6 -1.8  

Nondurables

267.927   265.809 1.1 -0.8  

Nondurables less food

225.420   221.834 -1.2 -1.6  

Services less rent of shelter(2)

431.555   436.865 5.1 1.2  

Services less medical care services

394.479   397.739 4.4 0.8  

Energy

282.851 279.402 272.398 -4.7 -3.7 -2.5

All items less energy

323.327   325.049 3.1 0.5  

All items less food and energy

325.006   327.040 3.1 0.6  

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1977=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.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024