Prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.2 percent over the 2 months ending in November 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the November dip was mostly due to a 2.7-percent decrease in the energy index, in large part due to lower gasoline prices. For the same period, the all items less food and energy index fell 0.1 percent while the food index rose 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 2.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Leading the increase was the all items less food and energy index, up 3.0 percent. Food prices rose 2.8 percent while energy prices were down 1.5 percent over the year, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, November 2021–November 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Nov 2021	5.8	4.4
Jan 2022	6.0	4.8
Mar 2022	7.3	6.0
May 2022	7.5	5.7
Jul 2022	7.5	5.6
Sep 2022	6.5	5.6
Nov 2022	5.6	4.9
Jan 2023	4.4	3.6
Mar 2023	3.7	4.0
May 2023	3.1	3.9
Jul 2023	1.8	2.9
Sep 2023	3.3	3.6
Nov 2023	2.8	3.3
Jan 2024	3.6	4.6
Mar 2024	3.4	3.5
May 2024	3.3	3.5
Jul 2024	3.7	3.8
Sep 2024	2.6	3.1
Nov 2024	2.7	3.0

Food prices increased 0.1 percent for the 2-month period ending in November. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home were up 0.6 percent, and prices were down 0.4 percent for food at home in the same period. Leading the decrease in the grocery index were prices for meats, poultry, fish and eggs declining 1.9 percent, the largest decrease since March 2023. This was followed by other food at home (-0.4 percent) and cereals and bakery products (-0.9 percent). An increase in prices for fruits and vegetables (+0.9 percent), dairy and related products (+0.9 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+0.3 percent) slightly lessened the decline of prices in the food at home index.

Over the year, food prices advanced 2.8 percent, with prices for food away from home up 3.2 percent. Prices for food at home were up 2.4 percent, due to all grocery categories reporting rising prices. Within food at home, the 7.6-percent increase in the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index was just shy of the year high of 7.7 percent recorded in May. Prices for the cereals and bakery products index increased 7.0 percent.

The energy index fell 2.7 percent for the 2 months ending in November, with lower prices across all index categories. The decrease was mainly due to declining prices for gasoline, down 3.5 percent. Prices for electricity fell 3.1 percent, and prices for utility (piped) gas service declined 0.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices decreased 1.5 percent over the year. The decline in the energy index was largely due to lower prices for gasoline, down 6.8 percent. Offsetting the energy index decline were higher prices for electricity and natural gas service, up 5.4 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.

In the latest 2-month period, the index for all items less food and energy decreased 0.1 percent. The overall index decline was led by lower prices for apparel (-6.6 percent), shelter (-0.2 percent), and other goods and services (-0.6 percent). The shelter index declined for the first time since May 2021, mainly due to decreased prices for the rent of primary residence index, down 0.2 percent (also the first decline since May 2021), and lodging away from home. The owners’ equivalent rent of residences index partially tempered the overall index as it rose 0.1 percent. Also counterbalancing the all items less food and energy index were higher prices for recreation and household furnishings and operations, both rising 0.7 percent, and rising prices for public transportation.

For the year ending in November, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.0 percent. Components contributing to the rise were higher prices for shelter (+3.4 percent), recreation (+7.1) and medical care (+2.5 percent). Within the shelter index, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index was up 3.5 percent and the index for rent of primary residence advanced 3.7 percent. Tempering the overall index in part were price declines in the apparel index (-3.2 percent), and the new and used motor vehicles index (-1.0 percent). The decline in new and used motor vehicles was due to decreasing prices for used cars and trucks, down -2.4 percent, continuing the trend of consecutive price decreases that started in November 2022. New vehicle prices declined -1.0 percent. The household furnishings and operations index decreased 0.9 percent in the same period.

The January 2025 Consumer Price Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area 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 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	Sep. 2024	Oct. 2024	Nov. 2024	Nov. 2023	Sep. 2024	Oct. 2024
All items		317.382		316.745	2.7	-0.2
Food and beverages		311.727		312.374	2.9	0.2
Food		321.071		321.368	2.8	0.1
Food at home		298.516	298.143	297.460	2.4	-0.4	-0.2
Cereals and bakery products		417.692	410.868	414.039	7.0	-0.9	0.8
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		320.508	322.205	314.450	1.3	-1.9	-2.4
Dairy and related products		289.737	291.741	292.212	1.8	0.9	0.2
Fruits and vegetables		293.807	304.964	296.512	0.6	0.9	-2.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		265.766	257.496	266.603	7.6	0.3	3.5
Other food at home		252.752	249.155	251.646	0.6	-0.4	1.0
Food away from home		352.541		354.752	3.2	0.6
Alcoholic beverages		224.537		227.869	3.8	1.5
Housing		332.671		331.793	3.0	-0.3
Shelter		397.985	399.598	397.041	3.4	-0.2	-0.6
Rent of primary residence		429.033	430.191	428.019	3.7	-0.2	-0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)		410.142	411.985	410.622	3.5	0.1	-0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)		410.142	411.985	410.622	3.5	0.1	-0.3
Fuels and utilities		295.088		290.657	3.0	-1.5
Household energy		233.610	234.225	229.092	3.5	-1.9	-2.2
Energy services		241.511	242.116	235.534	4.4	-2.5	-2.7
Electricity		273.848	274.754	265.437	5.4	-3.1	-3.4
Utility (piped) gas service		160.661	160.602	160.103	1.1	-0.3	-0.3
Household furnishings and operations		129.359		130.229	-0.9	0.7
Apparel		168.631		157.518	-3.2	-6.6
Transportation		271.436		272.378	1.6	0.3
Private transportation		284.085		282.265	0.8	-0.6
New and used motor vehicles(3)		126.372		126.374	-1.0	0.0
New vehicles(1)		227.225		227.127	-1.0	0.0
Used cars and trucks(1)		391.323		395.784	-2.4	1.1
Motor fuel		305.162	302.106	294.556	-6.9	-3.5	-2.5
Gasoline (all types)		300.796	297.787	290.341	-6.8	-3.5	-2.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		292.284	289.303	281.730	-7.1	-3.6	-2.6
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		317.234	314.536	308.133	-5.3	-2.9	-2.0
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		333.795	330.814	324.809	-4.9	-2.7	-1.8
Medical care		533.869		532.563	2.5	-0.2
Recreation(3)		135.825		136.765	7.1	0.7
Education and communication(3)		169.241		168.831	1.4	-0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		1,706.679		1,707.100	2.2	0.0
Other goods and services		528.255		524.837	3.5	-0.6
Commodity and service group
Commodities		214.311		212.927	-0.2	-0.6
Commodities less food and beverages		167.200		165.148	-2.3	-1.2
Nondurables less food and beverages		222.238		215.468	-2.8	-3.0
Durables		117.030		117.822	-1.8	0.7
Services		410.221		410.367	4.3	0.0
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		283.937		283.429	2.3	-0.2
All items less medical care		307.259		306.652	2.7	-0.2
Commodities less food		169.556		167.721	-2.0	-1.1
Nondurables		265.809		262.653	0.5	-1.2
Nondurables less food		221.834		216.074	-2.2	-2.6
Services less rent of shelter(2)		436.865		438.653	5.5	0.4
Services less medical care services		397.739		397.634	4.3	0.0
Energy		272.398	271.510	265.173	-1.5	-2.7	-2.3
All items less energy		325.049		324.848	2.9	-0.1
All items less food and energy		327.040		326.758	3.0	-0.1
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.