An official website of the United States government
24-2139-PHI
Thursday, October 10, 2024
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.)
FoodFood 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.
EnergyThe 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 energyIn 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.
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.
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.
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 | |
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 |
Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024