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errata

BLS identified errors in average price data for natural gas for Chicago from May 2018–July 2018. For more information on errors and correction plans, please visit: https://www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-errata-08082018.htm

News Release Information

18-1147-CHI
Thursday, July 12, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Consumer Price Index, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — June 2018

Local prices rose 2.2 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area fell 0.2 percent in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that the energy index decreased 1.0 percent while food prices rose 0.5 percent in June. The all items less food and energy index declined 0.2 percent over the month. Within the all items less food and energy category, prices were lower for recreation and apparel. The shelter index rose over the month. (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 Chicago area all items CPI-U increased 2.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Over the year, the energy index rose 11.0 percent. The rise in the energy index was primarily due to higher gasoline prices. Both the food index and the all items less food and energy index were up 1.6 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

  Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, June 2015-June 2018
Food

Food prices increased 0.5 percent in June. The food at home index (groceries) rose 0.5 percent, while the food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) index increased 0.6 percent. Within the food at home group, indexes were higher in June for uncooked beef steaks; other pork including roasts and picnics; and citrus fruits. Prices were lower for eggs and bacon, breakfast sausage and related products.

From June 2017 to June 2018, the food index increased 1.6 percent. Over the year, costs for food away from home rose 3.6 percent, while grocery prices were 0.1 percent lower.

Energy

The energy index declined 1.0 percent in June, primarily due to a 2.2-percent decrease in gasoline prices. Utility (piped) gas service costs fell 2.2 percent and electricity costs increased 2.5 percent in June.

Over the year, the Chicago area energy index rose 11.0 percent. From June 2017 to June 2018, gasoline prices rose 26.8 percent. The utility (piped) gas service index and the electricity index declined 7.7 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy declined 0.2 percent in June. Among the index’s components, prices were lower for recreation (-1.1 percent) and apparel (-1.6 percent) but higher for shelter (0.3 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 1.6 percent. A 4.0-percent increase in the index for owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence was the major contributing factor.
Table A. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month

January

0.9 1.2 -0.2 0.4 0.8 0.9 0.7 1.8 0.8 1.8

February

0.5 0.7 0.0 -0.2 -0.2 0.7 0.1 2.2 0.0 1.6

March

1.1 1.9 0.7 -0.6 0.1 0.2 -0.1 2.0 0.0 1.8

April

0.5 2.4 0.1 -0.9 0.6 0.7 0.4 1.7 0.7 2.1

May

-0.1 1.8 0.3 -0.5 0.0 0.3 0.2 1.8 0.4 2.3

June

0.4 2.0 0.2 -0.7 0.5 0.7 0.0 1.3 -0.2 2.2

July

-0.4 1.9 -0.1 -0.5 -0.8 -0.1 0.0 2.2

August

0.1 1.9 0.4 -0.1 0.2 -0.2 0.3 2.3

September

0.0 2.1 -0.3 -0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 2.1

October

-0.4 2.0 -0.1 -0.2 0.1 0.8 -0.4 1.6

November

-0.8 1.6 -0.4 0.2 0.2 1.5 0.4 1.8

December

-0.4 1.5 -0.6 0.0 -0.2 1.9 -0.4 1.7

The July 2018 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is scheduled to be released on Friday, August 10, 2018.

BLS identified errors in average price data for natural gas for Chicago from May 2018–July 2018. For more information on errors and correction plans, please visit: https://www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-errata-08082018.htm


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 Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter Counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

Indexes Percent change from-
Apr.
2018
May
2018
Jun.
2018
Jun.
2017
Apr.
2018
May
2018

Expenditure category

All items

237.940 238.910 238.540 2.2 0.3 -0.2

All items (1967=100)

710.864 713.762 712.659 - - -

Food and beverages

247.299 247.201 248.382 1.8 0.4 0.5

Food

246.231 246.349 247.656 1.6 0.6 0.5

Food at home

234.813 232.597 233.784 -0.1 -0.4 0.5

Cereals and bakery products

262.073 258.122 260.217 - -0.7 0.8

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

255.205 251.629 252.219 - -1.2 0.2

Dairy and related products

212.746 207.717 209.139 - -1.7 0.7

Fruits and vegetables

301.709 303.282 305.245 - 1.2 0.6

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

189.862 186.289 187.684 - -1.1 0.7

Other food at home

189.662 188.707 189.310 - -0.2 0.3

Food away from home

257.476 260.567 262.010 3.6 1.8 0.6

Alcoholic beverages

261.701 258.163 257.328 3.9 -1.7 -0.3

Housing

246.937 248.217 248.791 2.2 0.8 0.2

Shelter

311.516 313.371 314.264 3.2 0.9 0.3

Rent of primary residence(2)

329.294 329.299 329.996 2.9 0.2 0.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)

316.604 317.477 318.995 4.0 0.8 0.5

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)(3)

316.604 317.477 318.995 4.0 0.8 0.5

Fuels and utilities

202.511 205.145 206.397 -1.9 1.9 0.6

Household energy

158.886 160.711 161.590 -3.3 1.7 0.5

Energy services(2)

162.010 163.875 164.780 -3.4 1.7 0.6

Electricity(2)

157.335 158.295 162.181 -0.4 3.1 2.5

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

155.684 158.703 155.243 -7.7 -0.3 -2.2

Household furnishings and operations

91.920 91.061 90.494 -2.3 -1.6 -0.6

Apparel

89.128 83.216 81.882 -1.2 -8.1 -1.6

Transportation

188.765 192.761 189.782 5.2 0.5 -1.5

Private transportation

185.010 188.742 186.858 5.7 1.0 -1.0

New and used motor vehicles(4)

95.627 95.496 94.864 - -0.8 -0.7

New vehicles(1)

172.594 171.135 170.326 - -1.3 -0.5

Used cars and trucks(1)

268.349 266.244 266.633 - -0.6 0.1

Motor fuel

256.938 277.250 271.228 26.8 5.6 -2.2

Gasoline (all types)

254.381 274.555 268.535 26.8 5.6 -2.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

245.126 264.978 259.065 27.9 5.7 -2.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

280.665 300.597 294.440 22.2 4.9 -2.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

277.286 294.909 289.615 21.0 4.4 -1.8

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

537.131 532.316 534.835 - -0.4 0.5

Medical care

499.220 504.205 507.411 2.7 1.6 0.6

Recreation(4)

112.911 112.227 110.982 -1.1 -1.7 -1.1

Education and communication(4)

143.655 143.566 143.375 0.6 -0.2 -0.1

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,184.870 1,184.870 1,184.938 - 0.0 0.0

Other goods and services

390.309 394.393 393.863 2.3 0.9 -0.1

Commodity and service group

All items

237.940 238.910 238.540 2.2 0.3 -0.2

Commodities

168.517 168.856 168.380 2.4 -0.1 -0.3

Commodities less food and beverages

128.549 129.008 128.013 2.8 -0.4 -0.8

Nondurables less food and beverages

175.689 177.888 176.756 8.5 0.6 -0.6

Durables

85.939 85.162 84.341 -4.5 -1.9 -1.0

Services

303.876 305.458 305.198 2.1 0.4 -0.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

226.731 227.525 226.999 2.1 0.1 -0.2

All items less shelter

213.099 213.764 212.952 1.7 -0.1 -0.4

Commodities less food

133.200 133.586 132.580 2.9 -0.5 -0.8

Nondurables

212.389 213.609 213.491 4.7 0.5 -0.1

Nondurables less food

181.380 183.345 182.215 8.2 0.5 -0.6

Services less rent of shelter(3)

311.456 312.808 311.288 0.9 -0.1 -0.5

Services less medical care services

289.384 291.039 290.662 2.3 0.4 -0.1

Energy

197.745 207.460 205.363 11.0 3.9 -1.0

All items less energy

243.712 243.862 243.653 1.6 0.0 -0.1

All items less food and energy

244.083 244.239 243.784 1.6 -0.1 -0.2

Footnotes
(1) Index on a December 1977=100 base.
(2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(3) Index on a December 1982=100 base.
(4) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(5) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(6) Index on a December 1993=100 base.

- Data not available.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, July 12, 2018