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News Release Information

18-762-CHI
Thursday, May 10, 2018

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

Consumer Price Index, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn — April 2018

Local prices up 2.3 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area rose 0.9 percent from February to April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that the food index rose 0.3 percent and energy index was up 2.8 percent over the bi-monthly period. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.8 percent from February to April. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher for shelter and household furnishings and operations. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the past 12 months, the Detroit all items CPI-U increased 2.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The food index and the energy index rose 0.7 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, from April 2017 to April 2018. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent over the year. (See table 1.)
  Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, April 2015-April 2018
Food

Food prices increased 0.3 percent from February to April. Of the two components within the food index, prices for food at home (groceries) rose 0.6 percent, while prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were unchanged over the bi-monthly period.

Over the year, food prices in the Detroit area were up 0.7 percent. Prices for groceries fell 0.7 percent, while food away from home prices rose 2.9 percent from April 2017.

Energy

The energy index for Detroit was 2.8 percent higher from February to April, primarily due to gasoline prices rising 6.7 percent. Electricity costs increased 0.5 percent, while utility (piped) gas service costs fell 3.2 percent during the same period.

From April 2017 to April 2018, overall energy prices rose 4.6 percent. Gasoline prices increased 8.2 percent over the year. Electricity costs increased 2.2 percent, while utility (piped) gas service costs declined 3.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.8 percent from February to April. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for shelter (1.4 percent) and household furnishings and operations (2.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent. Increases in the indexes for shelter (4.0 percent) and other goods and services (7.2 percent) were major contributing factors.
Table A. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month

February

1.1 0.7 -0.7 -1.8 0.3 0.9 0.9 3.0 0.3 2.1

April

1.3 2.0 1.2 -1.9 1.4 1.1 0.7 2.3 0.9 2.3

June

0.5 1.3 0.0 -2.4 1.2 2.3 0.0 1.1

August

-1.0 1.0 0.6 -0.9 -0.1 1.7 0.1 1.3

October

-0.1 1.0 0.1 -0.7 0.2 1.7 0.9 2.0

December

-1.8 -0.1 -1.2 -0.1 -0.6 2.4 0.1 2.7

The June 2018 Consumer Price Index for Detroit is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 12, 2018.


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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne Counties in Michigan.

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
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

Indexes Percent change from-
Feb.
2018
Mar.
2018
Apr.
2018
Apr.
2017
Feb.
2018
Mar.
2018

Expenditure category

All items

229.715 - 231.784 2.3 0.9 -

All items (1967=100)

682.809 - 688.960 - - -

Food and beverages

224.108 - 224.812 0.8 0.3 -

Food

223.409 - 224.142 0.7 0.3 -

Food at home

209.373 211.592 210.586 -0.7 0.6 -0.5

Cereals and bakery products

255.487 - 261.580 - 2.4 -

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

218.664 - 222.045 - 1.5 -

Dairy and related products

166.084 - 162.841 - -2.0 -

Fruits and vegetables

227.739 - 229.170 - 0.6 -

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

199.005 - 199.548 - 0.3 -

Other food at home

190.780 - 190.414 - -0.2 -

Food away from home

245.947 - 246.014 2.9 0.0 -

Alcoholic beverages

227.451 - 227.754 1.9 0.1 -

Housing

215.576 - 218.171 3.3 1.2 -

Shelter

246.961 249.246 250.310 4.0 1.4 0.4

Rent of primary residence(2)

252.758 253.935 253.694 2.9 0.4 -0.1

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

246.272 248.157 247.866 3.6 0.6 -0.1

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

246.272 248.157 247.866 3.6 0.6 -0.1

Fuels and utilities

249.800 - 247.947 1.3 -0.7 -

Household energy

192.787 192.654 190.881 1.1 -1.0 -0.9

Energy services(2)

193.987 194.034 192.010 -0.2 -1.0 -1.0

Electricity(2)

227.946 228.029 229.089 2.2 0.5 0.5

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

146.311 146.322 141.590 -3.3 -3.2 -3.2

Household furnishings and operations

116.345 - 119.116 1.1 2.4 -

Apparel

119.147 - 119.099 -1.0 0.0 -

Transportation

235.052 - 238.713 2.4 1.6 -

Private transportation

235.792 - 239.358 3.1 1.5 -

New and used motor vehicles(4)

103.772 - 103.741 - 0.0 -

New vehicles(1)

200.445 - 201.352 - 0.5 -

Used cars and trucks(1)

286.294 - 289.433 - 1.1 -

Motor fuel

229.183 231.112 244.095 8.2 6.5 5.6

Gasoline (all types)

227.568 229.692 242.761 8.2 6.7 5.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

228.523 230.706 244.291 8.3 6.9 5.9

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

269.741 270.579 282.856 6.2 4.9 4.5

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

241.139 243.664 253.259 6.7 5.0 3.9

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

1,810.889 - 1,807.449 - -0.2 -

Medical care

442.547 - 441.830 1.8 -0.2 -

Recreation(4)

117.332 - 118.701 -0.4 1.2 -

Education and communication(4)

142.243 - 141.613 2.0 -0.4 -

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,256.804 - 1,252.806 - -0.3 -

Other goods and services

419.863 - 430.484 7.2 2.5 -

Commodity and service group

All items

229.715 - 231.784 2.3 0.9 -

Commodities

176.000 - 178.125 1.7 1.2 -

Commodities less food and beverages

150.955 - 153.667 2.2 1.8 -

Nondurables less food and beverages

186.849 - 190.665 3.8 2.0 -

Durables

110.628 - 112.152 -0.4 1.4 -

Services

284.680 - 286.745 2.7 0.7 -

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

221.060 - 223.286 2.4 1.0 -

All items less shelter

226.069 - 227.652 1.6 0.7 -

Commodities less food

153.768 - 156.418 2.2 1.7 -

Nondurables

205.575 - 207.958 2.3 1.2 -

Nondurables less food

189.567 - 193.193 3.7 1.9 -

Services less rent of shelter(3)

339.347 - 339.820 1.7 0.1 -

Services less medical care services

274.774 - 277.110 2.9 0.9 -

Energy

212.886 213.728 218.918 4.6 2.8 2.4

All items less energy

234.226 - 235.945 2.2 0.7 -

All items less food and energy

236.782 - 238.685 2.4 0.8 -

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, May 10, 2018