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News Release Information

19-379-CHI
Tuesday, March 12, 2019

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

Consumer Price Index, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — February 2019

Local prices rose 1.4 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area increased 0.6 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that food prices rose 0.5 percent and the energy index increased 3.4 percent in February. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.4 percent over the month. Within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher for apparel and shelter 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 1.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Over the year, the energy index fell 5.1 percent. The decline in the energy index was primarily due to lower gasoline prices. The food index and the all items less food and energy index rose 2.3 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively, over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.5 percent in February. Of the two components within the food index, prices for food at home (groceries) increased 1.0 percent, while prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) edged down 0.1 percent. Within the food at home group, indexes were higher in February for potatoes, carbonated drinks, and chicken, while lower for tomatoes.

From February 2018 to February 2019, the food index increased 2.3 percent. Over the year, grocery prices increased 1.6 percent, while costs for food away from home rose 3.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 3.4 percent in February. During the same period, gasoline prices rose 8.8 percent. In February, electricity costs were unchanged, while utility (piped) gas service costs fell 4.1 percent.

Over the year, the Chicago area energy index fell 5.1 percent. From February 2018 to February 2019, gasoline prices and electricity prices fell 10.0 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. Utility (piped) gas service costs increased 1.2 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in February. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for apparel (6.0 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent. Increases in the indexes for shelter (2.9 percent) and medical care (2.5 percent) over the year were contributing factors.

Table A. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.20.40.80.90.71.80.81.80.60.8

February

0.0-0.2-0.20.70.12.20.01.60.61.4

March

0.7-0.60.10.2-0.12.00.01.8

April

0.1-0.90.60.70.41.70.72.1

May

0.3-0.50.00.30.21.80.42.3

June

0.2-0.70.50.70.01.3-0.22.2

July

-0.1-0.5-0.8-0.10.02.2-0.31.9

August

0.4-0.10.2-0.20.32.30.11.7

September

-0.3-0.40.60.60.42.10.41.6

October

-0.1-0.20.10.8-0.41.60.02.0

November

-0.40.20.21.50.41.8-0.61.0

December

-0.60.0-0.21.9-0.41.7-0.31.1

The March 2019 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.


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, IL-IN-WI, 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

IndexesPercent change from-
Dec.
2018
Jan.
2019
Feb.
2019
Feb.
2018
Dec.
2018
Jan.
2019

Expenditure category

All items

236.796238.218239.6691.41.20.6

All items (1967=100)

707.446711.695716.030---

Food and beverages

249.765251.866253.0942.11.30.5

Food

248.944251.246252.4242.31.40.5

Food at home

233.684237.538239.7951.62.61.0

Cereals and bakery products

259.640264.429266.2733.32.60.7

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

249.942251.028256.4871.22.62.2

Dairy and related products

208.431210.614213.3623.82.41.3

Fruits and vegetables

311.582322.427323.3451.13.80.3

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

188.709191.976196.8623.24.32.5

Other food at home

187.363189.714189.4990.01.1-0.1

Food away from home

265.049265.341265.1293.00.0-0.1

Alcoholic beverages

260.212259.089261.104-0.30.30.8

Housing

250.166251.759251.9672.70.70.1

Shelter

316.087317.912318.5362.90.80.2

Rent of primary residence(2)

336.495337.168337.0252.70.20.0

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

324.089325.159325.3733.70.40.1

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

324.089325.159325.3733.70.40.1

Fuels and utilities

208.655210.178207.5561.9-0.5-1.2

Household energy

163.350164.738162.0380.4-0.8-1.6

Energy services(2)

166.612168.039165.2090.4-0.8-1.7

Electricity(2)

157.902163.447163.432-0.23.50.0

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

165.432160.810154.1601.2-6.8-4.1

Household furnishings and operations

90.26291.21091.6931.61.60.5

Apparel

81.19783.44788.4462.08.96.0

Transportation

178.453178.081181.862-1.21.92.1

Private transportation

174.985174.388178.381-1.11.92.3

New and used motor vehicles(4)

95.45996.74297.2921.81.90.6

New vehicles(1)

172.484174.875176.0231.92.10.7

Used cars and trucks(1)

263.530265.184266.2410.31.00.4

Motor fuel

204.212196.029213.190-9.94.48.8

Gasoline (all types)

201.810193.754210.828-10.04.58.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

193.675185.562202.427-10.04.59.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

227.201219.979237.395-9.24.57.9

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

228.621224.022237.378-8.93.86.0

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

554.435554.435554.4353.40.00.0

Medical care

505.970510.187509.6012.50.7-0.1

Recreation(4)

111.485113.224113.046-1.11.4-0.2

Education and communication(4)

141.704141.771142.033-0.80.20.2

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,175.3481,176.2161,175.261-0.70.0-0.1

Other goods and services

392.895390.962393.9860.90.30.8

Commodity and service group

All items

236.796238.218239.6691.41.20.6

Commodities

163.869165.178167.3230.42.11.3

Commodities less food and beverages

121.885122.823125.104-0.72.61.9

Nondurables less food and beverages

161.024161.638167.176-1.63.83.4

Durables

85.31186.39786.2560.61.1-0.2

Services

306.200307.719308.4692.00.70.2

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

225.239226.540228.0821.31.30.7

All items less shelter

209.956211.243212.9880.61.40.8

Commodities less food

126.534127.445129.757-0.72.51.8

Nondurables

205.078206.378210.1120.42.51.8

Nondurables less food

167.153167.695173.133-1.53.63.2

Services less rent of shelter(3)

311.455312.706313.5820.90.70.3

Services less medical care services

291.620293.018293.8422.00.80.3

Energy

177.589174.844180.717-5.11.83.4

All items less energy

244.358246.186247.2301.91.20.4

All items less food and energy

244.397246.154247.1801.91.10.4

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: Tuesday, March 12, 2019