Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

20-234-CHI
Thursday, February 13, 2020

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

Consumer Price Index, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — January 2020

Local prices up 2.6 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area increased 0.9 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that the index for food was up 0.7 percent and the energy index increased 2.0 percent over the month. The all items less food and energy index rose 0.9 percent in January. Within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher over the month for apparel and shelter. (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 2.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Over the year, the all items less food and energy index rose 2.3 percent, while the energy and food indexes were up 8.9 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.7 percent in January. 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) rose 0.3 percent. Within the food at home group, indexes were higher in January for other fresh vegetables; carbonated drinks; and spices, seasonings, condiments, sauces.

From January 2019 to January 2020, the food index increased 1.3 percent. Over the year, grocery prices were essentially unchanged, up 0.1 percent, and costs for food away from home were up 2.7 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 2.0 percent in January. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for electricity (+2.8 percent), gasoline (+1.7 percent), and utility (piped) gas service (+1.6 percent).

Over the year, the Chicago area energy index rose 8.9 percent. From January 2019 to January 2020, gasoline prices were up 21.0 percent and the electricity index increased 1.7 percent. Utility (piped) gas service costs were 8.2 percent lower over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was up 0.9 percent in January. Among the index’s components, prices were higher over the month for apparel (8.0 percent) and shelter (0.6 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.3 percent. A contributing factor was an increase in the index for shelter (2.7 percent).

Table A. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20162017201820192020
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.80.90.71.80.81.80.60.80.92.6

February

-0.20.70.12.20.01.60.61.4

March

0.10.2-0.12.00.01.80.11.5

April

0.60.70.41.70.72.1-0.10.8

May

0.00.30.21.80.42.30.81.2

June

0.50.70.01.3-0.22.2-0.41.0

July

-0.8-0.10.02.2-0.31.90.31.6

August

0.2-0.20.32.30.11.70.21.6

September

0.60.60.42.10.41.60.21.4

October

0.10.8-0.41.60.02.00.31.8

November

0.21.50.41.8-0.61.0-0.22.2

December

-0.21.9-0.41.7-0.31.1-0.22.2

The February 2020 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.


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-
Nov.
2019
Dec.
2019
Jan.
2020
Jan.
2019
Nov.
2019
Dec.
2019

Expenditure category

All items

242.661242.079244.3612.60.70.9

All items (1967=100)

724.971723.231730.049---

Food and beverages

253.866253.181255.0041.20.40.7

Food

253.398252.756254.5361.30.40.7

Food at home

236.422235.284237.7180.10.51.0

Cereals and bakery products

264.576263.842267.4321.11.11.4

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

249.628255.223255.9282.02.50.3

Dairy and related products

214.825215.887210.087-0.3-2.2-2.7

Fruits and vegetables

310.262303.330315.885-2.01.84.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

191.853192.913194.3551.21.30.7

Other food at home

191.433187.435189.030-0.4-1.30.9

Food away from home

271.631271.631272.4452.70.30.3

Alcoholic beverages

258.646257.280259.6530.20.40.9

Housing

254.463254.717256.6611.90.90.8

Shelter

323.795324.498326.4182.70.80.6

Rent of primary residence(2)

343.813345.458346.4492.80.80.3

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

331.919333.408334.7052.90.80.4

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

331.919333.408334.7052.90.80.4

Fuels and utilities

205.519205.019208.691-0.71.51.8

Household energy

157.713157.354160.960-2.32.12.3

Energy services(2)

160.732160.452164.169-2.32.12.3

Electricity(2)

161.761161.795166.2771.72.82.8

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

146.011145.303147.574-8.21.11.6

Household furnishings and operations

89.31488.79189.797-1.50.51.1

Apparel

87.00583.12089.7767.63.28.0

Transportation

185.390183.736185.8274.30.21.1

Private transportation

182.213181.875183.1755.00.50.7

New and used motor vehicles(4)

95.54095.95395.571-1.20.0-0.4

New vehicles(1)

173.304174.883172.503-1.4-0.5-1.4

Used cars and trucks(1)

263.534262.771260.898-1.6-1.0-0.7

Motor fuel

236.368233.130237.02420.90.31.7

Gasoline (all types)

233.859230.624234.53821.00.31.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

224.959221.800225.70321.60.31.8

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

260.304256.058260.02418.2-0.11.5

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

259.097256.586259.16715.70.01.0

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

547.509547.509542.238-2.2-1.0-1.0

Medical care

525.046526.094----

Recreation(4)

116.093116.495116.4322.80.3-0.1

Education and communication(4)

142.240142.568143.2231.00.70.5

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,204.5791,205.7341,205.7342.50.10.0

Other goods and services

406.353402.228400.7662.5-1.4-0.4

Commodity and service group

All items

242.661242.079244.3612.60.70.9

Commodities

168.199167.145168.7452.20.31.0

Commodities less food and beverages

125.945124.851126.2642.80.31.1

Nondurables less food and beverages

171.035168.669172.0316.40.62.0

Durables

84.95184.82184.885-1.8-0.10.1

Services

313.519313.407316.3362.80.90.9

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

230.531229.876232.0262.40.60.9

All items less shelter

215.200214.166216.5612.50.61.1

Commodities less food

130.546129.430130.8802.70.31.1

Nondurables

212.677211.009213.6793.50.51.3

Nondurables less food

176.749174.403177.7136.00.51.9

Services less rent of shelter(3)

318.473317.475321.6212.91.01.3

Services less medical care services

297.505297.246299.8412.30.80.9

Energy

188.275186.689190.3888.91.12.0

All items less energy

249.816249.323251.5062.20.70.9

All items less food and energy

250.035249.565251.8272.30.70.9

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, February 13, 2020