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News Release Information

20-1651-CHI
Friday, September 11, 2020

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

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

Area prices were up 0.1 percent over the past month, up 1.0 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged up 0.1 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  Acting Regional Commissioner Bryan Droste noted that the August increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and used cars and trucks. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 1.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.)  The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.6 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.7 percent. Energy prices decreased 9.6 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices declined 0.7 percent for the month of August. Prices for food at home (groceries) decreased 1.9 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 1.0 percent for the same period. Within the food at home group, indexes were lower in August for other uncooked beef steaks, uncooked beef roasts, and pork chops, but higher for milk and coffee.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.7 percent. Prices for food at home increased 4.0 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home advanced 0.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index was unchanged over the month. Higher electricity costs (1.0 percent) were offset by lower prices for gasoline (-0.6 percent), while prices for utility (piped) gas service were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices decreased 9.6 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-17.7 percent). Prices paid for electricity advanced 0.6 percent, while prices for utility (piped) gas service decreased 2.5 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent in August. Higher prices for shelter (0.3 percent) and used cars and trucks (5.8 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for medical care (-0.2 percent) and new vehicles (-1.0 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.6 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.4 percent), medical care (3.9 percent), and new and used motor vehicles (2.9 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in apparel (-8.8 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

-0.20.70.12.20.01.60.61.40.02.0

March

0.10.2-0.12.00.01.80.11.5-0.71.1

April

0.60.70.41.70.72.1-0.10.8-0.90.3

May

0.00.30.21.80.42.30.81.21.00.4

June

0.50.70.01.3-0.22.2-0.41.00.31.1

July

-0.8-0.10.02.2-0.31.90.31.60.21.0

August

0.2-0.20.32.30.11.70.21.60.11.0

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 September 2020 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on August 2020 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in August was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed.

While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.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 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-
Jun.
2020
Jul.
2020
Aug.
2020
Aug.
2019
Jun.
2020
Jul.
2020

Expenditure category

All items

243.475244.046244.3411.00.40.1

All items (1967=100)

727.403729.109729.989---

Food and beverages

261.380261.891260.4992.6-0.3-0.5

Food

261.520261.601259.8722.7-0.6-0.7

Food at home

252.216251.201246.4354.0-2.3-1.9

Cereals and bakery products

274.718277.926275.5873.30.3-0.8

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

292.447279.904263.8843.9-9.8-5.7

Dairy and related products

226.689228.118233.67510.83.12.4

Fruits and vegetables

309.179312.591308.0781.4-0.4-1.4

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

209.277207.069206.2314.1-1.5-0.4

Other food at home

198.971201.867198.8183.7-0.1-1.5

Food away from home

268.653270.282272.8820.91.61.0

Alcoholic beverages

258.135264.204267.1632.33.51.1

Housing

258.871258.864259.5492.10.30.3

Shelter

329.276329.702330.6422.40.40.3

Rent of primary residence(2)

349.214350.090350.6732.60.40.2

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

338.897339.121340.7443.20.50.5

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

338.897339.121340.7443.20.50.5

Fuels and utilities

207.978208.234209.2380.00.60.5

Household energy

159.803159.964160.986-0.70.70.6

Energy services(2)

163.074163.230164.263-0.60.70.6

Electricity(2)

164.248165.959167.5900.62.01.0

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

147.961145.788145.844-2.5-1.40.0

Household furnishings and operations

91.52290.46390.3652.3-1.3-0.1

Apparel

78.29479.52479.850-8.82.00.4

Transportation

177.140178.567179.927-3.91.60.8

Private transportation

177.537179.789180.116-2.41.50.2

New and used motor vehicles(4)

97.17198.47798.5312.91.40.1

New vehicles(1)

174.527174.836173.1241.6-0.8-1.0

Used cars and trucks(1)

262.946272.236288.1063.79.65.8

Motor fuel

206.698209.208207.903-17.80.6-0.6

Gasoline (all types)

204.664207.227205.960-17.70.6-0.6

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

196.418198.893197.638-17.90.6-0.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

229.581232.457231.165-17.00.7-0.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

232.306234.981234.048-15.30.7-0.4

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

527.832540.884540.8841.52.50.0

Medical care

534.562536.764535.7863.90.2-0.2

Recreation(4)

113.634114.416114.5361.80.80.1

Education and communication(4)

141.326141.495141.498-0.10.10.0

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,214.8931,217.3761,216.7742.30.20.0

Other goods and services

413.408409.841409.3070.6-1.0-0.1

Commodity and service group

All items

243.475244.046244.3411.00.40.1

Commodities

167.392167.969167.792-0.90.2-0.1

Commodities less food and beverages

122.203122.765123.040-3.40.70.2

Nondurables less food and beverages

161.149162.277162.400-7.80.80.1

Durables

85.44885.60385.9432.70.60.4

Services

316.008316.546317.3482.00.40.3

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

230.947231.444231.8000.70.40.2

All items less shelter

214.443215.060215.1410.30.30.0

Commodities less food

126.846127.554127.900-3.10.80.3

Nondurables

210.883211.731211.134-2.10.1-0.3

Nondurables less food

167.369168.797169.091-7.01.00.2

Services less rent of shelter(3)

317.824318.504319.3181.60.50.3

Services less medical care services

299.073299.467300.3871.50.40.3

Energy

177.580178.678178.764-9.60.70.0

All items less energy

251.645252.176252.4921.70.30.1

All items less food and energy

250.728251.342252.0291.60.50.3

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: Friday, September 11, 2020