Gasoline prices averaged $3.223 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in May 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were up $1.057 compared to May 2020, when they averaged $2.166 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 14.6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2021, lower than the 15.0 cents paid in May 2020. In May, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was $1.068 per therm, more than its average price of 75.3 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $3.223 per gallon Chicago households paid for gasoline in May 2021 was 18.2 cents higher than the nationwide average of $3.041. In the previous four years in May (2017-2020), Chicago area gasoline prices were higher than the national average, ranging from 9.0 cents to 22.0 cents more. (See chart 1.)

The 14.6 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in May 2021 was higher than the national average cost of 14.0 cents per kWh. In Chicago, average electricity costs were higher than the national average in the previous four years (2017-2020) in May, ranging from 9.5 percent to 18.4 percent more. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.068 per therm in May 2021, 11.1 percent less than the national average of $1.201 per therm. In each of the previous four years (2017-2020) in May, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 15.5 percent to 27.4 percent less. (See chart 3.)

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, core based statistical area consists 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.

Historical average energy prices for the U.S. and select metropolitan areas are available at www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/averageenergyprices_selectedareas_table.htm.

The Consumer Price Index for June 2021 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.

Technical Note

Average prices are estimated from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for selected commodity series to support the research and analytic needs of CPI data users. Average prices for electricity, utility (piped) gas, and gasoline are published monthly for the U.S. city average, the 4 regions, 9 divisions, 2 population size classes, 8 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 23 largest local index areas.  For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm are published. For gasoline, the average price per gallon is published. Average prices for commonly available grades of gasoline are published as well as the average price across all grades.

All eligible prices are converted to a price per normalized quantity. These prices are then used to estimate a price for a defined fixed quantity. The average price per kilowatt-hour represents the total bill divided by the kilowatt-hour usage. The total bill is the sum of all items applicable to all consumers appearing on an electricity bill including, but not limited to, variable rates per kWh, fixed costs, taxes, surcharges, and credits. This calculation also applies to the average price per therm for utility (piped) gas.

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. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, and the United States, May 2020 – May 2021, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Chicago area	United States	Chicago area	United States	Chicago area	United States
2020
May	$2.166	$1.946	$0.150	$0.134	$0.753	$1.037
June	2.341	2.141	0.143	0.137	0.774	1.037
July	2.370	2.243	0.145	0.137	0.762	1.027
August	2.357	2.245	0.146	0.137	0.763	1.031
September	2.312	2.260	0.142	0.137	0.791	1.064
October	2.253	2.228	0.142	0.135	0.793	1.067
November	2.176	2.159	0.141	0.136	0.808	1.104
December	2.290	2.235	0.141	0.136	0.808	1.114
2021
January	2.472	2.391	0.140	0.136	0.822	1.119
February	2.663	2.559	0.141	0.137	0.832	1.124
March	2.963	2.856	0.148	0.138	0.876	1.144
April	3.072	2.907	0.143	0.139	1.037	1.166
May	3.223	3.041	0.146	0.140	1.068	1.201