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News Release Information

21-7-CHI
Wednesday, January 13, 2021

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

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

Area prices were down 0.2 percent over the past month, up 0.9 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), were down 0.2 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the food index decreased 0.2 percent, and the energy index rose 2.3 percent in December. The all items less food and energy index declined 0.3 percent in December. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were lower for apparel, recreation, and medical care. (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 0.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices rose 5.0 percent. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.6 percent over the year. Energy prices declined 5.4 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices decreased 0.2 percent for the month of December. Prices for food at home (groceries) fell 0.3 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were unchanged for the same period. Within the food at home group, indexes were lower in December for snacks, chicken, and other meats. In contrast, the indexes for uncooked beef steaks and fresh fish and seafood were higher.

Over the year, food prices rose 5.0 percent. Prices for food at home increased 5.1 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home were up 5.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 2.3 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher gasoline prices (5.2 percent). The indexes for both electricity and utility (piped) gas service were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices declined 5.4 percent over the year, largely due to lower gasoline prices (-13.3 percent). Prices paid for utility (piped) gas service rose 6.3 percent, and electricity prices increased by 0.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy declined 0.3 percent in December. Lower prices for apparel (-4.3 percent), recreation (-1.1 percent), and medical care (-0.2 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for shelter (0.1 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 0.6 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.2 percent) and medical care (1.3 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in apparel (-6.6 percent) and recreation (-2.6 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

0.60.60.42.10.41.60.21.40.61.4

October

0.10.8-0.41.60.02.00.31.8-0.11.0

November

0.21.50.41.8-0.61.0-0.22.2-0.40.8

December

-0.21.9-0.41.7-0.31.1-0.22.2-0.20.9

The January 2021 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on December 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 December 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 measures 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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 individuals with sensory impairments 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-
Oct.
2020
Nov.
2020
Dec.
2020
Dec.
2019
Oct.
2020
Nov.
2020

Expenditure category

All items

245.584244.610244.2350.9-0.5-0.2

All items (1967=100)

733.702730.793729.673---

Food and beverages

267.388266.030265.5904.9-0.7-0.2

Food

267.191265.872265.4595.0-0.6-0.2

Food at home

249.711247.872247.2265.1-1.0-0.3

Cereals and bakery products

278.091282.144277.3675.1-0.3-1.7

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

271.539264.009267.3264.7-1.61.3

Dairy and related products

227.190223.495224.8764.2-1.00.6

Fruits and vegetables

319.439311.481314.0423.5-1.70.8

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

212.689207.389207.2457.4-2.6-0.1

Other food at home

197.440202.243198.2025.70.4-2.0

Food away from home

285.745285.191285.1145.0-0.20.0

Alcoholic beverages

268.463266.612265.8353.3-1.0-0.3

Housing

259.397259.836260.0982.10.30.1

Shelter

330.736331.084331.5602.20.20.1

Rent of primary residence(2)

352.532353.426354.0012.50.40.2

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

341.384341.471342.1762.60.20.2

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

341.384341.471342.1762.60.20.2

Fuels and utilities

208.616209.973209.9722.40.60.0

Household energy

160.283161.385161.3842.60.70.0

Energy services(2)

163.554164.667164.6532.60.70.0

Electricity(2)

162.521162.456162.4310.4-0.10.0

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

151.691154.469154.4716.31.80.0

Household furnishings and operations

89.89590.08589.9551.30.1-0.1

Apparel

83.84181.13677.675-6.6-7.4-4.3

Transportation

178.934176.361176.894-3.7-1.10.3

Private transportation

178.154176.225178.651-1.80.31.4

New and used motor vehicles(4)

99.78598.50598.9133.1-0.90.4

New vehicles(1)

172.982170.772174.468-0.20.92.2

Used cars and trucks(1)

298.183293.494289.81310.3-2.8-1.3

Motor fuel

198.770192.102202.109-13.31.75.2

Gasoline (all types)

196.807190.070200.005-13.31.65.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

188.674181.966191.939-13.51.75.5

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

221.644216.161224.519-12.31.33.9

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

225.860220.566227.023-11.50.52.9

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

499.604500.055500.010-8.70.10.0

Medical care

536.920534.148533.0281.3-0.7-0.2

Recreation(4)

114.955114.720113.473-2.6-1.3-1.1

Education and communication(4)

141.932141.352141.366-0.8-0.40.0

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,218.9611,218.9611,218.5951.10.00.0

Other goods and services

406.931406.016404.6350.6-0.6-0.3

Commodity and service group

All items

245.584244.610244.2350.9-0.5-0.2

Commodities

169.799168.108168.2080.6-0.90.1

Commodities less food and beverages

123.147121.448121.736-2.5-1.10.2

Nondurables less food and beverages

161.697158.862158.107-6.3-2.2-0.5

Durables

86.53785.71586.6152.10.11.0

Services

317.686317.552316.6701.0-0.3-0.3

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

233.053232.160231.8180.8-0.5-0.1

All items less shelter

216.759215.352214.6980.2-1.0-0.3

Commodities less food

128.039126.320126.584-2.2-1.10.2

Nondurables

214.038211.872211.2580.1-1.3-0.3

Nondurables less food

168.506165.724164.966-5.4-2.1-0.5

Services less rent of shelter(3)

319.935319.280316.882-0.2-1.0-0.8

Services less medical care services

300.509300.534299.6530.8-0.3-0.3

Energy

174.696172.686176.684-5.41.12.3

All items less energy

254.208253.314252.5561.3-0.6-0.3

All items less food and energy

252.736251.917251.0940.6-0.6-0.3

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: Wednesday, January 13, 2021