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News Release Information

21-1474-CHI
Wednesday, August 11, 2021

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

Consumer Price Index, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — July 2021

Area prices were up 0.4 percent over the past month, up 4.9 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), advanced 0.4 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that food prices were unchanged over the month and energy costs were up 1.3 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in July. Increases in the indexes for shelter, new and used motor vehicles, and apparel contributed to the gain in the all items less food and energy category. (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 rose 4.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.)  The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent over the year. Energy prices jumped 29.6 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. Food prices increased 4.9 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices were unchanged for the month of July.  Prices for food at home (groceries) increased 0.3 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) decreased 0.4 percent for the same period. Within the food at home group, indexes were higher in July for fresh fish and seafood, uncooked beef roasts, and cheese and related products. In contrast, the indexes for other fresh fruits; uncooked beef steaks; and other pork including roasts, steaks, and ribs were lower.

Over the year, food prices increased 4.9 percent. Prices for food away from home jumped 10.8 percent and costs for food at home increased 0.4 percent since a year ago.

Energy

The energy index rose 1.3 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (1.6 percent). Prices for electricity rose 2.9 percent, while prices for utility (piped) gas service decreased 0.9 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 29.6 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (43.6 percent). Prices paid for utility (piped) gas service jumped 44.5 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 1.5 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent in July. Higher prices for shelter (0.7 percent), new and used motor vehicles (1.1 percent), and apparel (2.3 percent) were partially offset by a decline in the medical care index (-0.6 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.9 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (10.5 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a decrease in the medical care index (-1.4 percent).

Table A. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20172018201920202021
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.71.80.81.80.60.80.92.60.70.7

February

0.12.20.01.60.61.40.02.00.61.2

March

-0.12.00.01.80.11.5-0.71.10.62.6

April

0.41.70.72.1-0.10.8-0.90.31.04.6

May

0.21.80.42.30.81.21.00.41.04.7

June

0.01.3-0.22.2-0.41.00.31.10.44.7

July

0.02.2-0.31.90.31.60.21.00.44.9

August

0.32.30.11.70.21.60.11.0

September

0.42.10.41.60.21.40.61.4

October

-0.41.60.02.00.31.8-0.11.0

November

0.41.8-0.61.0-0.22.2-0.40.8

December

-0.41.7-0.31.1-0.22.2-0.20.9

The August 2021 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on July 2021 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 July 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 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-
May
2021
Jun.
2021
Jul.
2021
Jul.
2020
May
2021
Jun.
2021

Expenditure category

All items

253.934254.974255.9294.90.80.4

All items (1967=100)

758.649761.756764.608---

Food and beverages

271.621273.992274.3454.81.00.1

Food

271.860274.439274.4374.90.90.0

Food at home

251.459251.539252.3140.40.30.3

Cereals and bakery products

280.976280.096284.1062.21.11.4

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

272.109276.451281.0290.43.31.7

Dairy and related products

228.192226.946226.935-0.5-0.60.0

Fruits and vegetables

324.171318.730311.374-0.4-3.9-2.3

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

208.845210.524212.2082.51.60.8

Other food at home

200.777200.580201.129-0.40.20.3

Food away from home

294.432300.483299.38310.81.7-0.4

Alcoholic beverages

267.047266.701271.6572.81.71.9

Housing

267.273268.334270.2724.41.10.7

Shelter

335.387337.136339.3282.91.20.7

Rent of primary residence(2)

355.663357.057358.0242.30.70.3

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

345.517346.814348.2542.70.80.4

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

345.517346.814348.2542.70.80.4

Fuels and utilities

233.218234.597236.91313.81.61.0

Household energy

184.985185.719187.80217.41.51.1

Energy services(2)

188.802189.545191.66117.41.51.1

Electricity(2)

168.112163.739168.4141.50.22.9

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

204.171212.479210.60744.53.2-0.9

Household furnishings and operations

96.68995.97396.9357.20.31.0

Apparel

81.90681.43583.3084.81.72.3

Transportation

202.800207.171207.06616.02.1-0.1

Private transportation

201.898206.448208.50016.03.31.0

New and used motor vehicles(4)

105.236107.722108.85910.53.41.1

New vehicles(1)

180.867179.175181.5143.80.41.3

Used cars and trucks(1)

345.471383.377386.79442.112.00.9

Motor fuel

284.351295.598300.21643.55.61.6

Gasoline (all types)

281.843292.987297.56943.65.61.6

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

272.201283.147287.55044.65.61.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

307.702318.980324.24639.55.41.7

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

300.648310.365315.48434.34.91.6

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

524.104523.915523.915-3.10.00.0

Medical care

533.658532.015529.040-1.4-0.9-0.6

Recreation(4)

119.426116.658117.2102.4-1.90.5

Education and communication(4)

141.478141.478141.5620.00.10.1

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,225.9081,228.7881,231.4571.20.50.2

Other goods and services

415.284409.666412.3930.6-0.70.7

Commodity and service group

All items

253.934254.974255.9294.90.80.4

Commodities

178.823180.538181.8578.31.70.7

Commodities less food and beverages

133.302134.666136.24611.02.21.2

Nondurables less food and beverages

177.084178.210180.93411.52.21.5

Durables

92.40993.77894.48810.42.20.8

Services

324.896325.139325.6462.90.20.2

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

241.990243.161244.3045.61.00.5

All items less shelter

226.305227.108227.6525.90.60.2

Commodities less food

137.994139.328141.00910.52.21.2

Nondurables

224.303226.036227.6657.51.50.7

Nondurables less food

182.920183.960186.82510.72.11.6

Services less rent of shelter(3)

330.241328.855327.5442.8-0.8-0.4

Services less medical care services

308.530309.020309.8273.50.40.3

Energy

223.581228.513231.59629.63.61.3

All items less energy

259.126259.839260.6193.30.60.3

All items less food and energy

257.717258.095259.0183.10.50.4

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: Wednesday, August 11, 2021