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News Release Information

21-1598-CHI
Tuesday, September 14, 2021

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

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

Area prices were up 0.1 percent over the past month, up 4.8 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 up 0.1 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that food prices increased 1.1 percent over the month, and energy costs rose 0.4 percent. The index for all items less food and energy fell 0.2 percent in August. Decreases in the indexes for recreation, used cars and trucks, and household furnishings and operations contributed to the decline 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 4.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.6 percent over the year. Energy prices jumped 30.0 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. Food prices rose 6.8 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 1.1 percent for the month of August. Prices for food at home (groceries) increased 0.8 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 1.4 percent for the same period. Within the food at home group, indexes were higher in August for citrus fruits, uncooked beef steaks, and uncooked ground beef. In contrast, the indexes for tomatoes and fresh fish and seafood were lower.

Over the year, food prices rose 6.8 percent. Prices for food at home rose 3.2 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home jumped 11.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 0.4 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for utility (piped) gas service (1.7 percent). Prices for electricity increased 0.7 percent, while gasoline prices declined 0.4 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 30.0 percent over the year, largely due to higher gasoline prices (43.9 percent). Prices paid for utility (piped) gas service jumped 46.9 percent, and electricity prices increased 1.2 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy decreased 0.2 percent in August. Lower prices for recreation (-1.8 percent), used cars and trucks (-1.4 percent), and household furnishings and operations (-0.6 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for shelter (0.4 percent) and apparel (1.0 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.6 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (3.0 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (10.5 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

0.32.30.11.70.21.60.11.00.14.8

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 September 2021 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on August 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 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 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-
Jun.
2021
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021
Aug.
2020
Jun.
2021
Jul.
2021

Expenditure category

All items

254.974255.929256.0784.80.40.1

All items (1967=100)

761.756764.608765.053---

Food and beverages

273.992274.345276.9516.31.10.9

Food

274.439274.437277.4196.81.11.1

Food at home

251.539252.314254.3083.21.10.8

Cereals and bakery products

280.096284.106278.4331.0-0.6-2.0

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

276.451281.029286.6478.63.72.0

Dairy and related products

226.946226.935228.340-2.30.60.6

Fruits and vegetables

318.730311.374316.0652.6-0.81.5

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

210.524212.208212.4483.00.90.1

Other food at home

200.580201.129203.0392.11.20.9

Food away from home

300.483299.383303.69211.31.11.4

Alcoholic beverages

266.701271.657269.3880.81.0-0.8

Housing

268.334270.272271.1274.51.00.3

Shelter

337.136339.328340.5163.01.00.4

Rent of primary residence(2)

357.057358.024359.3802.50.70.4

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

346.814348.254348.4762.30.50.1

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

346.814348.254348.4762.30.50.1

Fuels and utilities

234.597236.913239.07314.31.90.9

Household energy

185.719187.802189.98618.02.31.2

Energy services(2)

189.545191.661193.90818.02.31.2

Electricity(2)

163.739168.414169.6201.23.60.7

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

212.479210.607214.22046.90.81.7

Household furnishings and operations

95.97396.93596.4006.70.4-0.6

Apparel

81.43583.30884.1645.43.41.0

Transportation

207.171207.066205.01013.9-1.0-1.0

Private transportation

206.448208.500208.37715.70.9-0.1

New and used motor vehicles(4)

107.722108.859108.89410.51.10.0

New vehicles(1)

179.175181.514183.5666.02.51.1

Used cars and trucks(1)

383.377386.794381.32032.4-0.5-1.4

Motor fuel

295.598300.216299.14243.91.2-0.4

Gasoline (all types)

292.987297.569296.46743.91.2-0.4

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

283.147287.550286.41444.91.2-0.4

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

318.980324.246323.65240.01.5-0.2

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

310.365315.484315.10534.61.5-0.1

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

523.915523.915523.915-3.10.00.0

Medical care

532.015529.040527.899-1.5-0.8-0.2

Recreation(4)

116.658117.210115.0740.5-1.4-1.8

Education and communication(4)

141.478141.562141.425-0.10.0-0.1

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,228.7881,231.4571,230.8361.20.2-0.1

Other goods and services

409.666412.393413.2701.00.90.2

Commodity and service group

All items

254.974255.929256.0784.80.40.1

Commodities

180.538181.857182.5208.81.10.4

Commodities less food and beverages

134.666136.246136.16210.71.1-0.1

Nondurables less food and beverages

178.210180.934179.90110.80.9-0.6

Durables

93.77894.48894.99610.51.30.5

Services

325.139325.646325.2202.50.0-0.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

243.161244.304244.5155.50.60.1

All items less shelter

227.108227.652227.4575.70.2-0.1

Commodities less food

139.328141.009140.86810.11.1-0.1

Nondurables

226.036227.665228.3528.21.00.3

Nondurables less food

183.960186.825185.7159.81.0-0.6

Services less rent of shelter(3)

328.855327.544325.4251.9-1.0-0.6

Services less medical care services

309.020309.827309.4423.00.1-0.1

Energy

228.513231.596232.46530.01.70.4

All items less energy

259.839260.619260.7073.30.30.0

All items less food and energy

258.095259.018258.5832.60.2-0.2

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: Tuesday, September 14, 2021