Gasoline prices averaged $3.821 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 74.1 cents compared to March 2022, when they averaged $4.562 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 17.9 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in March 2023, up from the 16.0 cents per kilowatt-hour paid in March 2022. In March, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was $1.007 per therm, lower than the $1.230 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $3.821 per gallon Chicago area households paid for gasoline in March 2023 was 16.1 cents more than the nationwide average of $3.660. In the previous four years, in March (2019-2022), gasoline prices in the Chicago area have ranged from $2.366 to $4.562 per gallon. (See chart 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Average prices for gasoline, the United States and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, 2019–23 (as of March)

Period	United States	Chicago
Mar 2019	$2.620	$2.761
Mar 2020	$2.334	$2.366
Mar 2021	$2.856	$2.963
Mar 2022	$4.401	$4.562
Mar 2023	$3.660	$3.821
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 17.9 cents per kWh that Chicago area households paid for electricity in March 2023 was 7.8 percent more than the national average cost of 16.6 cents per kWh. In the previous four years, in March (2019-2022), electricity costs in the Chicago area were as much as 19.3 percent more than the national average. (See chart 2.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Average prices for electricity, the United States and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, 2019–23 (as of March)

Period	United States	Chicago
Mar 2019	$0.135	$0.161
Mar 2020	$0.134	$0.143
Mar 2021	$0.138	$0.148
Mar 2022	$0.150	$0.160
Mar 2023	$0.166	$0.179
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.007 per therm in March 2023, 32.6 percent less than the national average of $1.493 per therm. In the previous four years (2019-2022), in March, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average by as much as 26.8 percent less. (See chart 3.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 3. Average prices for utility (piped) gas, the United States and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, 2019–23 (as of March)

Period	United States	Chicago
Mar 2019	$1.048	$0.772
Mar 2020	$1.034	$0.757
Mar 2021	$1.144	$0.876
Mar 2022	$1.411	$1.230
Mar 2023	$1.493	$1.007
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Core Based Statistical Area consists 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 April 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.