Gasoline prices averaged $4.250 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in April 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 29.6 cents compared to April 2022, when they averaged $4.546 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 18.0 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in April 2023, up from the 15.7 cents per kilowatt-hour paid in April 2022. In April, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was $0.999 per therm, lower than the $1.256 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $4.250 per gallon Chicago area households paid for gasoline in April 2023 was 41.1 cents more than the nationwide average of $3.839. In the previous four years, in April (2019-2022), gasoline prices in the Chicago area have ranged from $1.936 to $4.546 per gallon. (See chart 1.)

  

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

Period	United States	Chicago
Apr 2019	$2.894	$3.066
Apr 2020	$1.946	$1.936
Apr 2021	$2.907	$3.072
Apr 2022	$4.369	$4.546
Apr 2023	$3.839	$4.250
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 18.0 cents per kWh that Chicago area households paid for electricity in April 2023 was 9.1 percent more than the national average cost of 16.5 cents per kWh. In the previous four years, in April (2019-2022), electricity costs in the Chicago area were as much as 22.2 percent more than the national average. (See chart 2.)

  

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

Period	United States	Chicago
Apr 2019	$0.135	$0.165
Apr 2020	$0.133	$0.144
Apr 2021	$0.139	$0.143
Apr 2022	$0.151	$0.157
Apr 2023	$0.165	$0.180
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $0.999 per therm in April 2023, 29.3 percent less than the national average of $1.413 per therm. In the previous four years (2019-2022), in April, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average by as much as 27.9 percent less. (See chart 3.)

  

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

Period	United States	Chicago
Apr 2019	$1.034	$0.760
Apr 2020	$1.028	$0.741
Apr 2021	$1.166	$1.037
Apr 2022	$1.445	$1.256
Apr 2023	$1.413	$0.999
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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 May 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 12, 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.