Gasoline prices averaged $4.388 a gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in August 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 27.1 cents compared to last August when they averaged $4.659 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 15.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in August 2023, up from 14.9 cents per kWh in August 2022. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at 99.1 cents per therm in August was down from $1.745 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $4.388 a gallon, costs for gasoline in the Chicago area were 32.4 cents higher than the national average of $4.064 a gallon in August 2023. Last August, gasoline costs in Chicago were 10.8 percent higher than the nation. Gasoline prices in the Chicago area have been at least 5.0 percent above the national average over the previous five Augusts. (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 August)

Period	United States	Chicago
Aug 2019	$2.716	$2.863
Aug 2020	$2.245	$2.357
Aug 2021	$3.351	$3.531
Aug 2022	$4.205	$4.659
Aug 2023	$4.064	$4.388
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 15.6 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in August 2023 was 1.4 cents lower than the nationwide average cost of 17.0 cents per kWh. Last August, electricity costs in Chicago were 14.9 cents per kWh, 10.8 percent lower than the national average of 16.7 cents. Over the past five Augusts, Chicago area electricity prices have ranged from 16.4 cents to 14.6 cents. (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 August)

Period	United States	Chicago
Aug 2019	$0.139	$0.164
Aug 2020	$0.137	$0.146
Aug 2021	$0.144	$0.148
Aug 2022	$0.167	$0.149
Aug 2023	$0.170	$0.156
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices paid by Chicago area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 99.1 cents per therm in August 2023, 29.3 percent below the national average of $1.402 per therm. Over the past five Augusts, Chicago area utility (piped) gas prices have ranged from $1.745 to 76.3 cents. (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 August)

Period	United States	Chicago
Aug 2019	$1.034	$0.792
Aug 2020	$1.031	$0.763
Aug 2021	$1.267	$1.120
Aug 2022	$1.694	$1.745
Aug 2023	$1.402	$0.991
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Cook, De Kalb, Du Page, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter Counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

The Consumer Price Index for September 2023 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 7:30 a.m. (CT).

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.