Gasoline prices averaged $4.169 a gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in September 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 15.8 cents compared to last September when they averaged $4.327 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 16.2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in September 2023, up from 14.9 cents per kWh in September 2022. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at 99.2 cents per therm in September was down from $1.734 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $4.169 a gallon, costs for gasoline in the Chicago area were comparable to the national average of $4.107 a gallon in September 2023. Last September, gasoline costs in Chicago were 8.4 percent higher than the nation. Over the past five Septembers, gasoline prices in the Chicago area have ranged from $4.327 to $2.312. (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 September)

Period	United States	Chicago
Sep 2019	$2.694	$2.796
Sep 2020	$2.260	$2.312
Sep 2021	$3.361	$3.534
Sep 2022	$3.990	$4.327
Sep 2023	$4.107	$4.169
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 16.2 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in September 2023 was 1.3 cents lower than the nationwide average cost of 17.1 cents per kWh. Last September, 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 Septembers, Chicago area electricity prices have ranged from 16.2 cents to 14.2 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 September)

Period	United States	Chicago
Sep 2019	$0.139	$0.161
Sep 2020	$0.137	$0.142
Sep 2021	$0.144	$0.144
Sep 2022	$0.167	(r) $0.149
Sep 2023	$0.171	$0.162
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices paid by Chicago area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 99.2 cents per therm in September 2023, 42.8 percent below the national average of $1.377 per therm. Last September, utility (piped) gas prices in Chicago were comparable to the nation. Over the past five Septembers, Chicago area utility (piped) gas prices have ranged from $1.734 to 75.6 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 September)

Period	United States	Chicago
Sep 2019	$1.019	$0.756
Sep 2020	$1.064	$0.791
Sep 2021	$1.302	$1.128
Sep 2022	$1.739	$1.734
Sep 2023	$1.377	$0.992
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 October 2023 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 14, 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.