Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.3 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that energy prices fell 1.4 percent while food prices were 0.5 percent lower in October. The all items less food and energy index decreased 0.1 percent over the month. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were lower for medical care, household furnishings and operations, and apparel, while prices were higher for shelter, recreation, and public transportation. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 3.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 4.1 percent over the year. Food prices increased 1.9 percent. Energy prices declined 0.4 percent, mainly due to decreased gasoline prices. (See table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, October 2021–October 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Oct 2021	5.3	3.1
Nov 2021	6.0	3.5
Dec 2021	6.6	4.4
Jan 2022	6.8	4.8
Feb 2022	7.1	5.2
Mar 2022	7.8	5.3
Apr 2022	7.2	4.8
May 2022	8.0	4.7
Jun 2022	8.9	5.0
Jul 2022	8.4	5.0
Aug 2022	8.3	6.0
Sep 2022	8.2	6.4
Oct 2022	7.7	6.1
Nov 2022	6.8	5.7
Dec 2022	5.5	5.3
Jan 2023	5.4	5.3
Feb 2023	5.0	5.0
Mar 2023	4.4	5.5
Apr 2023	4.8	5.6
May 2023	3.3	5.2
Jun 2023	2.1	5.1
Jul 2023	2.2	4.7
Aug 2023	2.3	4.0
Sep 2023	2.3	3.6
Oct 2023	2.4	4.1
Nov 2023	2.5	4.1
Dec 2023	3.3	4.1
Jan 2024	3.3	3.9
Feb 2024	3.4	3.8
Mar 2024	3.1	3.2
Apr 2024	3.0	3.3
May 2024	3.1	3.3
Jun 2024	3.0	3.4
Jul 2024	3.7	3.9
Aug 2024	3.8	4.3
Sep 2024	4.1	5.0
Oct 2024	3.5	4.1

Food prices fell 0.5 percent in October. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home (groceries) declined 0.7 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) declined 0.2 percent for the same period. Within the food at home group, categories experiencing declines included other meats, citrus fruits, and snacks. Categories for other fats and oils, including peanut butter and cheese and related products, increased.

Over the year, food prices increased 1.9 percent. The food at home index rose 1.5 percent as five of the six major grocery store food group indexes advanced over the year. Increasing indexes included nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+4.2 percent); cereals and bakery products (+3.3 percent); meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+1.8 percent); fruits and vegetables (+1.9 percent); and dairy and related products (+1.1 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 2.6 percent. 

The energy index decreased 1.4 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower gasoline prices (-2.5 percent). Electricity prices declined 0.7 percent, while utility (piped) gas service prices rose 0.8 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 0.4 percent over the year, mainly due to lower gasoline prices (-4.7 percent). Prices paid for electricity rose 4.6 percent, and utility (piped) gas service prices increased 2.9 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy decreased 0.1 percent in October. Lower prices for medical care (-1.1 percent), household furnishings and operations (-1.3 percent), and apparel (-1.8 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for shelter (+0.2 percent), recreation (+0.6 percent), and public transportation.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 4.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+5.6 percent) and medical care services. Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in household furnishings and operations (-7.6 percent).

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

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 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is published monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. 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 includes 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.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.