Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.2 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that energy prices fell 4.5 percent while food prices were 0.4 percent higher in November. The all items less food and energy index was unchanged over the month. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher for shelter, while prices were lower for apparel. (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 3.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 4.5 percent over the year. Food prices increased 3.0 percent. Energy prices declined 3.8 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, November 2021–November 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
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
Nov 2024	3.8	4.5

Food prices rose 0.4 percent in November. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home (groceries) increased 0.5 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were up 0.2 percent for the same period. Within the food at home group, categories experiencing increases included candy and chewing gum, other meats, and snacks. Categories for other fresh vegetables and canned fruits and vegetables decreased.

Over the year, food prices increased 3.0 percent. The food at home index rose 2.6 percent as five of the six major grocery store food group indexes advanced over the year. Increasing indexes included other food at home (+3.2 percent); meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+3.7 percent); nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+5.9 percent); dairy and related products (+2.9 percent); and cereals and bakery products (+0.3 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 3.5 percent. 

The energy index decreased 4.5 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower gasoline prices (-6.2 percent). Electricity prices declined 5.6 percent, while utility (piped) gas service prices rose 2.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 3.8 percent over the year, mainly due to lower gasoline prices (-7.2 percent). Prices paid for electricity fell 3.8 percent, and utility (piped) gas service prices increased 6.2 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in November. Higher prices for shelter (+0.1 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-4.5 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 4.5 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+5.5 percent) and medical care services.

The December 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

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.