Gasoline prices averaged $3.690 a gallon in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area in May 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were up 15.0 cents compared to last May, when they averaged $3.540 per gallon. Detroit area households paid an average of 20.3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2024, up from 19.2 cents per kWh in May 2023. The average cost of utility (piped) gas was $1.129 per therm in May, down from $1.154 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $3.690 a gallon, gasoline costs in the Detroit area were 19.5 cents, or 5.0 percent, below the national average of $3.885 a gallon in May 2024. Over the past five Mays, gasoline prices in the Detroit area have ranged from $4.501 to $1.800 a gallon. (See chart 1.)

The 20.3 cents per kWh that Detroit households paid for electricity in May 2024 was 16.0 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 17.5 cents per kWh. Over the past five Mays, electricity prices in the Detroit area have ranged from 20.3 cents to 17.2 cents per kWh. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Detroit area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.129 per therm in May 2024, 24.0 cents below the national average of $1.369 per therm. In May 2023, utility (piped) gas prices in the Detroit area were 23.1 cents below the national average. (See chart 3.)

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Core Based Statistical Area consists of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne Counties in Michigan.

The June 2024 Consumer Price Index is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 7:30 a.m. (CT).

Technical Note

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.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, the United States and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, May 2023–May 2024, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	United States	Detroit area	United States	Detroit area	United States	Detroit area
2023
May	$3.794	$3.540	$0.165	$0.192	$1.385	$1.154
June	3.821	3.680	0.170	0.201	1.371	1.138
July	3.842	3.654	0.169	0.201	1.395	1.137
August	4.064	3.869	0.170	0.202	1.402	1.121
September	4.107	3.804	0.171	0.204	1.377	1.144
October	3.910	3.563	0.169	0.202	1.388	1.159
November	3.623	3.403	0.168	0.195	1.442	1.169
December	3.411	3.131	0.169	–	1.429	1.166
2024
January	3.353	3.062	0.173	0.208	1.452	1.135
February	3.486	3.284	0.173	0.204	1.465	–
March	3.707	3.609	0.174	–	1.429	–
April	3.907	3.695	0.173	0.203	1.375	1.124
May	3.885	3.690	0.175	0.203	1.369	1.129
Note: Dash (–) indicates no data available.