Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.5 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the food index increased 0.8 percent, and the energy index fell 5.2 percent in September. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.9 percent. Within the all items less food and energy category, price increases were noted for medical care, shelter, and apparel, while prices were lower for education and communication and recreation. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 4.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 5.0 percent over the year. Food prices advanced 2.5 percent. Energy prices declined 4.0 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	4.5	2.3
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

Food prices advanced 0.8 percent for the month of September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home (groceries) increased 1.2 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 0.3 percent for the same period. Within the food at home group, categories experiencing increases included other fresh vegetables, chicken, and other meats. Indexes were lower for candy and chewing gum, soups, and processed fish and seafood.

Over the year, food prices advanced 2.5 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 1.7 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home rose 3.9 percent.

The energy index fell 5.2 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-9.0 percent). Prices for electricity advanced 0.3 percent, while prices for utility (piped) gas service decreased 3.5 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 4.0 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-10.9 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 3.8 percent, and prices for utility (piped) gas service rose 2.5 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.9 percent in September. Higher prices for medical care (+3.3 percent), shelter (+0.4 percent), and apparel (+3.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for education and communication (-0.7 percent) and recreation (-0.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 5.0 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+5.9 percent) and medical care (+6.3 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in household furnishings and operations (-3.5 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (-2.6 percent).

The October 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is scheduled to be released on November 13, 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 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.

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.