The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area rose 0.3 percent from December to February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that over the bi-monthly period the food index and energy index rose 0.1 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively, while the index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher for other goods and services, motor vehicle insurance, and apparel. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the past 12 months, the Detroit all items CPI-U increased 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The food index and the energy index rose 0.5 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively, from February 2017 to February 2018. The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.9 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices increased 0.1 percent from December to February. Of the two components within the food index, prices for food at home (groceries) fell 0.2 percent and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were 0.4 percent higher.

Over the year, food prices in the Detroit area were up 0.5 percent. Prices for groceries fell 1.0 percent, while food away from home rose 2.8 percent, from February 2017.

Energy

The energy index for Detroit was 1.9 percent higher from December to February, primarily due to electricity costs rising 5.1 percent. Gasoline prices and utility (piped) gas service costs, increased 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, during the same period.

From February 2017 to February 2018, overall energy prices rose 6.5 percent. Gasoline prices increased 13.3 percent over the year. Electricity costs increased 1.5 percent, while utility (piped) gas service costs declined 1.1 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent from December to February. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for other goods and services (4.1 percent) and apparel (3.1 percent). In contrast, the indexes for shelter and household furnishing and operations declined by 0.3 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 1.9 percent. Increases in indexes for shelter (3.9 percent) and medical care (3.7 percent) were major contributing factors.

Table A. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2014		2015		2016		2017		2018
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
February	1.1	0.7	-0.7	-1.8	0.3	0.9	0.9	3.0	0.3	2.1
April	1.3	2.0	1.2	-1.9	1.4	1.1	0.7	2.3
June	0.5	1.3	0.0	-2.4	1.2	2.3	0.0	1.1
August	-1.0	1.0	0.6	-0.9	-0.1	1.7	0.1	1.3
October	-0.1	1.0	0.1	-0.7	0.2	1.7	0.9	2.0
December	-1.8	-0.1	-1.2	-0.1	-0.6	2.4	0.1	2.7

The April 2018 Consumer Price Index for Detroit is scheduled to be released on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Technical Note

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich., Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Genesee, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties in Michigan.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	Dec. 2017	Jan. 2018	Feb. 2018	Feb. 2017	Dec. 2017	Jan. 2018
Expenditure category
All items	228.951	-	229.715	2.1	0.3	-
All items (1967=100)	680.539	-	682.809	-	-	-
Food and beverages	223.744	-	224.108	0.6	0.2	-
Food	223.257	-	223.409	0.5	0.1	-
Food at home	209.786	211.025	209.373	-1.0	-0.2	-0.8
Cereals and bakery products	261.195	-	255.487	-	-2.2	-
Meats, poultry, fish and eggs	218.563	-	218.664	-	0.0	-
Dairy and related products	163.769	-	166.084	-	1.4	-
Fruits and vegetables	223.124	-	227.739	-	2.1	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)	205.049	-	199.005	-	-2.9	-
Other food at home	191.410	-	190.780	-	-0.3	-
Food away from home	244.998	-	245.947	2.8	0.4	-
Alcoholic beverages	224.223	-	227.451	2.1	1.4	-
Housing	215.691	-	215.576	2.8	-0.1	-
Shelter	247.615	246.987	246.961	3.9	-0.3	0.0
Rent of primary residence(2)	251.310	252.432	252.758	3.6	0.6	0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)	246.752	246.641	246.272	4.3	-0.2	-0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)(3)	246.752	246.641	246.272	4.3	-0.2	-0.1
Fuels and utilities	243.359	-	249.800	1.3	2.6	-
Household energy	186.690	192.713	192.787	1.1	3.3	0.0
Energy services(2)	188.053	193.925	193.987	0.3	3.2	0.0
Electricity(2)	216.782	228.084	227.946	1.5	5.1	-0.1
Utility (piped) gas service(2)	145.742	146.069	146.311	-1.1	0.4	0.2
Household furnishings and operations	118.215	-	116.345	-2.2	-1.6	-
Apparel	115.576	-	119.147	1.6	3.1	-
Transportation	235.390	-	235.052	4.0	-0.1	-
Private transportation	235.887	-	235.792	4.6	0.0	-
New and used motor vehicles(4)	106.818	-	103.772	-	-2.9	-
New vehicles(1)	207.683	-	200.445	-	-3.5	-
Used cars and trucks(1)	281.903	-	286.294	-	1.6	-
Motor fuel	227.824	239.242	229.183	13.4	0.6	-4.2
Gasoline (all types)	226.396	237.950	227.568	13.3	0.5	-4.4
Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)	227.160	239.150	228.523	13.9	0.6	-4.4
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)	269.610	281.416	269.741	11.4	0.0	-4.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)	241.674	249.852	241.139	9.4	-0.2	-3.5
Motor vehicle insurance(1)	1,731.555	-	1,810.889	-	4.6	-
Medical care	438.617	-	442.547	3.7	0.9	-
Recreation(4)	116.340	-	117.332	-5.0	0.9	-
Education and communication(4)	142.692	-	142.243	0.0	-0.3	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)	1,264.326	-	1,256.804	-	-0.6	-
Other goods and services	403.214	-	419.863	4.1	4.1	-
Commodity and service group
All items	228.951	-	229.715	2.1	0.3	-
Commodities	175.568	-	176.000	1.8	0.2	-
Commodities less food and beverages	150.503	-	150.955	2.6	0.3	-
Nondurables less food and beverages	183.848	-	186.849	5.9	1.6	-
Durables	112.759	-	110.628	-2.0	-1.9	-
Services	283.592	-	284.680	2.3	0.4	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	220.448	-	221.060	2.0	0.3	-
All items less shelter	224.723	-	226.069	1.4	0.6	-
Commodities less food	153.232	-	153.768	2.6	0.3	-
Nondurables	203.791	-	205.575	3.1	0.9	-
Nondurables less food	186.547	-	189.567	5.6	1.6	-
Services less rent of shelter(3)	336.038	-	339.347	1.0	1.0	-
Services less medical care services	273.796	-	274.774	2.2	0.4	-
Energy	208.943	217.611	212.886	6.5	1.9	-2.2
All items less energy	233.754	-	234.226	1.7	0.2	-
All items less food and energy	236.252	-	236.782	1.9	0.2	-
Footnotes (1) Index on a December 1977=100 base. (2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (3) Index on a December 1982=100 base. (4) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (5) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (6) Index on a December 1993=100 base.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.