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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Midwest > News Release
News Release Information

26-612-CHI
Friday, April 10, 2026

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Consumer Price Index, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area – March 2026

Area prices were up 0.7 percent over the past two months, up 2.8 percent from a year ago

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area advanced 0.7 percent for the two months ending in March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the energy index rose 7.6 percent over the two-month period due to higher gasoline prices. The food index declined 0.1 percent. The index for all items less food and energy was up 0.4 percent from January to March. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area all items CPI-U rose 2.8 percent for the 12 months ending in March. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent over the year. Food prices increased 1.3 percent and energy prices were up 2.1 percent compared to March 2025. 

  Line chart of over-the-year percent changes in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, CPI-U all items and all items less food and energy indexes, from March 2023 through March 2026. An accessible version is available in the View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

Food

Food prices fell 0.1 percent for the two months ending in March. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) decreased 0.2 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 0.1 percent for the same period.

Food prices increased 1.3 percent over the year. Prices for food at home increased 1.1 percent as four of the six major grocery store food group indexes rose over the year. Increasing indexes included nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+6.3 percent); other food at home (+2.2 percent); and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+1.5 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 1.6 percent.  

Energy

The energy index advanced 7.6 percent for the two months ending in March. Gasoline prices were up 21.8 percent over the past two months.

Energy prices rose 2.1 percent over the year. Gasoline prices were up 11.5 percent compared to March 2025. 

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.4 percent during the two-month period. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for owners’ equivalent rent of residences (+0.5 percent), apparel (+4.4 percent), medical care services, and recreation (+1.8 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for airline fares, communication, and lodging away from home.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included owners’ equivalent rent of residences (+3.5 percent), medical care services, and recreation (+5.8 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-3.7 percent) and other goods and services (-2.8 percent). 

The May 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area is scheduled to be released on June 10, 2026.


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 Consumer Price Index for Minneapolis is published bi-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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Core Based Statistical Area includes Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Washington, and Wright Counties in Minnesota and Pierce and St. Croix Counties 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. 

Table 1. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, CPI-U by expenditure category for March 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Expenditure category

 Indexes Percent change from:
Historical
data		 Jan.
2026		 Feb.
2026		 Mar.
2026		 Mar.
2025		 Jan.
2026		 Feb.
2026

All items

 310.428 - 312.610 2.8 0.7 -

All items (1967=100)

 975.528 - 982.386 - - -

Food and beverages

 374.265 - 374.288 1.3 0.0 -

Food

 363.768 - 363.506 1.3 -0.1 -

Food at home

 322.802 321.756 322.119 1.1 -0.2 0.1

Cereals and bakery products

 345.668 343.589 340.438 -1.9 -1.5 -0.9

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

 355.930 356.831 358.855 1.5 0.8 0.6

Dairy and related products

 306.331 314.903 308.711 -4.9 0.8 -2.0

Fruits and vegetables

 410.836 410.601 414.449 0.7 0.9 0.9

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

 215.073 217.802 217.468 6.3 1.1 -0.2

Other food at home

 274.244 268.141 269.554 2.2 -1.7 0.5

Food away from home

 425.563 - 426.023 1.6 0.1 -

Alcoholic beverages

 446.518 - 450.300 1.6 0.8 -

Housing

 300.240 - 301.072 2.6 0.3 -

Shelter

 355.626 356.251 357.021 3.4 0.4 0.2

Rent of primary residence

 367.876 369.944 371.232 4.2 0.9 0.3

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)

 382.233 383.133 384.307 3.5 0.5 0.3

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)

 382.233 383.133 384.307 3.5 0.5 0.3

Household furnishings and operations

 147.180 - 147.033 0.8 -0.1 -

Apparel

 159.444 - 166.506 6.1 4.4 -

Transportation

 253.025 - 258.197 4.7 2.0 -

Private transportation

 238.980 - 246.583 3.4 3.2 -

New and used motor vehicles(3)

 108.269 - 107.948 -1.8 -0.3 -

New vehicles(1)

 193.512 - 194.133 0.4 0.3 -

Used cars and trucks(1)

 347.286 - 344.803 -3.7 -0.7 -

Motor fuel

 230.023 228.858 280.117 11.7 21.8 22.4

Gasoline (all types)

 229.859 228.699 279.906 11.5 21.8 22.4

Unleaded regular(4)

 227.967 226.835 279.222 11.5 22.5 23.1

Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

 241.984 239.426 285.426 11.5 18.0 19.2

Unleaded premium(4)

 313.310 311.688 362.900 11.7 15.8 16.4

Medical care

 644.508 - 652.664 3.4 1.3 -

Recreation(3)

 158.902 - 161.748 5.8 1.8 -

Education and communication(3)

 148.225 - 144.226 0.6 -2.7 -

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

 1,313.305 - 1,313.305 3.3 0.0 -

Other goods and services

 461.109 - 468.981 -2.8 1.7 -

Footnotes
(1) Index is on a April 1978=100 base.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

- Data not available.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 2. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, CPI-U by special aggregate index for March 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Special aggregate index

 Indexes Percent change from:
Historical
data		 Jan.
2026		 Feb.
2026		 Mar.
2026		 Mar.
2025		 Jan.
2026		 Feb.
2026

All items

 310.428 - 312.610 2.8 0.7 -

Food

 363.768 - 363.506 1.3 -0.1 -

Energy

 242.875 253.710 261.390 2.1 7.6 3.0

All items less food and energy

 315.460 - 316.854 3.1 0.4 -

All items less energy

 321.636 - 322.827 2.8 0.4 -

All items less medical care

 295.171 - 297.091 2.7 0.7 -

All items less shelter

 291.265 - 293.835 2.5 0.9 -

Commodities

 223.730 - 226.609 1.2 1.3 -

Commodities less food

 171.808 - 175.281 1.0 2.0 -

Commodities less food & beverages

 162.047 - 165.423 1.0 2.1 -

Durables

 111.824 - 110.494 -2.0 -1.2 -

Nondurables

 293.665 - 301.199 2.7 2.6 -

Nondurables less food

 238.821 - 252.105 4.2 5.6 -

Nondurables less food & beverages

 223.741 - 237.433 4.6 6.1 -

Services

 387.417 - 388.755 3.7 0.3 -

Services less rent of shelter(1)

 440.124 - 441.332 4.6 0.3 -

Services less medical care services

 360.622 - 361.151 3.5 0.1 -

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.

- Data not available.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, April 10, 2026