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News Release Information

17-1005-KAN
Friday, July 14, 2017

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Consumer Price Index, Denver-Boulder-Greeley – First Half 2017

Prices increased 3.1 percent from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo., metropolitan area increased 3.1 percent from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that higher costs for shelter (5.3 percent) had the greatest impact on the index. The all items less food and energy index, which includes shelter, advanced 2.7 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.1 percent while the energy index advanced 11.9 percent.

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Denver, first half 2014 - first half 2017
Food

Food prices rose 2.1 percent from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017 after registering little change (0.1 percent) in the same period one year ago. Higher prices for food away from home led the advance with an increase of 4.6 percent—the largest over-the-year gain since the second half of 2008. Prices for food at home crept up 0.2 percent over the year. Comparatively, from the first half of 2015 to the first half of 2016, prices for food at home declined 0.6 percent while costs for food away from home increased 1.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, advanced 11.9 percent from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017, following a decrease of 10.4 percent in the same period one year ago. Higher prices for gasoline (16.0 percent) were largely responsible for the increase in the energy component. Prices for electricity and utility (piped) gas service also contributed to the increase with gains of 6.6 and 9.3 percent, respectively. During the same period one year ago, gasoline prices fell 13.7 percent, electricity prices declined 3.4 percent and costs for utility (piped) gas service were down 11.1 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.7 percent from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017. Shelter costs had the greatest upward impact on the index with a gain of 5.3 percent after rising 7.6 percent in the same period one year ago. Other expenditure categories that registered higher prices over the year included recreation (3.5 percent) and medical care (1.9 percent).

The Denver CPI-U stood at 252.760 for the first half of 2017. This means that a market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $252.76 in the first half of 2017. Because metropolitan area CPI data are not adjusted for seasonal price variation, consumers and businesses should be cautious in drawing conclusions about long-term retail price trends from short-term changes in the area indexes.

CPI-W

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo., metropolitan area for the first half of 2017 was 241.689. The CPI-W increased 3.2 percent from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017.

The Consumer Price Index for the Second Half of 2017 is scheduled to be released in January 2018.

Consumer Price Index Geographic Revision for 2018

In January 2018, BLS will introduce a new geographic area sample for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This index will change to a bimonthly publication schedule beginning in January, 2018. The first indexes using the new structure will be published in February 2018. Additional information on the geographic revision is available at: www.bls.gov/cpi/additional-resources/geographic-revision-2018.htm.  


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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/cpi/.

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 areas; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo., Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and Weld Counties in Colorado.

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

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes for semiannual averages and percent changes for selected periods

Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Semiannual average indexes
 
Percent change to
1st half 2017 from-
1st half
2016
2nd half
2016
1st half
2017
1st half
2016
2nd half
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

245.191248.095252.7603.11.9

All items (1967=100)

817.610827.292842.848  

Food and beverages

224.530224.091229.0672.02.2

Food

227.741227.203232.6182.12.4

Food at home

223.946222.169224.3940.21.0

Food away from home

232.749233.853243.4994.64.1

Alcoholic beverages

199.326200.065200.0280.40.0

Housing

240.077246.318252.3545.12.5

Shelter

276.332283.244290.9505.32.7

Rent of primary residence(1)

286.285293.807300.2874.92.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

269.430277.153284.8455.72.8

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

269.430277.153284.8455.72.8

Fuels and utilities

217.851231.863233.5957.20.7

Household energy

152.934163.152164.5907.60.9

Energy services(1)

151.995162.349163.4517.50.7

Electricity(1)

159.892170.539170.4736.60.0

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

139.428149.344152.4559.32.1

Household furnishings and operations

113.338113.084114.6431.21.4

Apparel

106.257103.01399.003-6.8-3.9

Transportation

235.174238.249244.7184.12.7

Private transportation

227.926231.242235.8503.52.0

Motor fuel

164.514179.912190.95716.16.1

Gasoline (all types)

163.465178.652189.59716.06.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

157.649172.298183.15616.26.3

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

165.068180.051190.07515.15.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

184.129201.278211.87215.15.3

Medical Care

532.513539.710542.6661.90.5

Recreation(5)

155.196154.141160.5853.54.2

Education and communication(5)

126.914125.722123.867-2.4-1.5

Other goods and services

357.784356.968352.192-1.6-1.3
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

245.191248.095252.7603.11.9

Commodities

166.683166.325167.5000.50.7

Commodities less food & beverages

137.173136.861136.333-0.6-0.4

Nondurables less food & beverages

160.177161.990161.3470.7-0.4

Durables

113.324111.049110.637-2.4-0.4

Services

313.759319.957328.0534.62.5
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

231.897234.609239.2913.22.0

All items less shelter

230.473231.424234.6121.81.4

Commodities less food

139.615139.336138.822-0.6-0.4

Nondurables

192.590193.339195.3881.51.1

Nondurables less food

162.734164.477163.8740.7-0.4

Services less rent of shelter(2)

365.129369.432377.6173.42.2

Services less medical care services

295.219301.501309.7034.92.7

Energy

155.388167.858173.81811.93.6

All items less energy

254.500256.663261.2652.71.8

All items less food and energy

260.025262.726267.1702.71.7

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a November 1982=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
 

Table 2. Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Indexes for semiannual averages and percent changes for selected periods

Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Semiannual average indexes
 
Percent change to
1st half 2017 from-
1st half
2016
2nd half
2016
1st half
2017
1st half
2016
2nd half
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

234.248237.407241.6893.21.8

All items (1967=100)

779.702790.215804.468  

Food and beverages

226.124225.556230.3771.92.1

Food

229.441228.762233.8671.92.2

Food at home

225.051223.348225.1130.00.8

Food away from home

236.510237.641248.6175.14.6

Alcoholic beverages

204.451205.924206.1460.80.1

Housing

233.873240.059245.8465.12.4

Shelter

264.809271.405278.5795.22.6

Rent of primary residence(1)

286.285293.807300.2874.92.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

251.526258.736265.9165.72.8

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

251.526258.736265.9165.72.8

Fuels and utilities

211.457225.042226.6117.20.7

Household energy

151.778162.018163.2897.60.8

Energy services(1)

152.252162.624163.7357.50.7

Electricity(1)

159.892170.538170.4726.60.0

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

139.430149.345152.4569.32.1

Household furnishings and operations

119.453119.143121.6261.82.1

Apparel

105.544103.834100.087-5.2-3.6

Transportation

233.772239.213246.9355.63.2

Private transportation

228.587234.169240.8245.42.8

Motor fuel

164.725180.080191.12316.06.1

Gasoline (all types)

163.463178.650189.59416.06.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

157.652172.301183.15916.26.3

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

165.068180.051190.07515.15.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

184.154201.305211.90115.15.3

Medical Care

536.704543.516545.8461.70.4

Recreation(5)

133.633132.771136.6632.32.9

Education and communication(5)

120.633119.256116.086-3.8-2.7

Other goods and services

360.636358.079350.222-2.9-2.2
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

234.248237.407241.6893.21.8

Commodities

169.564169.457171.0220.90.9

Commodities less food & beverages

139.011139.155138.9550.0-0.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

165.352167.649167.3761.2-0.2

Durables

109.859107.777107.655-2.0-0.1

Services

298.989305.776313.0104.72.4
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

222.695225.708229.9713.31.9

All items less shelter

221.947223.606226.6342.11.4

Commodities less food

141.136141.314141.1240.0-0.1

Nondurables

198.723199.554201.9281.61.2

Nondurables less food

167.683169.946169.6971.2-0.1

Services less rent of shelter(2)

328.328334.608341.1663.92.0

Services less medical care services

280.954287.703294.8715.02.5

Energy

159.818172.686178.77811.93.5

All items less energy

242.845245.188249.3522.71.7

All items less food and energy

246.030249.118253.0472.91.6

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a November 1984=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, July 14, 2017