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News Release Information

19-1480-KAN
Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – July 2019

Prices in the Midwest increased 0.2 percent in July and up 1.5 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest increased 0.2 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Higher costs for gasoline and shelter had the largest upward impacts on the index, while lower prices for food at home and utility (piped) gas service had the largest offsetting movements. The index for all items less food and energy edged 0.2 percent higher in July, energy costs turned up 1.2 percent, and food prices declined 0.2 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The CPI-U for the Midwest rose 1.5 percent over the latest 12 months. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices increased 1.2 percent. The energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, declined 1.9 percent. The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.9 percent from July 2018 to July 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices in the Midwest were down 0.2 percent from June to July. The decrease was due to a 0.5-percent decline in prices for food at home. Prices for food away from home increased 0.2 percent.

From July 2018 to July 2019, the index for food advanced 1.2 percent. Costs for food away from home were up 2.8 percent, and prices for food at home were virtually unchanged (-0.1 percent) over the year.

Energy

The energy index turned up 1.2 percent in July. The monthly increase reflected higher prices for gasoline (2.1 percent) and electricity (1.3 percent). Lower prices for utility (piped) gas service (-2.7 percent) partially offset the increases. 

Energy costs declined 1.9 percent since July 2018 due to over-the-year decreases in prices for utility (piped) gas service and gasoline, -5.1 percent and -2.5 percent, respectively. Electricity prices were 0.7 percent higher than a year ago.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest edged up 0.2 percent in July. Among the expenditure categories that registered higher costs were shelter (0.2 percent), new and used motor vehicles (0.6 percent) and medical care services (0.5 percent). Decreases in prices for education and communication (-0.2 percent), motor vehicle insurance (-0.4 percent) and medical care commodities (-0.5 percent) were among those that moderated the increase.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.9 percent from July 2018 to July 2019. Higher costs for shelter (3.5 percent) led the increase.

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 238.760 in July 2019. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $238.76 in July 2019.

CPI-W 

In July, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 232.979. The CPI-W increased 0.3 percent in July and advanced 1.4 percent over the year.

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.6-0.30.30.80.72.20.61.60.20.8

February

0.3-0.50.00.40.22.40.21.70.71.3

March

0.6-0.90.60.50.11.90.21.80.61.7

April

0.1-1.10.40.80.41.80.41.80.31.5

May

0.4-0.80.40.80.01.40.52.30.31.3

June

0.5-0.70.60.80.00.90.22.50.01.2

July

0.0-0.5-0.50.40.01.30.02.40.21.5

August

0.0-0.30.10.60.31.50.02.1

September

-0.3-0.80.21.10.31.50.11.9

October

-0.1-0.3-0.11.0-0.21.50.12.2

November

-0.5-0.2-0.31.20.21.9-0.61.4

December

-0.60.00.11.8-0.21.7-0.41.3

The August 2019 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on Thursday, September 12, 2019.


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 6,000 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 Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

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, Midwest Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
May
2019
Jun.
2019
Jul.
2019
Jul.
2018
May
2019
Jun.
2019

All items

238.219238.288238.7601.50.20.2

All items (December 1977 = 100)

387.596387.709388.476   

Food and beverages

247.517247.960247.5941.30.0-0.1

Food

246.953247.346246.8891.20.0-0.2

Food at home

228.000227.950226.822-0.1-0.5-0.5

Cereals and bakery products

259.730262.143260.334-0.60.2-0.7

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

249.425247.922247.967-0.4-0.60.0

Dairy and related products

195.331195.142195.282-1.10.00.1

Fruits and vegetables

273.099270.639266.628-0.5-2.4-1.5

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

163.014161.891163.5672.30.31.0

Other food at home

197.784199.528197.4600.1-0.2-1.0

Food away from home

278.434279.497280.0462.80.60.2

Alcoholic beverages

253.144254.268255.1422.40.80.3

Housing

232.790233.655234.1582.70.60.2

Shelter

279.672280.235280.7943.50.40.2

Rent of primary residence(1)

278.085278.668278.9823.20.30.1

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)

283.587284.189284.6973.40.40.2

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)

283.553284.155284.6553.40.40.2

Fuels and utilities

219.835225.255225.592-0.22.60.1

Household energy

176.947182.522182.804-1.13.30.2

Energy services(1)

183.384189.738190.036-1.03.60.2

Electricity(1)

202.154212.048214.8930.76.31.3

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

141.504141.773137.967-5.1-2.5-2.7

Household furnishings and operations

115.298114.497114.9490.6-0.30.4

Apparel

114.920114.069113.8020.3-1.0-0.2

Transportation

207.945206.242207.344-0.1-0.30.5

Private transportation

202.413200.922202.530-0.20.10.8

New and used motor vehicles(3)

97.34797.83498.4470.51.10.6

New vehicles

137.761137.458137.5660.1-0.10.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

97.38897.17897.2420.1-0.10.1

New cars(4)

134.363133.982133.884-0.3-0.4-0.1

Used cars and trucks

138.123140.351142.0131.52.81.2

Motor fuel

254.253244.784249.836-2.6-1.72.1

Gasoline (all types)

252.987243.457248.612-2.5-1.72.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

246.676237.244242.197-2.6-1.82.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

288.763279.181287.529-2.3-0.43.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

274.350265.543271.368-2.0-1.12.2

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

731.394734.564731.6700.00.0-0.4

Medical care

492.063493.894495.4922.40.70.3

Medical care commodities

391.030390.713388.785-1.0-0.6-0.5

Medical care services

525.925528.484531.2783.31.00.5

Professional services

420.560421.252421.4101.00.20.0

Recreation(3)

121.203120.979121.251-0.60.00.2

Education and communication(3)

137.108137.330137.018-0.7-0.1-0.2

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

1,200.6591,202.2141,194.9190.8-0.5-0.6

Other goods and services

434.887433.359435.9962.20.30.6

Commodity and service group

Commodities

181.197180.302180.8160.3-0.20.3

Commodities less food and beverages

149.055147.697148.519-0.3-0.40.6

Nondurables less food and beverages

199.757196.511197.861-0.6-0.90.7

Durables

101.490101.554101.9400.10.40.4

Services

297.028298.116298.5402.20.50.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

225.726225.624226.0690.60.20.2

All items less medical care

226.204226.189226.6071.40.20.2

Commodities less food

152.308151.007151.833-0.2-0.30.5

Nondurables

223.461221.917222.4740.4-0.40.3

Nondurables less food

202.555199.556200.878-0.4-0.80.7

Services less rent of shelter(2)

324.691326.395326.6790.90.60.1

Services less medical care services

279.957280.935281.1822.10.40.1

Energy

212.344210.885213.389-1.90.51.2

All items less energy

243.706243.932244.2021.80.20.1

All items less food and energy

243.848244.045244.4441.90.20.2

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) Indexes 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.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2019