Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

21-1732-KAN
Wednesday, October 13, 2021

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

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – September 2021

Area prices up 0.2 percent over the past month, up 5.7 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Midwest Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.2 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Food prices were up 1.0 percent in September and energy costs rose 0.9 percent. The all items less food and energy index was unchanged in September. Within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher for shelter, apparel, and household furnishings and operations. The categories for used cars and trucks, recreation, and medical care were lower. (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 increased 5.7 percent. (See chart 1.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 4.0 percent over the year. Energy prices jumped 27.3 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. Food prices increased 5.5 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices advanced 1.0 percent for the month of September. Prices for food at home rose 1.1 percent, and prices for food away from home were up 0.9 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 5.5 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 5.6 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home rose 5.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 0.9 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for natural gas service (4.6 percent). Prices for gasoline were up 0.1 percent, while prices for electricity fell 0.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 27.3 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (45.8 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service jumped 34.2 percent, and prices for electricity increased 0.8 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in September. Higher prices for shelter (0.3 percent), apparel (2.7 percent), and household furnishings and operations (1.2 percent) were offset by lower prices for used cars and trucks (-3.9 percent), recreation (-0.8 percent), and medical care (-0.3 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.0 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (3.8 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (14.1 percent).

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20172018201920202021
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.72.20.61.60.20.80.42.50.51.2

February

0.22.40.21.70.71.30.32.10.81.7

March

0.11.90.21.80.61.7-0.51.00.73.0

April

0.41.80.41.80.31.5-1.1-0.40.84.9

May

0.01.40.52.30.31.30.3-0.41.05.6

June

0.00.90.22.50.01.20.80.41.05.8

July

0.01.30.02.40.21.50.50.70.65.9

August

0.31.50.02.10.01.50.41.10.25.7

September

0.31.50.11.90.01.40.21.30.25.7

October

-0.21.50.12.20.21.5-0.11.0

November

0.21.9-0.61.4-0.21.9-0.21.0

December

-0.21.7-0.41.30.02.30.11.1

The October 2021 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on September 2021 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in September 2021 was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed. While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.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 93 percent of the total U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods 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 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 individuals with sensory impairments 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
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021
Sep.
2021
Sep.
2020
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021

All items

254.671255.142255.7095.70.40.2

All items (December 1977 = 100)

414.364415.130416.052   

Food and beverages

264.662266.048268.6555.21.51.0

Food

264.563266.100268.7725.51.61.0

Food at home

241.889243.148245.8025.61.61.1

Cereals and bakery products

271.821271.032272.0232.40.10.4

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

278.787280.923286.76010.52.92.1

Dairy and related products

209.480210.474211.3992.90.90.4

Fruits and vegetables

281.328282.140281.5995.40.1-0.2

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

172.584174.915177.4597.42.81.5

Other food at home

205.596206.576209.6313.72.01.5

Food away from home

301.855303.828306.5605.31.60.9

Alcoholic beverages

264.404263.907265.6912.30.50.7

Housing

248.779249.750251.1655.11.00.6

Shelter

296.222297.007297.9953.80.60.3

Rent of primary residence(1)

296.658297.715299.0543.50.80.4

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

301.584302.306303.6663.40.70.4

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

301.495302.218303.5823.40.70.5

Fuels and utilities

246.840248.051251.4929.91.91.4

Household energy

201.594202.624206.16911.92.31.7

Energy services(1)

208.871209.796213.06810.92.01.6

Electricity(1)

217.039215.281215.0150.8-0.9-0.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

182.176187.286195.94334.27.64.6

Household furnishings and operations

123.950125.239126.6948.22.21.2

Apparel

109.230109.793112.7641.63.22.7

Transportation

233.423232.393230.23316.6-1.4-0.9

Private transportation

231.799231.550229.93017.7-0.8-0.7

New and used motor vehicles(3)

118.797118.732117.28014.1-1.3-1.2

New vehicles

150.440152.843154.60010.22.81.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

106.340108.037109.27110.22.81.1

New cars(4)

146.908149.986151.6989.03.31.1

Used cars and trucks

200.603197.797190.02524.3-5.3-3.9

Motor fuel

277.787277.002277.26445.6-0.20.1

Gasoline (all types)

276.714275.912276.09245.8-0.20.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

270.038269.193269.34846.7-0.30.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

317.948317.537318.09841.00.00.2

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

296.018295.868296.25336.70.10.1

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

742.623740.830741.5855.1-0.10.1

Medical care

522.055523.732521.982-0.10.0-0.3

Medical care commodities

371.192371.226370.263-4.2-0.3-0.3

Medical care services

572.174574.379572.3720.80.0-0.3

Professional services

436.969439.047437.9141.80.2-0.3

Recreation(3)

126.935126.790125.8201.6-0.9-0.8

Education and communication(3)

141.853141.308141.8900.30.00.4

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

1,228.3911,219.6721,226.7700.6-0.10.6

Other goods and services

455.936458.956458.4433.00.5-0.1

Commodity and service group

Commodities

195.708196.461197.3149.80.80.4

Commodities less food and beverages

161.904162.393162.57412.70.40.1

Nondurables less food and beverages

202.874203.475205.07312.51.10.8

Durables

118.962119.329118.64812.8-0.3-0.6

Services

315.114315.258315.4913.10.10.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

242.184242.553242.9836.50.30.2

All items less medical care

242.039242.452243.1336.40.50.3

Commodities less food

165.148165.614165.83712.20.40.1

Nondurables

233.165234.142236.2288.41.30.9

Nondurables less food

206.088206.618208.22311.61.00.8

Services less rent of shelter(2)

344.691344.117343.5072.3-0.3-0.2

Services less medical care services

295.934295.913296.3283.40.10.1

Energy

236.105236.320238.39327.31.00.9

All items less energy

259.835260.336260.7714.20.40.2

All items less food and energy

259.762260.080260.1204.00.10.0

(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: Wednesday, October 13, 2021