Prices in the Midwest Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were down 0.1 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The October decrease was influenced by a 1.8-percent decline in the energy index. There was no change in the all items less food and energy index, and a 0.1-percent increase in food prices. (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 advanced 2.6 percent. (See chart 1.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent over the year, and food prices rose 2.0 percent. Energy prices declined 2.8 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the index for gasoline. (See table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Midwest region, October 2021–October 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Oct 2021	6.6	4.6
Nov 2021	7.3	5.0
Dec 2021	7.5	5.7
Jan 2022	7.9	6.4
Feb 2022	8.0	6.4
Mar 2022	8.6	6.4
Apr 2022	8.2	6.0
May 2022	8.8	5.9
Jun 2022	9.5	5.7
Jul 2022	8.6	5.4
Aug 2022	8.1	5.8
Sep 2022	8.1	6.2
Oct 2022	7.4	5.8
Nov 2022	6.8	5.5
Dec 2022	6.0	5.2
Jan 2023	6.0	4.9
Feb 2023	5.6	5.0
Mar 2023	4.9	5.4
Apr 2023	4.9	5.5
May 2023	3.7	5.0
Jun 2023	2.4	4.8
Jul 2023	2.9	5.0
Aug 2023	3.4	4.5
Sep 2023	3.2	4.2
Oct 2023	2.9	4.3
Nov 2023	2.9	4.2
Dec 2023	3.2	4.1
Jan 2024	2.7	3.7
Feb 2024	2.8	3.4
Mar 2024	2.8	3.2
Apr 2024	2.8	3.1
May 2024	2.7	3.0
Jun 2024	2.5	2.9
Jul 2024	2.7	2.9
Aug 2024	2.6	3.2
Sep 2024	2.5	3.4
Oct 2024	2.6	3.1

Food prices were up 0.1 percent for the month of October. The indexes for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) and food at home (grocery store prices) both advanced 0.1 percent over the month. Within the food at home category, the other food at home index and fruits and vegetables index contributed most to the increase, rising 0.6 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs declined by 1.0 percent for the month of October, almost entirely offsetting increases.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.0 percent. Prices for food away from home advanced 3.0 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home increased 1.5 percent.

The energy index declined 1.8 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for electricity (-4.1 percent), but gasoline (-1.8 percent) also contributed to the decline. An increase in prices for natural gas service (+3.3 percent) partially offset the decline in October.

From October 2023 to October 2024, energy prices declined 2.8 percent, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-8.5 percent). Increasing prices for electricity (+2.7 percent) and natural gas service (+5.5 percent) slightly offset the decline.

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in October. Higher prices for owners’ equivalent rent of residences (+0.5 percent), rent of primary residence (+0.7 percent), and medical care services (+0.3 percent) were offset by lower prices for lodging away from home, education and communication (-0.6 percent), and household furnishings and operations (-0.8 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent. The indexes for owners’ equivalent rent (+6.0 percent), rent of primary residences (+5.9 percent), and medical care services (+2.8 percent) contributed most to the increase.

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

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