The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area advanced 1.0 percent for the two months ending in May 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the index for all items less food and energy increased 0.9 percent, largely influenced by higher costs for shelter. The energy index rose 4.0 percent in April and May, while the food index was up 0.2 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area all items CPI-U increased 2.2 percent for the 12 months ending in May, led by a 2.7-percent advance in the index for all items less food and energy. The food index rose 3.4 percent over the year, while the energy index fell 7.1 percent.

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, May 2022–May 2025

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
May 2022	8.3	7.1
Jul 2022	8.2	6.6
Sep 2022	7.7	7.2
Nov 2022	6.9	6.7
Jan 2023	6.4	5.9
Mar 2023	5.7	5.6
May 2023	5.1	5.6
Jul 2023	4.7	5.8
Sep 2023	5.4	5.4
Nov 2023	4.5	4.8
Jan 2024	3.5	4.1
Mar 2024	2.8	3.4
May 2024	2.6	2.7
Jul 2024	1.9	2.4
Sep 2024	1.4	2.0
Nov 2024	2.0	2.5
Jan 2025	2.3	2.4
Mar 2025	1.9	2.3
May 2025	2.2	2.7

The index for food increased 0.2 percent for the two months ending in May, led by a 0.5-percent advance in the food away from home index (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases). Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) rose 0.1 percent for the same period, led by a 2.6-percent increase in the index for dairy and related products. A decline in the index for cereals and bakery products (-1.7 percent) led decreases.

Over the year, the food index was up 3.4 percent, led by a rise in the food away from home index (+5.0 percent). Prices for food at home advanced 2.2 percent, with the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+8.3 percent) leading over-the-year increases. The index for other food at home (-2.1 percent) led decreases.

The energy index advanced 4.0 percent for the two months ending in May. Prices paid for gasoline rose 5.1 percent for the same period.

From May 2024 to May 2025, energy prices fell 7.1 percent. The index for gasoline declined 4.4 percent over the year.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.9 percent during the two-month period. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for lodging away from home, household furnishings and operations (+4.9 percent), and public transportation. In contrast, prices were lower for apparel (-4.1 percent) and education and communication (-1.3 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.7 percent over the year. Components contributing to the rise included owners’ equivalent rent of residences (+3.1 percent), medical care (+5.6 percent), and other goods and services (+14.3 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for public transportation.

The July 2025 Consumer Price Index for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

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 Denver 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 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, Core Based Statistical Area is comprised of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park counties in Colorado.

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. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, CPI-U by expenditure category for May 2025, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Mar. 2025	Apr. 2025	May 2025	May 2024	Mar. 2025	Apr. 2025
All items		331.575	-	334.758	2.2	1.0	-
All items (1967=100)		1,105.665	-	1,116.279	-	-	-
Food and beverages		312.246	-	312.892	3.0	0.2	-
Food		321.042	-	321.795	3.4	0.2	-
Food at home		282.961	285.669	283.154	2.2	0.1	-0.9
Cereals and bakery products		344.255	343.018	338.523	3.6	-1.7	-1.3
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		298.527	300.603	300.170	8.3	0.6	-0.1
Dairy and related products		235.441	237.651	241.528	3.6	2.6	1.6
Fruits and vegetables		316.269	317.151	318.232	-0.1	0.6	0.3
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		199.657	199.615	197.385	3.6	-1.1	-1.1
Other food at home		248.017	254.155	247.513	-2.1	-0.2	-2.6
Food away from home		375.221	-	376.944	5.0	0.5	-
Alcoholic beverages		233.030	-	232.604	-1.8	-0.2	-
Housing		336.974	-	341.957	1.9	1.5	-
Shelter		395.497	396.044	399.691	2.5	1.1	0.9
Rent of primary residence		409.400	410.554	410.647	0.9	0.3	0.0
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		394.947	396.086	396.519	3.1	0.4	0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		394.947	396.086	396.519	3.1	0.4	0.1
Household furnishings and operations		142.650	-	149.667	3.5	4.9	-
Apparel		116.210	-	111.471	0.0	-4.1	-
Transportation		333.692	-	338.325	0.6	1.4	-
Private transportation		342.355	-	344.348	2.4	0.6	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		133.673	-	134.610	0.4	0.7	-
New vehicles(1)		257.869	-	258.640	0.7	0.3	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		362.009	-	366.730	1.5	1.3	-
Motor fuel		252.929	262.941	265.196	-4.5	4.8	0.9
Gasoline (all types)		250.015	260.028	262.774	-4.4	5.1	1.1
Unleaded regular(4)		240.936	251.080	253.760	-4.7	5.3	1.1
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		251.829	260.649	263.473	-3.7	4.6	1.1
Unleaded premium(4)		281.779	291.047	293.996	-3.3	4.3	1.0
Medical care		743.449	-	750.451	5.6	0.9	-
Recreation(3)		185.479	-	185.666	0.8	0.1	-
Education and communication(3)		132.081	-	130.389	-0.7	-1.3	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)		1,245.397	-	1,245.397	3.3	0.0	-
Other goods and services		476.939	-	485.299	14.3	1.8	-
(1) Index is on a January 1978=100 base. (2) Index is on a November 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. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, CPI-U by special aggregate index for May 2025, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Mar. 2025	Apr. 2025	May 2025	May 2024	Mar. 2025	Apr. 2025
All items		331.575	-	334.758	2.2	1.0	-
Food		321.042	-	321.795	3.4	0.2	-
Energy		216.144	220.455	224.753	-7.1	4.0	1.9
All items less food and energy		349.247	-	352.390	2.7	0.9	-
All items less energy		343.678	-	346.499	2.8	0.8	-
All items less medical care		312.605	-	315.612	2.0	1.0	-
All items less shelter		301.171	-	303.860	2.1	0.9	-
Commodities		212.023	-	213.139	0.6	0.5	-
Commodities less food		168.248	-	169.409	-0.8	0.7	-
Commodities less food & beverages		165.528	-	166.730	-0.8	0.7	-
Durables		128.110	-	130.037	-0.1	1.5	-
Nondurables		258.112	-	258.293	0.9	0.1	-
Nondurables less food		206.533	-	206.300	-1.6	-0.1	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		204.506	-	204.287	-1.6	-0.1	-
Services		438.445	-	443.533	3.0	1.2	-
Services less rent of shelter(1)		493.568	-	499.959	3.7	1.3	-
Services less medical care services		413.259	-	418.322	2.6	1.2	-
(1) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.