The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest Region advanced 0.6 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.4 percent, led by rising prices for shelter. The index for energy and the index for food both rose in February, up 2.6 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Midwest Region all items CPI-U increased 2.8 percent for the 12 months ending in February. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the year, and the index for food increased 3.1 percent. Energy prices also advanced 2.6 percent, led by rising prices for natural gas service.

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Midwest region, February 2023–February 2026

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
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
Nov 2024	2.6	3.2
Dec 2024	3.0	3.3
Jan 2025	3.4	3.6
Feb 2025	3.1	3.6
Mar 2025	2.7	3.3
Apr 2025	2.4	2.9
May 2025	2.4	2.9
Jun 2025	3.0	3.3
Jul 2025	2.6	3.0
Aug 2025	2.8	3.0
Sep 2025	3.1	3.1
Oct 2025	-	-
Nov 2025	3.0	2.8
Dec 2025	2.7	2.7
Jan 2026	2.4	2.7
Feb 2026	2.8	2.8
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Food prices advanced 1.0 percent for the month of February. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 1.3 percent, and the index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) was up 0.4 percent for the same period. Within the food at home category, 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups rose, with the index for fruits and vegetables (+2.8 percent) leading increases.

The index for food advanced 3.1 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 2.6 percent, and prices for food away from home rose 3.8 percent. Within the food at home category, all six major grocery store food groups increased over the 12-month period, with nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+6.1 percent) leading the rise.

The energy index was up 2.6 percent over the month. The indexes for natural gas service and for gasoline contributed most to the rise, up 7.1 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively, over the same period.

From February 2025 to February 2026, energy prices rose 2.6 percent, with natural gas service (+19.5 percent) and electricity (+8.2 percent) contributing most to the advance. Prices for gasoline declined 7.6 percent over the 12-month period.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent in February. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for apparel (+4.2 percent), owners’ equivalent rent of residences (+0.3 percent), lodging away from home, and medical care services (+0.7 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for communication and used cars and trucks (-1.1 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+3.9 percent), medical care services (+4.9 percent), and recreation (+4.1 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-2.9 percent) and communication.

The March 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 10, 2026.

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 the Midwest region 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.

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.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Table 1. Midwest region CPI-U by expenditure category for February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		300.404	301.591	303.490	2.8	1.0	0.6
All items (December 1977 = 100)		488.774	490.705	493.795	-	-	-
Food and beverages		326.209	327.112	330.065	3.0	1.2	0.9
Food		327.951	328.804	331.939	3.1	1.2	1.0
Food at home		296.429	297.340	301.197	2.6	1.6	1.3
Cereals and bakery products		346.447	346.204	349.479	3.1	0.9	0.9
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		335.678	336.335	339.364	2.3	1.1	0.9
Dairy and related products		245.506	252.132	251.547	2.4	2.5	-0.2
Fruits and vegetables		322.390	317.268	326.087	1.4	1.1	2.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		221.732	223.435	229.832	6.1	3.7	2.9
Other food at home		259.701	261.169	263.521	2.0	1.5	0.9
Food away from home		380.834	381.559	383.264	3.8	0.6	0.4
Alcoholic beverages		301.460	303.048	303.470	1.5	0.7	0.1
Housing		309.459	311.364	313.497	4.6	1.3	0.7
Shelter		372.496	374.359	376.263	3.9	1.0	0.5
Rent of primary residence		377.879	379.506	380.343	3.7	0.7	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		383.162	384.568	385.830	4.0	0.7	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		383.033	384.429	385.695	4.0	0.7	0.3
Fuels and utilities		300.905	304.926	311.871	9.9	3.6	2.3
Household energy		246.655	250.336	256.823	11.7	4.1	2.6
Energy services		255.795	259.730	266.176	12.0	4.1	2.5
Electricity		259.203	262.658	262.882	8.2	1.4	0.1
Utility (piped) gas service		229.555	234.002	250.650	19.5	9.2	7.1
Household furnishings and operations		145.930	146.954	147.422	3.6	1.0	0.3
Apparel		120.037	123.238	128.447	3.0	7.0	4.2
Transportation		255.508	254.394	255.624	-1.6	0.0	0.5
Private transportation		254.114	251.793	252.660	-2.2	-0.6	0.3
New and used motor vehicles(2)		125.976	124.659	124.288	-1.0	-1.3	-0.3
New vehicles		172.960	173.392	173.712	0.8	0.4	0.2
New cars(3)		167.233	168.209	168.576	0.9	0.8	0.2
Used cars and trucks		184.406	178.974	176.998	-2.9	-4.0	-1.1
Motor fuel		249.703	242.884	248.985	-7.4	-0.3	2.5
Gasoline (all types)		248.817	242.232	248.101	-7.6	-0.3	2.4
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		240.049	233.500	239.337	-7.9	-0.3	2.5
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		305.757	298.632	304.903	-6.0	-0.3	2.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		298.539	292.644	297.782	-4.7	-0.3	1.8
Medical care		577.597	578.818	581.956	3.7	0.8	0.5
Medical care commodities		395.357	391.203	390.488	-1.2	-1.2	-0.2
Medical care services		638.648	641.684	646.121	4.9	1.2	0.7
Professional services		487.155	493.272	495.854	4.2	1.8	0.5
Recreation(2)		147.645	148.536	149.112	4.1	1.0	0.4
Education and communication(2)		143.199	144.537	143.390	0.0	0.1	-0.8
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(5)		1,384.306	1,385.858	1,385.962	2.3	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		575.734	573.648	574.119	2.4	-0.3	0.1
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Table 2. Midwest region CPI-U by special aggregate index for February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		300.404	301.591	303.490	2.8	1.0	0.6
Food		327.951	328.804	331.939	3.1	1.2	1.0
Energy		250.030	248.928	255.290	2.6	2.1	2.6
All items less food and energy		306.531	308.025	309.307	2.8	0.9	0.4
All items less energy		308.918	310.319	311.857	2.8	1.0	0.5
All items less medical care		287.379	288.566	290.407	2.7	1.1	0.6
All items less shelter		276.948	277.903	279.814	2.3	1.0	0.7
Commodities		217.662	217.925	219.435	1.2	0.8	0.7
Commodities less food		173.302	173.375	174.318	0.1	0.6	0.5
Commodities less food & beverages		169.373	169.412	170.361	0.0	0.6	0.6
Durables		122.921	122.762	122.017	0.6	-0.7	-0.6
Nondurables		268.710	269.354	272.870	1.5	1.5	1.3
Nondurables less food		219.709	220.185	223.947	-0.3	1.9	1.7
Nondurables less food & beverages		215.157	215.567	219.529	-0.4	2.0	1.8
Services		385.355	387.531	389.820	3.8	1.2	0.6
Services less rent of shelter(1)		408.511	411.078	413.853	3.8	1.3	0.7
Services less medical care services		366.605	368.719	370.847	3.7	1.2	0.6
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.