Prices in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged for the two months ending in September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the all items less food and energy index fell 0.1 percent, largely driven by a decrease in the index for lodging away from home. The energy index was up 1.2 percent in August and September, while the food index was unchanged. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 1.4 percent. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.0 percent over the year, while food prices advanced 2.1 percent. Energy prices fell 8.7 percent, with the index for natural gas service leading the decline. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, September 2021–September 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	4.5	3.1
Nov 2021	6.5	5.2
Jan 2022	7.9	7.0
Mar 2022	9.1	8.0
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

Food prices were unchanged for the two months ending in September. A 0.5-percent increase in the index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) was entirely offset by a 0.4-percent decline in the index for food at home (grocery store prices). Within the food at home category, the index for dairy and related products (-5.1 percent) led declines. A rise in prices paid for fruits and vegetables (+1.4 percent) slightly offset decreases in the index.

Over the year, food prices advanced 2.1 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 5.8 percent, while prices for food at home dropped 1.1 percent since September 2023. A decrease in the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (-5.2 percent) drove most of the decline in the food at home index, while an increase in prices paid for other food at home (+1.3 percent) partially offset the decline.

The energy index advanced 1.2 percent for the two months ending in September. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (+2.2 percent), but prices for natural gas service also contributed. The index for electricity decreased for the same period.

From September 2023 to September 2024, energy prices fell 8.7 percent. The decrease was led by lower prices for natural gas service, but price declines for gasoline (-12.2 percent) also contributed. The two-month decline was partially offset by an increase in prices paid for electricity.

The index for all items less food and energy fell 0.1 percent in the latest two-month period. Lower prices for lodging away from home, public transportation, and medical care commodities were partially offset by higher prices for tuition, other school fees, and childcare (+3.8 percent), apparel (+6.8 percent), and household furnishings and operations (+1.9 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.0 percent. Components contributing to the rise included owners’ equivalent rent of residences (+2.1 percent), rent of primary residence (+2.7 percent), and other goods and services (+7.1 percent). Price decreases in lodging away from home, public transportation, and apparel (-5.0 percent) partly offset these increases.

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area 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 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.

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