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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Mountain-Plains > News Release
News Release Information

25-997-KAN
Wednesday, June 11, 2025

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

Consumer Price Index, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood — May 2025

Area prices rose 1.0 percent in April and May, up 2.2 percent over the year

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.

  Line chart of 12-month percent changes in the CPI-U all items and all items less food and energy for Denver, not seasonally adjusted. An accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data
Food

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.

Energy

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.

All items less food and energy

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.


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 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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025