Gasoline prices averaged $2.209 per gallon in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area in November 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that gasoline prices were down 46.6 cents from last November’s average of $2.675. Electricity prices averaged 20.1 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), more than the 19.7 cents per kWh paid in November 2019. The average price of utility (piped) gas, at $1.259 per therm, was similar to last November’s price of $1.255. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.209 per gallon, the price of gasoline in the New York area was greater than the $2.159 national average in November 2020. One year earlier, consumers in the New York area paid $2.675 per gallon of gasoline, similar to the national average of $2.687. For four of the past five years, the local price of a gallon of gasoline in November has been within 4 percent of the national average. (See chart 1.)

The 20.1 cents per kWh New York area households paid for electricity in November 2020 was 48 percent more than the national average of 13.6 cents per kWh. Last November, electricity prices were 48 percent higher in the New York area compared to the nation. Over the past five years, electricity prices for local area consumers in November were 36 to 48 percent more than the national average. (See chart 2.)

The average price paid in November 2020 by New York area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, was $1.259 per therm, 14 percent more than the national average of $1.104. In November 2019, area consumers paid 19 percent more than the national average. In four of the past five years, the per therm cost for natural gas in November was at least 13 percent more in the New York area versus the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, Core Based Statistical Area includes Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

The Consumer Price Index for December 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

Average prices are estimated from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for selected commodity series to support the research and analytic needs of CPI data users. Average prices for electricity, utility (piped) gas, and gasoline are published monthly for the U.S. city average, the 4 regions, 9 divisions, 2 population size classes, 8 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 23 largest local index areas. For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm, are published. For gasoline, the average price per gallon is published. Average prices for commonly available grades of gasoline are published as well as the average price across all grades.

All eligible prices are converted to a price per normalized quantity. These prices are then used to estimate a price for a defined fixed quantity. The average price per kilowatt-hour represents the total bill divided by the kilowatt-hour usage. The total bill is the sum of all items applicable to all consumers appearing on an electricity bill including, but not limited to, variable rates per kWh, fixed costs, taxes, surcharges, and credits. This calculation also applies to the average price per therm for utility (piped) gas.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, New York-Newark-Jersey City and the United States, November 2019–November 2020, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	New York	United States	New York	United States	New York	United States
2019
November	$2.675	$2.687	$0.197	$0.133	$1.255	$1.058
December	2.674	2.652	0.193	0.133	1.282	1.057
2020
January	2.705	2.631	0.199	0.134	1.270	1.066
February	2.617	2.530	0.201	0.134	1.226	1.050
March	2.483	2.334	0.198	0.134	1.227	1.034
April	2.261	1.946	0.195	0.133	1.216	1.028
May	2.151	1.946	0.199	0.134	1.210	1.037
June	2.205	2.141	0.223	0.137	1.198	1.037
July	2.258	2.243	0.218	0.137	1.194	1.027
August	2.245	2.245	0.209	0.137	1.196	1.031
September	2.261	2.260	0.211	0.137	1.182	1.064
October	2.248	2.228	0.202	0.135	1.171	1.067
November	2.209	2.159	0.201	0.136	1.259	1.104