The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area increased 0.4 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that the September increase was influenced by higher prices for items other than food and energy, including shelter. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the New York area all items CPI-U rose 3.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A). The index for all items less food and energy increased 4.5 percent, and food prices rose 2.1 percent. Energy prices declined 2.3 percent. (See table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, September 2021–September 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	3.8	2.5
Oct 2021	4.3	2.8
Nov 2021	5.0	3.4
Dec 2021	4.4	3.0
Jan 2022	5.1	3.3
Feb 2022	5.1	4.0
Mar 2022	6.1	4.1
Apr 2022	6.3	4.4
May 2022	6.3	3.6
Jun 2022	6.7	4.1
Jul 2022	6.5	4.2
Aug 2022	6.6	4.6
Sep 2022	6.2	5.0
Oct 2022	6.0	4.9
Nov 2022	5.9	4.5
Dec 2022	6.3	5.4
Jan 2023	6.0	5.7
Feb 2023	6.0	5.6
Mar 2023	4.6	5.1
Apr 2023	3.7	4.4
May 2023	3.5	5.1
Jun 2023	2.5	3.8
Jul 2023	3.2	4.4
Aug 2023	3.5	4.5
Sep 2023	3.7	4.1
Oct 2023	3.5	4.0
Nov 2023	3.0	3.9
Dec 2023	2.9	3.4
Jan 2024	3.1	3.7
Feb 2024	2.9	3.4
Mar 2024	3.4	3.5
Apr 2024	3.8	3.9
May 2024	3.9	4.0
Jun 2024	4.2	4.4
Jul 2024	4.1	4.3
Aug 2024	3.7	4.4
Sep 2024	3.8	4.5

Food prices increased 0.8 percent in September after no change was observed in August. Prices for food at home increased 1.2 percent, and prices for food away from home rose 0.2 percent. Five of the six grocery categories had higher prices in September.

Over the year, the food index increased 2.1 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 3.2 percent, and prices for food at home increased 1.5 percent.

The energy index fell 1.4 percent in September, driven by a 6.2-percent decline in gasoline prices. In contrast, prices for household energy increased 1.6 percent, as a 9.1-percent increase in natural gas prices outpaced price declines for electricity (-0.8 percent) and fuel oil.

From September 2023 to September 2024, the New York area energy index declined 2.3 percent, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-14.9 percent). The decrease was moderated by a 5.8-percent increase in household energy prices. Within household energy, electricity prices rose 8.5 percent, and natural gas prices advanced 12.4 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent in September. Shelter prices increased 0.5 percent, with higher prices for owners’ equivalent rent (0.4 percent) and residential rent (0.6 percent). Following seasonal trends, prices for apparel increased 5.1 percent for the second consecutive month. Prices also rose for education and communication (1.9 percent), with a 2.3-percent rise in tuition, other school fees, and childcare. Partly offsetting the increases were price declines for recreation (-3.1 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.5 percent, led by a 6.0-percent advance in shelter prices. Within shelter, prices rose for owners’ equivalent rent (6.2 percent), residential rent (5.0 percent), and lodging away from home. Additional components contributing to the increase were education and communication (2.5 percent), recreation (3.5 percent), and motor vehicle insurance. Prices for medical care declined 2.3 percent.

The Consumer Price Index for October 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

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 New York 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. 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 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.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

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