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News Release Information

17-1398-ATL
Friday, October 13, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Consumer Price Index, South Region – September 2017

Prices in the South up 0.7 percent over the month and 2.4 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South increased 0.7 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The energy index rose 6.8 percent over the month. The all items less food and energy index and the food index each edged up 0.2 percent in September. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U increased 2.4 percent since September 2016. The all items less food and energy index moved up 1.7 percent over the last 12 months, and the energy index advanced 11.8 percent. The food index rose 1.0 percent over the year. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index edged up 0.2 percent in September. Over the month, prices for food away from home edged up 0.3 percent, and prices for food at home inched up 0.1 percent.

The food index rose 1.0 percent since September 2016, reflecting higher prices for food away from home, up 2.1 percent. Over the year, prices for food at home edged up 0.2 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 6.8 percent in September, led by a 15.7-percent increase in motor fuel prices. The electricity and utility (piped) gas service indexes declined over the month, down 0.5 and 1.3 percent, respectively.

From September 2016—September 2017, energy prices advanced 11.8 percent, reflecting a 23.6-percent increase for motor fuel prices. Prices for electricity and utility (piped) gas service also rose, up 1.3 and 8.5 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The all items less food and energy index edged up 0.2 percent in September. Several categories recorded increases, most notably shelter (0.4 percent) and apparel (3.3 percent).

Since September 2016, the all items less food and energy index advanced 1.7 percent, led by an increase in the shelter index (3.3 percent).

Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20132014201520162017
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.41.60.31.7-0.7-0.40.01.20.52.6

February

0.91.80.41.20.5-0.30.10.70.22.8

March

0.31.50.61.50.6-0.30.60.70.02.2

April

-0.20.90.52.30.3-0.60.40.90.22.0

May

0.01.30.22.40.4-0.40.40.90.01.7

June

0.41.90.22.30.5-0.10.40.80.21.5

July

0.22.2-0.12.0-0.1-0.1-0.20.7-0.21.6

August

0.11.7-0.21.7-0.2-0.20.11.00.41.9

September

0.01.30.11.7-0.2-0.40.21.40.72.4

October

-0.21.3-0.31.60.0-0.10.11.5  

November

-0.31.5-0.61.3-0.20.3-0.11.6  

December

0.11.8-0.60.6-0.40.50.12.0  

The Consumer Price Index for October 2017 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 15, 2017.

Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma had a small impact on data collection in September. Data collection was affected in some areas in Florida.


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 Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 retail establishments—department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. 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 South region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods
South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Jul.
2017
Aug.
2017
Sep.
2017
Sep.
2016
Jul.
2017
Aug.
2017

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

236.942237.892239.6492.41.10.7

All items (December 1977=100)

384.353385.894388.744---

Food and beverages

247.957248.255248.7351.10.30.2

Food

249.284249.549249.9811.00.30.2

Food at home

237.276237.375237.6460.20.20.1

Food away from home

270.049270.563271.2402.10.40.3

Alcoholic beverages

228.953229.753230.9791.70.90.5

Housing

232.663233.398233.9262.70.50.2

Shelter

265.614266.850267.7973.30.80.4

Rent of primary residence(1)

275.889277.156278.2363.90.90.4

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

267.496268.791269.6583.10.80.3

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

267.492268.782269.6493.10.80.3

Fuels and utilities

242.147242.139241.2192.3-0.4-0.4

Household energy

198.368198.075197.0422.3-0.7-0.5

Energy services(1)

198.949198.670197.5012.2-0.7-0.6

Electricity(1)

197.266196.849195.8881.3-0.7-0.5

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

193.776194.451191.9808.5-0.9-1.3

Household furnishings and operations

120.582120.043120.091-1.3-0.40.0

Apparel

130.081130.746135.036-0.63.83.3

Transportation

199.866202.213208.4676.64.33.1

Private transportation

197.997200.731207.3007.04.73.3

New and used motor vehicles(3)

102.191101.833100.727-1.7-1.4-1.1

New vehicles

153.000152.523151.566-0.6-0.9-0.6

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

104.169103.866103.190-0.6-0.9-0.7

New cars(4)

152.022151.553150.330-1.3-1.1-0.8

Used cars and trucks

140.432140.423138.293-3.3-1.5-1.5

Motor fuel

189.822199.441230.81323.621.615.7

Gasoline (all types)

188.882198.505229.89423.721.715.8

Unleaded regular(4)

183.654193.308225.03524.222.516.4

Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

212.417221.364250.26621.617.813.1

Unleaded premium(4)

212.531220.951247.18520.216.311.9

Medical care

456.954457.722457.5601.80.10.0

Medical care commodities

366.507368.369367.6310.70.3-0.2

Medical care services

487.413487.730487.8022.20.10.0

Professional services

361.131361.381361.286-1.60.00.0

Recreation(3)

117.914117.923117.7691.3-0.1-0.1

Education and communication(3)

131.319132.004132.253-3.40.70.2

Other goods and services

419.781419.118420.1350.90.10.2
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All Items

236.942237.892239.6492.41.10.7

Commodities

179.861180.686183.7821.92.21.7

Commodities less food and beverages

147.773148.786152.8442.53.42.7

Nondurables less food and beverages

189.787192.701203.1446.17.05.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

226.833231.036245.0658.38.06.1

Durables

108.217107.786106.955-2.1-1.2-0.8

Services

294.291295.371295.8512.70.50.2

Rent of shelter(2)

272.622273.905274.8923.30.80.4

Transportation services

344.379345.980345.5285.90.3-0.1

Other services

336.055337.227337.726-0.40.50.1
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

224.959225.910227.7432.41.20.8

All items less food

234.808235.863237.8222.61.30.8

All items less shelter

226.770227.608229.7121.91.30.9

Commodities less food

150.259151.271155.2752.53.32.6

Nondurables

217.372219.034224.7093.43.42.6

Nondurables less food

191.776194.576204.5245.96.65.1

Nondurables less food and apparel

225.913229.822242.7557.87.55.6

Services less rent of shelter(2)

330.738331.593331.4432.00.20.0

Services less medical care services

276.936278.051278.5522.70.60.2

Energy

190.436194.532207.84911.89.16.8

All items less energy

242.926243.533244.0231.60.50.2

All items less food and energy

242.224242.892243.3921.70.50.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

146.081145.916146.162-1.20.10.2

Energy commodities

193.352202.893234.22823.321.115.4

Services less energy services

304.261305.492306.1602.70.60.2

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 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.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, October 13, 2017