The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell decreased 1.0 percent over the September-October pricing period, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the energy index decreased 11.6 percent and the food index declined 0.4 percent over the two months. During this time, the all items less food and energy index edged up 0.3 percent. (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 all items CPI-U advanced 1.6 percent. The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.6 percent and the energy index rose 2.9 percent since October 2017. The food index was unchanged over the year. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Food

The food index declined 0.4 percent over the September-October pricing period, led by a 0.8-percent decrease in the food at home index. The food away from home index inched up 0.1 percent over the two-month pricing period.

The food index was unchanged for the year ended October 2018. The food at home index declined 1.5 percent, while the food away from home index increased 1.8 percent over the last 12 months.  

Energy

The energy index declined 11.6 percent over the September-October pricing period, led by a 33.4-percent seasonal decrease in the electricity index. During this same period, the motor fuel index declined 0.4 percent, while the utility (piped) gas service index rose 1.6 percent.

Over the year, the energy index increased 2.9 percent, fueled by a 12.1-percent increase in the motor fuel index. Since October 2017, the index for utility (piped) gas service rose 7.5 percent, while the index for electricity was down 15.9 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.3 percent over the September-October pricing period. Increases in the apparel (7.2 percent) and shelter (0.7 percent) indexes were partially offset by a 4.3-percent decrease in the new and used motor vehicles index.

From October 2017 to October 2018, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 1.6 percent as several indexes recorded increases, most notably shelter (3.9 percent). In contrast, the medical care index declined 3.3 percent over the year.   

Table A. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2014		2015		2016		2017		2018
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
February	1.3	1.8	0.0	-0.3	0.3	1.6	1.2	3.5	1.2	3.3
April	0.8	2.5	0.7	-0.5	1.0	1.9	0.6	3.2	0.2	2.8
June	1.5	3.0	2.5	0.6	1.3	0.7	1.3	3.2	1.2	2.8
August	-0.1	2.2	-0.1	0.6	0.5	1.2	0.8	3.5	0.3	2.2
October	-1.1	2.2	-1.2	0.5	-0.1	2.4	-0.3	3.2	-1.0	1.6
December	-1.5	0.9	-0.6	1.4	-0.4	2.6	-0.4	3.2

The Consumer Price Index for November 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.

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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 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 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton Counties in Georgia.

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
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	Aug. 2018	Sep. 2018	Oct. 2018	Oct. 2017	Aug. 2018	Sep. 2018
Expenditure category
All Items	241.026	-	238.673	1.6	-1.0	-
All items (1967=100)	726.861	-	719.766	-	-	-
Food and beverages	254.134	-	253.268	0.0	-0.3	-
Food	264.740	-	263.605	0.0	-0.4	-
Food at home	243.935	241.761	241.909	-1.5	-0.8	0.1
Cereals and bakery products	219.964	-	217.045	-	-1.3	-
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	276.702	-	274.814	-	-0.7	-
Dairy and related products	226.711	-	228.494	-	0.8	-
Fruits and vegetables	274.736	-	277.012	-	0.8	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)	252.253	-	248.963	-	-1.3	-
Other food at home	209.920	-	205.279	-	-2.2	-
Food away from home	297.864	-	298.048	1.8	0.1	-
Alcoholic beverages	158.905	-	161.110	-0.2	1.4	-
Housing	245.890	-	240.860	2.4	-2.0	-
Shelter	267.880	269.222	269.816	3.9	0.7	0.2
Rent of primary residence	275.335	277.169	279.064	5.0	1.4	0.7
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)	261.190	262.472	264.185	3.6	1.1	0.7
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)	261.190	262.472	264.185	3.6	1.1	0.7
Fuels and utilities	327.024	-	262.624	-6.2	-19.7	-
Household energy	286.321	263.869	218.322	-8.7	-23.7	-17.3
Energy Services	284.548	261.898	216.245	-9.0	-24.0	-17.4
Electricity	260.113	230.021	173.216	-15.9	-33.4	-24.7
Utility (piped) gas service	292.864	298.344	297.585	7.5	1.6	-0.3
Household furnishings and operations	121.433	-	121.454	0.3	0.0	-
Apparel	136.233	-	145.999	3.2	7.2	-
Transportation	216.606	-	213.176	3.5	-1.6	-
Private transportation	216.647	-	212.658	3.5	-1.8	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)	106.137	-	101.623	-	-4.3	-
New vehicles(1)	226.311	-	213.274	-	-5.8	-
Used cars and trucks(1)	214.625	-	208.669	-	-2.8	-
Motor fuel	250.329	248.677	249.246	12.1	-0.4	0.2
Gasoline (all types)	248.657	246.985	247.516	12.0	-0.5	0.2
Unleaded regular(4)	243.682	241.970	242.393	12.4	-0.5	0.2
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	309.892	308.226	310.779	11.4	0.3	0.8
Unleaded premium(4)	268.243	267.057	268.113	9.4	0.0	0.4
Motor vehicle insurance(1)	1,156.075	-	1,177.118	-	1.8	-
Medical Care	434.789	-	437.850	-3.3	0.7	-
Recreation(3)	84.229	-	83.810	-2.3	-0.5	-
Education and communication(3)	134.531	-	134.226	0.9	-0.2	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)	1,422.307	-	1,422.307	-	0.0	-
Other goods and services	383.045	-	384.280	2.2	0.3	-
Commodity and service group
All Items	241.026	-	238.673	1.6	-1.0	-
Commodities	181.414	-	180.387	1.1	-0.6	-
Commodities less food & beverages	148.015	-	147.008	1.4	-0.7	-
Nondurables less food & beverages	190.321	-	193.469	6.0	1.7	-
Durables	107.849	-	104.265	-1.8	-3.3	-
Services	296.935	-	293.301	1.8	-1.2	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	230.395	-	227.843	2.0	-1.1	-
All items less shelter	233.839	-	229.616	0.4	-1.8	-
Commodities less food	148.192	-	147.257	1.4	-0.6	-
Nondurables	218.446	-	219.927	3.2	0.7	-
Nondurables less food	187.066	-	190.138	5.8	1.6	-
Services less rent of shelter(2)	345.674	-	334.070	-0.7	-3.4	-
Services less medical care services	281.702	-	277.752	2.6	-1.4	-
Energy	244.593	234.578	216.261	2.9	-11.6	-7.8
All items less energy	240.379	-	240.811	1.4	0.2	-
All items less food and energy	236.964	-	237.613	1.6	0.3	-
Footnotes (1) Index is on a December 1977=100 base. (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. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.