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News Release Information

19-991-ATL
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

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

Consumer Price Index for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater – May 2019

Area prices up 0.9 percent over the two months and 2.2 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater rose 0.9 percent over the April-May pricing period, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the energy index advanced 5.9 percent over the bi-monthly period. Since March, the all items less food and energy index was up 0.4 percent and the food index was up 1.3 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the all items CPI-U increased 2.2 percent. The all items less food and energy index moved up 2.2 percent and the food index rose 3.6 percent over the year. The energy index inched up 0.1 percent since May 2018. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index rose 1.3 percent over the April-May pricing period, reflecting increases in the food at home (1.2 percent) and the food away from home (1.3 percent) indexes.

Since May 2018, the food index rose 3.6 percent, led by a 4.6-percent advance in the food away from home index. Over the year, the food at home index increased 2.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 5.9 percent over the April-May pricing period, fueled by a 9.5 percent increase in the gasoline index. The electricity index also increased, up 1.9 percent, while the utility (piped) gas service index was unchanged over the two months.

The energy index was up 0.1 percent for the 12 months ending May 2019, reflecting a 0.3 percent increase in the gasoline index. Over the year, the electricity and the utility (piped) gas service indexes declined, down 0.1 and 0.9 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent over the April-May pricing period. Increases in the shelter (1.2 percent) and education and communication (2.8 percent) indexes were partially offset by decreases in the new vehicles (-2.3 percent) and apparel (-5.1 percent) indexes.

From May 2018 to May 2019, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent as several indexes recorded increases, most notably shelter (5.4 percent). In contrast, the education and communication index declined over the year (-5.1 percent).

The Consumer Price Index for June 2019 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 11, 2019.


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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Core Based Statistical Area includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties.

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,
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (1987=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
Mar.
2019
Apr.
2019
May
2019
May
2018
Mar.
2019
Apr.
2019

Expenditure category

All Items

226.927-229.0182.20.9-

Food and beverages

228.877-231.6093.61.2-

Food

229.339-232.2813.61.3-

Food at home

229.845230.454232.6902.91.21.0

Cereals and bakery products

263.089-271.3545.93.1-

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

217.854-215.8904.3-0.9-

Dairy and related products

210.529-213.875-9.11.6-

Fruits and vegetables

315.927-330.94310.44.8-

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

168.215-173.8976.43.4-

Other food at home

192.207-188.818-2.5-1.8-

Food away from home

227.574-230.6264.61.3-

Alcoholic beverages

207.563-207.3183.1-0.1-

Housing

229.713-232.2314.71.1-

Shelter

263.683265.797266.9335.41.20.4

Rent of primary residence

268.223270.717271.3325.91.20.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences

277.689279.951280.5555.11.00.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence

277.689279.951280.5555.11.00.2

Fuels and utilities

209.167-212.0150.91.4-

Household energy

164.298167.330167.339-0.21.90.0

Energy Services

161.924164.930164.930-0.11.90.0

Electricity

159.102162.081162.081-0.11.90.0

Utility (piped) gas service

233.814233.814233.814-0.90.00.0

Household furnishings and operations

119.252-118.7023.0-0.5-

Apparel

150.417-142.677-2.4-5.1-

Transportation

202.923-206.6080.51.8-

Private transportation

208.776-211.4510.41.3-

New and used motor vehicles(1)

111.339-108.612-0.8-2.4-

New vehicles

127.275-124.3680.1-2.3-

Used cars and trucks

134.649-132.1840.3-1.8-

Motor fuel

270.772297.788296.2410.29.4-0.5

Gasoline (all types)

264.897291.603290.0540.39.5-0.5

Unleaded regular(2)

257.482284.532283.1940.610.0-0.5

Unleaded midgrade(2)(3)

238.622256.917254.462-1.76.6-1.0

Unleaded premium(2)

284.904304.547301.572-2.25.9-1.0

Motor vehicle insurance

556.605-572.5612.82.9-

Medical Care

392.155-392.3000.20.0-

Recreation(1)

124.021-122.5530.3-1.2-

Education and communication(1)

128.703-132.268-5.12.8-

Tuition, other school fees, and child care

622.848-619.1300.2-0.6-

Other goods and services

299.834-298.3591.0-0.5-

Commodity and service group

All Items

226.927-229.0182.20.9-

Commodities

175.859-176.4971.20.4-

Commodities less food & beverages

147.966-147.780-0.1-0.1-

Nondurables less food & beverages

210.809-214.695-0.71.8-

Durables

93.971-91.8990.5-2.2-

Services

272.305-275.6812.81.2-

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

218.029-220.2172.41.0-

All items less shelter

211.806-213.4070.60.8-

Commodities less food

151.194-151.0040.0-0.1-

Nondurables

219.798-223.0871.61.5-

Nondurables less food

210.667-214.270-0.41.7-

Services less rent of shelter

278.628-282.069-0.21.2-

Services less medical care services

259.416-262.9942.91.4-

Energy

205.954218.683218.0610.15.9-0.3

All items less energy

228.408-229.6222.40.5-

All items less food and energy

228.482-229.4272.20.4-

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(2) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(3) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

- Data not available.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2019