The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater increased 1.4 percent from July to September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the index for all items less food and energy also rose 1.4 percent since July, while the energy index increased 5.1 percent. The food index was unchanged over the bi-monthly period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U advanced 3.3 percent from September 2019 to September 2020. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.6 percent over the past 12 months, while the food index jumped 6.8 percent. In contrast, the energy index fell 7.0 percent over the past year. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index was unchanged from July to September. The food away from home index edged up 0.2 percent since July, while the food at home index edged down 0.2 percent over the bi-monthly period.

The food index advanced 6.8 percent for the 12 months ending in September, reflecting a 9.5 percent jump in the food at home index. The food way from home index also increased over the year, up 3.7 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 5.1 percent from July to September, influenced by gains in the electricity (7.1 percent) and gasoline (3.4 percent) indexes. The utility (piped) gas service index was unchanged over the bi-monthly period.   

The energy index declined 7.0 percent for the 12 months ending in September, led by a 12.2-percent decline in the gasoline index. The electricity and the utility (piped) gas service indexes also declined over the past year, down 2.1 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.4 percent from July to September. Notable indexes that increased since July included medical care (2.3 percent), motor vehicle insurance (9.2 percent), and used cars and trucks (8.0 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.6 percent for the 12 months ending in September. Increases in the shelter (4.6 percent) and medical care (8.8 percent) indexes contributed to the over-the-year increase. In contrast, the apparel index fell 18.7 percent over the past year.

Table A. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2018		2019		2020
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
January	0.8		-1.1	0.4	0.7	3.8
March	0.6		1.9	1.7	0.2	2.1
May	0.4		0.9	2.2	-0.3	0.9
July	0.3		0.1	2.1	1.0	1.8
September	0.6		-0.1	1.5	1.4	3.3
November	-0.3	2.3	0.2	2.0

The Consumer Price Index for October 2020 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, November 12, 2020.

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	Indexes			Percent change from-
	Jul. 2020	Aug. 2020	Sep. 2020	Sep. 2019	Jul. 2020	Aug. 2020
Expenditure category
All Items	233.447	-	236.804	3.3	1.4	-
Food and beverages	248.510	-	248.363	6.7	-0.1	-
Food	249.110	-	249.106	6.8	0.0	-
Food at home	257.105	258.315	256.648	9.5	-0.2	-0.6
Cereals and bakery products	263.333	-	276.121	6.0	4.9	-
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	254.695	-	241.393	7.8	-5.2	-
Dairy and related products	244.883	-	242.900	9.6	-0.8	-
Fruits and vegetables	352.840	-	354.662	6.9	0.5	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	193.772	-	196.672	13.7	1.5	-
Other food at home	208.960	-	213.503	12.1	2.2	-
Food away from home	238.469	-	239.002	3.7	0.2	-
Alcoholic beverages	225.400	-	223.699	5.2	-0.8	-
Housing	241.631	-	243.393	4.2	0.7	-
Shelter	279.814	280.619	280.559	4.6	0.3	0.0
Rent of primary residence	286.238	287.869	287.344	5.5	0.4	-0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences	293.865	294.501	294.288	4.3	0.1	-0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence	293.865	294.501	294.288	4.3	0.1	-0.1
Fuels and utilities	199.939	-	209.619	-1.1	4.8	-
Household energy	152.545	152.579	162.906	-2.5	6.8	6.8
Energy Services	150.322	150.322	160.683	-2.3	6.9	6.9
Electricity	147.683	147.683	158.191	-2.1	7.1	7.1
Utility (piped) gas service	219.991	219.991	219.980	-8.6	0.0	0.0
Household furnishings and operations	128.304	-	129.339	6.1	0.8	-
Apparel	119.506	-	124.111	-18.7	3.9	-
Transportation	188.984	-	197.744	-1.4	4.6	-
Private transportation	198.200	-	203.888	-0.6	2.9	-
New and used motor vehicles(1)	107.104	-	109.112	0.8	1.9	-
New vehicles	120.685	-	119.559	-3.3	-0.9	-
Used cars and trucks	135.583	-	146.380	10.2	8.0	-
Motor fuel	219.852	219.207	226.860	-12.2	3.2	3.5
Gasoline (all types)	214.605	214.103	221.808	-12.2	3.4	3.6
Unleaded regular(2)	205.868	205.210	213.206	-12.9	3.6	3.9
Unleaded midgrade(2)(3)	224.605	223.870	228.086	-2.2	1.5	1.9
Unleaded premium(2)	253.343	254.391	258.803	-7.5	2.2	1.7
Motor vehicle insurance	578.782	-	632.004	10.4	9.2	-
Medical Care	424.896	-	434.878	8.8	2.3	-
Recreation(1)	125.154	-	127.247	4.5	1.7	-
Education and communication(1)	132.838	-	134.339	1.3	1.1	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care	640.109	-	641.452	1.5	0.2	-
Other goods and services	297.601	-	303.976	2.3	2.1	-
Commodity and service group
All Items	233.447	-	236.804	3.3	1.4	-
Commodities	173.922	-	175.706	0.9	1.0	-
Commodities less food & beverages	137.084	-	139.670	-3.1	1.9	-
Nondurables less food & beverages	187.638	-	191.331	-7.6	2.0	-
Durables	90.689	-	92.328	1.7	1.8	-
Services	286.189	-	290.888	4.6	1.6	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	223.223	-	226.245	2.8	1.4	-
All items less shelter	213.886	-	218.555	2.5	2.2	-
Commodities less food	141.103	-	143.553	-2.7	1.7	-
Nondurables	219.710	-	221.291	0.6	0.7	-
Nondurables less food	190.927	-	194.118	-6.5	1.7	-
Services less rent of shelter	288.559	-	298.772	4.5	3.5	-
Services less medical care services	271.042	-	275.037	3.9	1.5	-
Energy	179.189	178.967	188.365	-7.0	5.1	5.3
All items less energy	237.608	-	240.495	4.0	1.2	-
All items less food and energy	236.014	-	239.362	3.6	1.4	-
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base. (2) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (3) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
- Data not available.