The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South rose 0.1 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. A notable decline in the gasoline index was more than offset by increases in the shelter, medical care services, and apparel indexes. (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 for the South increased 2.1 percent for the 12 months ending in September, after increasing 2.3 percent for the 12-month period ending in August. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.0 percent over the past 12 months. The food index continued to increase, up 2.2 percent over the past year. In contrast, the energy index fell 6.9 percent over the same period. (See table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, South region, September 2021–September 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	5.8	4.5
Oct 2021	6.6	5.0
Nov 2021	7.2	5.5
Dec 2021	7.4	6.0
Jan 2022	7.8	6.5
Feb 2022	8.4	7.0
Mar 2022	9.1	7.1
Apr 2022	8.8	6.8
May 2022	9.2	6.7
Jun 2022	9.8	6.7
Jul 2022	9.4	6.8
Aug 2022	8.9	7.1
Sep 2022	8.7	7.4
Oct 2022	8.1	7.1
Nov 2022	7.7	6.9
Dec 2022	7.0	6.5
Jan 2023	6.9	6.3
Feb 2023	6.4	6.2
Mar 2023	5.3	6.3
Apr 2023	5.5	6.3
May 2023	4.4	6.0
Jun 2023	3.3	5.5
Jul 2023	3.4	5.0
Aug 2023	4.1	4.8
Sep 2023	4.2	4.6
Oct 2023	3.7	4.5
Nov 2023	3.4	4.4
Dec 2023	3.7	4.2
Jan 2024	3.4	4.3
Feb 2024	3.7	4.4
Mar 2024	3.8	4.0
Apr 2024	3.3	3.6
May 2024	3.2	3.3
Jun 2024	2.9	3.1
Jul 2024	2.9	3.1
Aug 2024	2.3	2.9
Sep 2024	2.1	3.0

The food index rose 0.4 percent in September, reflecting increases for the food at home (+0.4 percent) and food away from home (+0.3 percent) indexes. Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the month. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.1 percent in September, as did the index for fruits and vegetables. The index for cereals and bakery products rose 1.0 over the month, while the index for dairy and related products increased 0.6 percent over the same period. In comparison, the index for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials declined in September, as did the index for other food at home.

The food index rose 2.2 percent for the 12 months ending in September. The index for food away from home increased 3.5 percent over the past year, while the index for food at home rose 1.4 percent over the same period. Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the past year, led by a 4.3-percent increase in the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.

The energy index declined 3.0 percent in September, largely attributed to a 6.6-percent fall in the gasoline index. The natural gas index declined 0.8 percent over the month, while the electricity index rose 1.2 percent over the same period.  

The energy index decreased 6.9 percent for the 12 months ending in September, reflecting a 15.0-percent fall in the gasoline index. In contrast, the indexes for electricity (+2.1 percent) and natural gas (+1.4 percent) increased over the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in September. The shelter index rose 0.5 percent over the month, reflecting increases in the indexes for owners’ equivalent rent (+0.5 percent) and rent of primary residence (+0.3 percent). Other indexes with notable increases in September include medical care services (+1.2 percent) and apparel (+2.2 percent). In comparison, the education and communication index declined 0.9 percent in September.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending in September, after increasing 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in August. The index for shelter (+4.7 percent) was the largest contributor to the total 12-month increase in the all items less food and energy index. The indexes for owners’ equivalent rent (+5.1 percent) and rent of primary residence (+4.8 percent) also increased over the past year.

Additional price indexes are now available for the three divisions of the South. In September, the all items index increased 0.4 percent in the East South Central division and 0.1 percent in the West South Central division. The all items index for the South Atlantic division was unchanged in September.

Over the year, the all items index increased 3.2 percent in the East South Central division, 2.1 percent in the South Atlantic division, and 1.7 percent in the West South Central division.

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 the South 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 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.

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

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.