The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the South region increased 0.5 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The index for energy rose 3.6 percent over the month. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.3 percent in September while index for food rose 0.3 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The South all items CPI-U advanced 3.4 percent for the 12 months ending in September. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index increased 20.1 percent for the 12 months ending September. The food index rose 2.2 percent over the last year.

 

Food

The food index increased 0.3 percent in September. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) rose 0.3 percent over the pricing period. Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in September, including cereals and bakery products (+1.1 percent). The index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 0.2 percent over the month.

Food prices advanced 2.2 percent over the year. The food away from home index rose 3.1 percent over the past year. The food at home index increased 1.7 percent for the 12 months ending September as prices increased in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups.

Energy

The index for energy increased 3.6 percent over the month. The gasoline index rose 7.0 percent over the same period. The index for electricity declined 0.8 percent and the natural gas index fell 0.5 percent in September.

The energy index advanced 20.1 percent for the 12 months ending September. The gasoline index increased 37.5 percent over this 12-month span. The electricity index rose 1.9 percent, and the natural gas index rose 8.2 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.3 percent in September. The shelter index increased 0.4 percent over the month, led by a 0.3-percent increase in the owners’ equivalent rent index.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent over the last 12 months. The shelter index and the index for owners’ equivalent rent both increased 2.3 percent over the last year.

The October 2026 Consumer Price Index for the South Region is scheduled to be released on November 10, 2026.

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 Consumer Price Index for the South region 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.

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.

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