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News Release Information

24-2098-ATL
Thursday, October 10, 2024

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

Consumer Price Index, South Region — September 2024

Area prices rose 0.1 percent in September; up 2.1 percent over the past year

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.)

Food

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.

Energy

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.

All items less food and energy

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.

Geographic divisions

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.

Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month

January

0.3 2.3 0.5 1.6 0.9 7.8 0.8 6.9 0.6 3.4

February

0.2 1.9 0.5 2.0 1.1 8.4 0.6 6.4 0.9 3.7

March

-0.1 1.1 0.8 2.9 1.4 9.1 0.4 5.3 0.4 3.8

April

-0.8 -0.2 0.7 4.4 0.5 8.8 0.7 5.5 0.2 3.3

May

-0.2 -0.4 0.8 5.6 1.2 9.2 0.2 4.4 0.1 3.2

June

0.6 0.3 0.9 5.8 1.5 9.8 0.3 3.3 0.0 2.9

July

0.6 0.6 0.5 5.8 0.1 9.4 0.2 3.4 0.2 2.9

August

0.4 1.1 0.3 5.6 -0.2 8.9 0.6 4.1 0.0 2.3

September

0.2 1.3 0.3 5.8 0.2 8.7 0.2 4.2 0.1 2.1

October

0.1 1.3 1.0 6.6 0.4 8.1 -0.1 3.7

November

-0.1 1.2 0.4 7.2 0.1 7.7 -0.2 3.4

December

0.2 1.4 0.3 7.4 -0.3 7.0 -0.1 3.7

The Consumer Price Index for October 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).


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 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.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods
South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Item and Group

Indexes Percent change from-
Jul.
2024
Aug.
2024
Sep.
2024
Sep.
2023
Jul.
2024
Aug.
2024

Expenditure category

All Items

305.819 305.761 306.078 2.1 0.1 0.1

All items (December 1977=100)

496.080 495.986 496.502 - - -

Food and beverages

322.914 323.095 324.177 2.2 0.4 0.3

Food

326.783 326.917 328.080 2.2 0.4 0.4

Food at home

305.027 304.572 305.802 1.4 0.3 0.4

Cereal and bakery products

366.286 362.385 365.993 0.6 -0.1 1.0

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

323.081 322.885 326.451 4.3 1.0 1.1

Dairy and related products

268.560 270.454 272.076 1.1 1.3 0.6

Fruits and vegetables

333.198 331.694 335.299 0.9 0.6 1.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

216.560 217.373 215.122 0.0 -0.7 -1.0

Other food at home

273.768 273.339 272.812 0.5 -0.3 -0.2

Food away from home

363.562 364.733 365.773 3.5 0.6 0.3

Alcoholic beverages

269.016 269.822 269.818 1.9 0.3 0.0

Housing

313.354 313.956 315.385 3.8 0.6 0.5

Shelter

366.744 368.172 369.883 4.7 0.9 0.5

Rent of primary residence

392.174 393.450 394.789 4.8 0.7 0.3

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)

369.280 370.934 372.695 5.1 0.9 0.5

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)

369.266 370.925 372.668 5.1 0.9 0.5

Fuels and utilities

303.699 301.030 303.836 2.6 0.0 0.9

Household energy

248.118 244.776 247.090 2.0 -0.4 0.9

Energy services

248.338 244.856 247.243 2.0 -0.4 1.0

Electricity

245.471 241.769 244.758 2.1 -0.3 1.2

Utility (piped) gas service

246.829 245.117 243.267 1.4 -1.4 -0.8

Household furnishings and operations

147.098 146.658 146.462 -2.1 -0.4 -0.1

Apparel

140.034 141.999 145.106 1.4 3.6 2.2

Transportation

274.977 272.224 268.606 -1.8 -2.3 -1.3

Private transportation

278.505 275.514 271.302 -1.9 -2.6 -1.5

New and used motor vehicles(2)

125.773 125.138 125.006 -3.3 -0.6 -0.1

New vehicles

184.998 184.591 184.444 -1.8 -0.3 -0.1

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

- - - - - -

New cars(3)

181.956 181.736 181.387 -2.4 -0.3 -0.2

Used cars and trucks

179.048 177.629 177.432 -5.5 -0.9 -0.1

Motor fuel

291.834 281.052 262.527 -15.2 -10.0 -6.6

Gasoline (all types)

290.899 280.112 261.513 -15.0 -10.1 -6.6

Unleaded regular(3)

283.966 273.037 254.223 -15.5 -10.5 -6.9

Unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

327.896 317.410 299.402 -12.6 -8.7 -5.7

Unleaded premium(3)

320.206 310.992 294.942 -11.3 -7.9 -5.2

Medical care

530.530 530.700 535.448 3.9 0.9 0.9

Medical care commodities

385.979 385.232 384.229 0.2 -0.5 -0.3

Medical care services

578.720 579.205 585.915 4.8 1.2 1.2

Professional services

400.295 400.174 407.690 4.2 1.8 1.9

Recreation(2)

138.323 138.200 137.895 1.2 -0.3 -0.2

Education and communication(2)

142.185 142.344 141.121 0.2 -0.7 -0.9

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

1,535.193 1,549.573 1,551.043 4.2 1.0 0.1

Other goods and services

531.515 534.771 535.578 3.6 0.8 0.2

Commodity and service group

All Items

305.819 305.761 306.078 2.1 0.1 0.1

Commodities

222.626 221.713 220.478 -1.5 -1.0 -0.6

Commodities less food and beverages

178.103 176.854 174.876 -3.5 -1.8 -1.1

Nondurables less food and beverages

235.713 233.468 229.343 -4.2 -2.7 -1.8

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

293.536 288.793 280.378 -5.8 -4.5 -2.9

Durables

126.097 125.568 125.070 -3.6 -0.8 -0.4

Services

389.893 390.689 392.557 4.4 0.7 0.5

Rent of shelter(1)

377.777 379.226 380.998 4.7 0.9 0.5

Transportation services

498.652 498.913 501.927 7.2 0.7 0.6

Other services

400.220 401.059 399.998 2.3 -0.1 -0.3

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

293.230 293.161 293.267 2.0 0.0 0.0

All items less food

302.349 302.264 302.463 2.1 0.0 0.1

All items less shelter

282.990 282.276 281.983 0.8 -0.4 -0.1

Commodities less food

180.855 179.650 177.712 -3.4 -1.7 -1.1

Nondurables

276.900 275.775 274.058 -0.7 -1.0 -0.6

Nondurables less food

237.217 235.148 231.264 -3.9 -2.5 -1.7

Nondurables less food and apparel

289.813 285.580 277.944 -5.2 -4.1 -2.7

Services less rent of shelter(1)

416.630 416.514 418.566 4.0 0.5 0.5

Services less medical care services

371.839 372.648 374.146 4.4 0.6 0.4

Energy

263.953 257.084 249.271 -6.9 -5.6 -3.0

All items less energy

311.730 312.333 313.442 2.9 0.5 0.4

All items less food and energy

309.699 310.377 311.479 3.0 0.6 0.4

Commodities less food and energy commodities

167.457 167.416 167.503 -1.4 0.0 0.1

Energy commodities

296.558 285.904 267.532 -14.9 -9.8 -6.4

Services less energy services

404.831 406.028 407.857 4.6 0.7 0.5

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

- Data not available.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024