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News Release Information

15-1142-DAL
Thursday, June 18, 2015

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Consumer Price Index, Dallas-Fort Worth – May 2015

Area prices up 0.5 percent in April and May, but down 0.5 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Dallas-Fort Worth rose 0.5 percent in April and May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that a 6.3-percent advance in energy prices was partially offset by a 0.1-percent dip in the index for all items less food and energy; food prices were unchanged during the period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

During the 12 months ended in May 2015, the all items CPI-U fell 0.5 percent, the third consecutive decline for the overall index. (See chart 1.) In contrast, the index for all items less food and energy rose 1.6 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices were unchanged in April and May, after decreasing 0.4 percent in the previous two-month period. Opposing movements were registered by the two components of the index as prices for food at home (grocery store prices) decreased 0.4 percent while prices for food away from home increased 0.4 percent.

From May 2014 to May 2015, the food index rose 1.2 percent, reflecting the combined effects of a 2.5-percent price rise for food away from home and a 0.3-percent price rise at grocery stores.

Energy

The energy index rose 6.3 percent in April and May, following a 5.2-percent increase in February and March. The current advance was the result of a 14.4-percent rise in gasoline prices. Partially offsetting the gasoline price increase were lower household energy costs, as prices for natural gas and electricity decreased 2.2 and 0.5 percent, respectively.

Despite the bimonthly rise, the energy index registered an 18.0-percent decrease during the year ended in May 2015, as prices fell for each of the energy components. A 25.7-percent drop in gasoline prices was the biggest factor in the decrease, but natural gas costs also fell, down 34.0 percent during the last 12 months, and electricity prices declined 3.0 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was little changed in April and May, slipping 0.1 percent, as a result of differing movements among the sub-components of the index. A 6.8-percent decline in apparel prices had the greatest impact on the current dip, though smaller declines in household furnishings and operations (-1.2 percent) and education and communication (-0.9 percent) also contributed. Largely countering these decreases were higher prices for other goods and services (1.3 percent), shelter (0.7 percent), and recreation (0.6 percent).

From May 2014 to May 2015, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 1.6 percent. The biggest factor in the annual increase was a 4.0-percent rise in shelter costs, as the indexes rose for both renters’ costs (4.6 percent) and owners’ equivalent rent (3.2 percent). Another large contributor was a 5.8-percent rise in medical care prices. Among the components slowing these gains were a 2.5-percent decline for apparel prices, as well as annual decreases for education and communication, and household furnishings and operations (both down 2.2 percent).

The July 2015 Consumer Price Index for All Items for Dallas-Fort Worth is scheduled to be released Wednesday, August 19, 2015.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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/cpi/.

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 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant 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,
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and GroupIndexesPercent change from -
 
Mar.
2015
Apr.
2015
May
2015
May
2014
Mar.
2015
Apr.
2015

All items

217.487 218.484-0.50.5 

All items (1967 = 100)

682.244 685.373   

Food and beverages

249.256 249.0291.1-0.1 

Food

243.570 243.5091.20.0 

Food at home

220.403220.057219.6300.3-0.4-0.2

Food away from home

279.670 280.8372.50.4 

Alcoholic beverages

326.902 323.310-0.9-1.1 

Housing

197.523 198.1391.80.3 

Shelter

212.118212.848213.6614.00.70.4

Rent of primary residence (1)

220.211221.199221.9664.60.80.3

Owners' equivalent rent of residences (1) (2)

226.571227.105227.7773.20.50.3

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (1) (2)

226.571227.105227.7773.20.50.3

Fuels and utilities

224.210 222.581-5.3-0.7 

Household energy

211.862211.818210.417-8.0-0.7-0.7

Energy services (1) (3)

208.345208.286206.872-7.8-0.7-0.7

Electricity (1)

208.390207.777207.301-3.0-0.5-0.2

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

152.923156.114149.600-34.0-2.2-4.2

Household furnishings and operations

126.361 124.893-2.2-1.2 

Apparel

119.623 111.535-2.5-6.8 

Transportation

201.044 207.953-8.53.4 

Private transportation

202.776 209.345-8.63.2 

Motor fuel

208.304218.439237.502-25.814.08.7

Gasoline (all types)

206.847217.409236.642-25.714.48.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

201.090211.291230.735-26.314.79.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

215.091226.278244.778-24.713.88.2

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

215.524226.733243.761-23.313.17.5

Medical care

411.537 411.9965.80.1 

Recreation (6)

111.830 112.492-0.90.6 

Education and communication (6)

137.094 135.855-2.2-0.9 

Other goods and services

380.736 385.6442.31.3 
 

COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP

 

Commodities

175.990 176.602-4.50.3 

Commodities less food and beverages

142.599 143.482-7.60.6 

Nondurables less food and beverages

171.028 174.294-10.01.9 

Durables

117.212 115.939-4.0-1.1 

Services

258.066 259.4432.30.5 
 

SPECIAL AGGREGATE INDEXES

 

All items less shelter

220.698 221.457-2.30.3 

All items less medical care

208.030 209.044-1.00.5 

Commodities less food

147.381 148.201-7.40.6 

Nondurables

206.801 208.594-4.60.9 

Nondurables less food

178.431 181.502-9.51.7 

Services less rent of shelter (2)

324.251 325.3370.80.3 

Services less medical care services

242.643 244.1392.10.6 

Energy

211.601216.493225.007-18.06.33.9

All items less energy

221.760 221.6301.5-0.1 

All items less food and energy

218.207 218.0651.6-0.1 

(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Prior to January 2011 this series was titled Gas (piped) and electricity.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, June 18, 2015