The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington rose 1.6 percent in April and May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that an 11.5-percent climb in energy costs was the biggest factor in the two-month rise, though a 0.9-percent increase in the index for all items less food and energy was a nearly equal contributor. Food prices also rose, up 0.3 percent in April and May. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

During the year ended in May 2018, the all items CPI-U rose 3.9 percent, the fastest annual rate of gain since November 2011. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.5 percent during the latest 12-month period, the fastest annual increase for this series since March 2009. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.3 percent in April and May, after falling 0.5 percent in February and March. During the latest period, prices for food at home rose 0.6 percent, while prices for food away from home were unchanged.

Despite the latest bimonthly increase, total food prices were unchanged from May 2017 to May 2018. A 2.3-percent increase in prices for food away from home was balanced by a 2.2-percent decrease in prices for food at home.

Energy

The energy index climbed 11.5 percent in April and May, its largest bimonthly rate of increase since March and April 2011 (14.8 percent). The current increase was primarily the result of a 16.8-percent surge in motor fuel costs, but higher electricity prices, up 7.1 percent, were another contributor. Partially offsetting these increases, prices for natural gas fell 8.3 percent.

During the year ended in May 2018, the energy index rose 14.9 percent, its fastest annual rate of gain since September 2011 (20.0 percent). Higher motor fuel prices, up 23.8 percent, were by far the largest factor in the energy index rise. During the latest 12-month period, electricity prices also rose, up 3.8 percent, and natural gas costs edged up 0.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.9 percent in April and May, after increasing 0.6 percent in February and March. The current advance was led by higher prices for shelter, which rose 1.7 percent. Higher prices for cigarettes and new vehicles also played a role, as did a 0.6-percent increase in the cost of medical care. Partially countering these increases, the indexes for apparel and recreation fell in April and May, declining 3.7 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

From May 2017 to May 2018, the index for all items less food and energy rose 3.5 percent. Higher shelter costs, up 6.3 percent, were responsible for the largest share of the annual rise, but increases in recreation and medical care costs also contributed. Countering a portion of these advances, education and communication costs edged down 0.2 percent during the previous 12 months.

The July 2018 Consumer Price Index for All Items for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is scheduled to be released Friday, August 10, 2018.

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is published bi-monthly. 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 approximately 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, Core Based Statistical Area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise 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-Arlington, TX (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from -
	Mar. 2018	Apr. 2018	May 2018	May 2017	Mar. 2018	Apr. 2018
All items	230.272	-	234.034	3.9	1.6	-
All items (1967 = 100)	722.349	-	734.152
Food and beverages	251.166	-	251.727	0.2	0.2	-
Food	245.461	-	246.216	0.0	0.3	-
Food at home	210.963	212.641	212.145	-2.2	0.6	-0.2
Cereals and bakery products	263.028	-	252.240	-	-4.1	-
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	240.950	-	243.522	-	1.1	-
Dairy and related products	193.708	-	199.451	-	3.0	-
Fruits and vegetables	191.863	-	201.129	-	4.8	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)	176.671	-	177.627	-	0.5	-
Other food at home	199.424	-	196.989	-	-1.2	-
Food away from home	297.648	-	297.793	2.3	0.0	-
Alcoholic beverages	324.083	-	318.893	0.5	-1.6	-
Housing	220.437	-	224.436	5.3	1.8	-
Shelter	245.915	249.076	250.028	6.3	1.7	0.4
Rent of primary residence(2)	262.322	265.425	266.000	6.5	1.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)(3)	264.447	266.756	266.985	6.4	1.0	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)(3)	264.447	266.756	266.985	6.4	1.0	0.1
Fuels and utilities	224.645	-	232.389	5.2	3.4	-
Household energy	198.694	207.899	207.478	3.6	4.4	-0.2
Energy services(2)	195.244	204.431	203.961	3.7	4.5	-0.2
Electricity(2)	179.671	191.828	192.468	3.8	7.1	0.3
Utility (piped) gas service(2)	227.933	216.081	208.990	0.3	-8.3	-3.3
Household furnishings and operations	120.659	-	122.055	-1.6	1.2	-
Apparel	113.790	-	109.574	3.2	-3.7	-
Transportation	206.655	-	216.875	6.4	4.9	-
Private transportation	209.699	-	220.213	7.1	5.0	-
New and used motor vehicles(4)	106.975	-	108.185	-	1.1	-
New vehicles(1)	199.219	-	204.607	-	2.7	-
Used cars and trucks(1)	328.209	-	326.378	-	-0.6	-
Motor fuel	221.874	239.124	259.205	23.8	16.8	8.4
Gasoline (all types)	220.429	237.787	257.974	23.8	17.0	8.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)	211.596	228.681	248.319	24.3	17.4	8.6
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)	234.378	251.491	272.175	21.3	16.1	8.2
Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)	239.697	254.584	274.102	19.8	14.4	7.7
Motor vehicle insurance(1)	811.445	-	810.191	-	-0.2	-
Medical care	433.810	-	436.624	1.0	0.6	-
Recreation(4)	117.248	-	116.778	4.6	-0.4	-
Education and communication(4)	134.581	-	134.952	-0.2	0.3	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)	1,238.524	-	1,238.524	-	0.0	-
Other goods and services	393.744	-	398.343	1.7	1.2	-
Commodity and service group
Commodities	173.494	-	177.409	2.8	2.3	-
Commodities less food and beverages	138.477	-	143.108	4.2	3.3	-
Nondurables less food and beverages	174.002	-	182.282	8.2	4.8	-
Durables	108.348	-	110.095	-0.4	1.6	-
Services	285.673	-	289.311	4.5	1.3	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter	223.613	-	227.221	2.7	1.6	-
All items less medical care	220.383	-	224.181	4.2	1.7	-
Commodities less food	143.299	-	147.927	4.2	3.2	-
Nondurables	209.454	-	214.739	4.1	2.5	-
Nondurables less food	181.198	-	189.346	8.0	4.5	-
Services less rent of shelter(3)	340.088	-	342.799	2.5	0.8	-
Services less medical care services	270.555	-	274.311	5.0	1.4	-
Energy	212.416	226.072	236.870	14.9	11.5	4.8
All items less energy	235.907	-	237.847	3.0	0.8	-
All items less food and energy	234.147	-	236.257	3.5	0.9	-
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a February 1978=100 base. (2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (3) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (4) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (5) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (6) Index on a December 1993=100.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.