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19-1761-DAL
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.4 percent for the two months ending in September 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that a 0.8-percent increase in the index for all items less food and energy was the biggest factor in the two-month rise, though higher prices for food also contributed. In contrast, energy costs fell 3.8 percent during the period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)
Over the last 12 months, the all items CPI-U advanced 2.2 percent, driven largely by a 2.9-percent increase in the index for all items less food and energy. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Food prices advanced 2.2 percent, but energy prices fell 4.5 percent over the year.
FoodFood prices rose 0.3 percent for the two months ending in September, after registering no change in June and July. The latest increase was the result of a 0.8-percent rise in prices for food away from home, as costs for food at home (grocery store prices) decreased 0.3 percent during the period.
During the 12 months ending in September 2019, food prices advanced 2.2 percent. As with the bi-monthly change, the annual increase was the result of higher prices for food away from home (5.1 percent), as prices for food at home declined (-0.6 percent).
EnergyThe energy index fell 3.8 percent for the two months ending in September, after falling 0.8 percent in June and July. The latest decrease was entirely the result of lower prices for gasoline (-7.4 percent). Prices for natural gas service rose 6.0 percent and prices for electricity were virtually unchanged (0.1 percent) during the period.
The energy index fell 4.5 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-10.4 percent), though prices paid for natural gas service also declined (-2.3 percent). In contrast, prices for electricity advanced 4.9 percent during the past year.
All items less food and energyThe index for all items less food and energy rose 0.8 percent in August and September, matching the June and July increase. In the latest two-month period, higher prices for apparel (5.6 percent), recreation (4.8 percent), and rent of primary residence (1.1 percent) were among the biggest factors in the increase. These gains were slowed by a 1.8-percent decline in prices for new and used motor vehicles.
Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.9 percent. Leading factors in the price increase included shelter (4.2 percent), medical care (4.2 percent), and recreation (5.4 percent). Partly offsetting these gains was a price decline in education and communication (-2.0 percent).
The November 2019 Consumer Price Index for All Items for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is scheduled to be released Wednesday, December 11, 2019.
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 the counties of Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise.
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.
Item and Group | Indexes | Percent change from - | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul. 2019 | Aug. 2019 | Sep. 2019 | Sep. 2018 | Jul. 2019 | Aug. 2019 | |
All items | 238.891 | - | 239.815 | 2.2 | 0.4 | - |
All items (1967 = 100) | 749.389 | - | 752.286 | |||
Food and beverages | 258.538 | - | 258.853 | 2.1 | 0.1 | - |
Food | 252.391 | - | 253.076 | 2.2 | 0.3 | - |
Food at home | 211.830 | 211.559 | 211.293 | -0.6 | -0.3 | -0.1 |
Cereals and bakery products | 259.782 | - | 261.319 | 2.3 | 0.6 | - |
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 236.796 | - | 236.037 | -4.0 | -0.3 | - |
Dairy and related products | 189.667 | - | 195.182 | 2.7 | 2.9 | - |
Fruits and vegetables | 193.401 | - | 193.832 | -4.7 | 0.2 | - |
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1) | 184.898 | - | 183.320 | 1.2 | -0.9 | - |
Other food at home | 202.821 | - | 199.347 | 1.8 | -1.7 | - |
Food away from home | 313.411 | - | 315.868 | 5.1 | 0.8 | - |
Alcoholic beverages | 341.438 | - | 331.074 | -1.8 | -3.0 | - |
Housing | 231.993 | - | 233.628 | 3.8 | 0.7 | - |
Shelter | 260.098 | 259.828 | 261.558 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Rent of primary residence | 275.319 | 276.563 | 278.451 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2) | 279.916 | 279.954 | 281.172 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2) | 279.916 | 279.954 | 281.172 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Fuels and utilities | 244.746 | - | 246.139 | 4.6 | 0.6 | - |
Household energy | 217.260 | 218.156 | 219.096 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
Energy services | 213.667 | 214.624 | 215.459 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
Electricity | 206.634 | 206.635 | 206.764 | 4.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Utility (piped) gas service | 188.408 | 194.890 | 199.763 | -2.3 | 6.0 | 2.5 |
Household furnishings and operations | 117.747 | - | 120.090 | 0.1 | 2.0 | - |
Apparel | 109.784 | - | 115.963 | 0.3 | 5.6 | - |
Transportation | 213.689 | - | 207.870 | -1.9 | -2.7 | - |
Private transportation | 217.458 | - | 211.226 | -2.4 | -2.9 | - |
New and used motor vehicles(3) | 109.512 | - | 107.579 | 0.3 | -1.8 | - |
New vehicles(1) | 205.751 | - | 205.573 | 0.4 | -0.1 | - |
Used cars and trucks(1) | 333.369 | - | 324.161 | 2.4 | -2.8 | - |
Motor fuel | 242.815 | 223.147 | 225.025 | -10.4 | -7.3 | 0.8 |
Gasoline (all types) | 241.660 | 221.815 | 223.697 | -10.4 | -7.4 | 0.8 |
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4) | 232.180 | 212.662 | 214.451 | -10.7 | -7.6 | 0.8 |
257.887 | 237.380 | 240.897 | -9.2 | -6.6 | 1.5 | |
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4) | 260.430 | 243.546 | 245.384 | -8.0 | -5.8 | 0.8 |
Motor vehicle insurance(1) | 782.720 | - | 766.339 | -3.6 | -2.1 | - |
Medical care | 453.839 | - | 456.962 | 4.2 | 0.7 | - |
Recreation(3) | 120.154 | - | 125.970 | 5.4 | 4.8 | - |
Education and communication(3) | 132.533 | - | 132.385 | -2.0 | -0.1 | - |
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1) | 1,275.729 | - | 1,287.011 | 1.8 | 0.9 | - |
Other goods and services | 417.921 | - | 422.514 | 3.4 | 1.1 | - |
Commodity and service group | ||||||
Commodities | 178.318 | - | 177.820 | 0.4 | -0.3 | - |
Commodities less food and beverages | 142.212 | - | 141.508 | -0.4 | -0.5 | - |
Nondurables less food and beverages | 179.171 | - | 178.063 | -2.5 | -0.6 | - |
Durables | 110.908 | - | 110.529 | 2.3 | -0.3 | - |
Services | 297.962 | - | 300.246 | 3.3 | 0.8 | - |
Special aggregate indexes | ||||||
All items less shelter | 229.638 | - | 230.311 | 1.2 | 0.3 | - |
All items less medical care | 228.458 | - | 229.278 | 2.1 | 0.4 | - |
Commodities less food | 147.252 | - | 146.435 | -0.4 | -0.6 | - |
Nondurables | 215.640 | - | 215.093 | -0.3 | -0.3 | - |
Nondurables less food | 186.759 | - | 185.414 | -2.4 | -0.7 | - |
Services less rent of shelter(2) | 348.870 | - | 352.370 | 2.2 | 1.0 | - |
Services less medical care services | 281.819 | - | 283.851 | 3.0 | 0.7 | - |
Energy | 232.378 | 222.024 | 223.482 | -4.5 | -3.8 | 0.7 |
All items less energy | 243.642 | - | 245.477 | 2.8 | 0.8 | - |
All items less food and energy | 241.988 | - | 243.987 | 2.9 | 0.8 | - |
Footnotes | ||||||
- Data not available. |
Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 10, 2019