Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

15-2023-SAN
Thursday, October 15, 2015

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, West Region — September 2015

Area prices were down 0.2 percent over the past month, up 1.0 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged down 0.2 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The September decrease was influenced by lower prices for gasoline and, to a lesser extent, new and used motor vehicles. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 1.0 percent. (See chart 1.) Energy prices dropped 13.9 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.3 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.7 percent for the month of September. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home rose 1.3 percent, and prices for food at home crept up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.0 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 3.2 percent, and prices for food at home advanced 1.1 percent since a year ago.

Energy

The energy index decreased 6.4 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-10.6 percent). Prices for natural gas service declined 1.6 percent, and prices for electricity declined 0.9 percent since the previous month.

Energy prices dropped 13.9 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-22.1 percent). Prices for natural gas service declined 5.5 percent, but prices paid for electricity rose 0.3 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy crept up 0.2 percent in September. Higher prices for apparel (2.3 percent) and education and communication (0.4 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for new and used vehicles (-1.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.3 percent. Expenditure categories leading the increase included shelter (4.3 percent) and medical care (2.2 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in apparel (-2.1 percent) and education and communication (-0.5 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month201020112012201320142015
MonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnual

January

0.31.90.51.40.42.60.31.70.31.7-0.30.7

February

0.11.40.61.90.42.50.82.00.41.30.60.9

March

0.31.60.92.60.92.40.41.50.61.50.81.1

April

0.21.50.63.00.22.10.01.30.31.80.31.0

May

0.11.30.33.20.22.00.21.30.62.30.81.2

June

-0.10.6-0.23.1-0.22.00.11.50.12.30.01.1

July

0.10.8-0.12.9-0.31.80.01.90.12.30.31.3

August

0.10.70.23.00.52.10.11.5-0.12.1-0.11.3

September

-0.10.50.43.50.52.20.21.30.12.0-0.21.0

October

0.10.60.03.40.42.5-0.10.9-0.12.0  

November

0.00.9-0.23.2-0.71.9-0.41.3-0.61.7  

December

0.21.3-0.32.7-0.51.70.01.8-0.51.3  

The October 2015 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on November 17, 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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

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

West (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Jul.
2015
Aug.
2015
Sep.
2015
Sep.
2014
Jul.
2015
Aug.
2015

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

245.040244.737244.2571.0-0.3-0.2

All items (December 1977=100)

396.093395.603394.827   

Food and beverages

249.041249.795251.2841.80.90.6

Food

249.229250.045251.6792.01.00.7

Food at home

249.077249.825250.3371.10.50.2

Food away from home

248.217249.125252.3343.21.71.3

Alcoholic beverages

243.237243.187242.8150.1-0.2-0.2

Housing

255.592256.383256.8583.60.50.2

Shelter

288.418289.532290.3754.30.70.3

Rent of primary residence (1)

301.282302.665304.1384.40.90.5

Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) (2)

302.165303.446304.6974.40.80.4

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1) (2)

302.150303.428304.6804.30.80.4

Fuels and utilities

282.591284.512282.5730.80.0-0.7

Household energy

248.442249.042246.425-1.6-0.8-1.1

Energy services (1)

251.242251.895249.137-1.1-0.8-1.1

Electricity (1)

276.848276.609273.9940.3-1.0-0.9

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

206.061208.891205.615-5.5-0.2-1.6

Household furnishings and operations

129.673128.751129.0911.2-0.40.3

Apparel

116.120117.732120.484-2.13.82.3

Transportation

213.790209.616202.729-6.2-5.2-3.3

Private transportation

207.669204.559197.316-6.4-5.0-3.5

New and used motor vehicles (3)

102.678102.268101.0890.4-1.5-1.2

New vehicles

147.620146.327145.3970.9-1.5-0.6

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

102.586101.674101.0110.9-1.5-0.7

New cars (4)

146.810145.475144.298-0.3-1.7-0.8

Used cars and trucks

146.251146.008143.520-2.3-1.9-1.7

Motor fuel

274.229261.905234.267-22.3-14.6-10.6

Gasoline (all types)

273.797261.539233.713-22.1-14.6-10.6

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

271.793259.528231.321-22.7-14.9-10.9

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

259.585249.585223.986-20.5-13.7-10.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

264.212252.389228.034-19.8-13.7-9.6

Medical Care

455.089451.436451.8862.2-0.70.1

Medical care commodities

345.506344.317345.2963.6-0.10.3

Medical care services

489.865485.294485.5241.9-0.90.0

Professional services

341.435338.330338.4841.9-0.90.0

Recreation (3)

111.030110.834110.8370.6-0.20.0

Education and communication (3)

137.604138.013138.557-0.50.70.4

Other goods and services

402.499401.912403.4890.90.20.4
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

245.040244.737244.2571.0-0.3-0.2

Commodities

183.246182.356180.903-2.4-1.3-0.8

Commodities less food & beverages

149.773148.236145.620-5.2-2.8-1.8

Nondurables less food & beverages

192.300189.788184.817-8.0-3.9-2.6

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

245.683240.400230.238-9.9-6.3-4.2

Durables

110.518109.871109.394-0.5-1.0-0.4

Services

301.866302.133302.5963.00.20.2

Rent of shelter (2)

306.829308.020308.9234.30.70.3

Transportation services

285.501281.861281.3412.1-1.5-0.2

Other services

336.067336.534337.6240.90.50.3
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

235.399235.232234.7170.9-0.3-0.2

All items less food

244.577244.096243.2790.8-0.5-0.3

All items less shelter

228.759227.850226.802-0.7-0.9-0.5

Commodities less food

153.416151.914149.348-5.0-2.7-1.7

Nondurables

221.198220.190218.196-2.9-1.4-0.9

Nondurables less food

196.334193.957189.237-7.4-3.6-2.4

Nondurables less food and apparel

245.071240.299231.093-9.0-5.7-3.8

Services less rent of shelter (2)

329.763328.848328.7871.5-0.30.0

Services less medical care services

288.789289.332289.8063.10.40.2

Energy

265.318258.734242.168-13.9-8.7-6.4

All items less energy

245.488245.659246.3932.30.40.3

All items less food and energy

245.605245.663246.2422.30.30.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

140.120139.901140.306-0.50.10.3

Energy commodities

277.746265.451237.970-22.2-14.3-10.4

Services less energy services

305.850306.093306.7633.20.30.2

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015