Prices in the San Diego Area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 1.6 percent in the second half of 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that this latest six-month increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and recreation. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, six-month-to-six-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 2.4 percent.  (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices fell 3.8 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices increased 1.4 percent in the second half of 2015. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home increased 2.4 percent, and prices for food at home rose 0.6 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 1.8 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 3.7 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home rose 0.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 0.9 percent since the first half of 2015. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for electricity (2.4 percent). Prices for natural gas service increased 1.8 percent, and prices for gasoline rose 0.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices fell 3.8 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-8.4 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service decreased 1.3 percent, but prices for electricity increased 7.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.6 percent in the latest six-month period. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.3 percent) and recreation (2.3 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included apparel (6.5 percent) and shelter (4.3 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in education and communication (-0.7 percent) and other goods and services (-0.2 percent).

Table A. San Diego CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)

Month	2010		2011		2012		2013		2014		2015
	Semi-annual	Annual	Semi-annual	Annual	Semi-annual	Annual	Semi-annual	Annual	Semi-annual	Annual	Semi-annual	Annual
First Half	0.2	1.4	2.3	3.4	1.3	1.7	0.6	0.9	1.4	2.4	0.9	0.8
Second Half	1.0	1.2	0.4	2.7	0.3	1.5	1.1	1.7	-0.1	1.3	1.6	2.4

The First Half of 2016 Consumer Price Index for the San Diego is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2016.

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 San Diego, CA metropolitan area covered in this release consists of San Diego County in the State of California.

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 for semiannual averages and percent changes for selected periods

San Diego, CA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Semiannual average indexes			Percent change to 2nd half 2015 from-
	2nd half 2014	1st half 2015	2nd half 2015	2nd half 2014	1st half 2015
Expenditure category
All items	265.039	267.346	271.526	2.4	1.6
All items (1967=100)	896.178	903.977	918.113	-	-
Food and beverages	244.716	245.892	249.132	1.8	1.3
Food	241.836	242.713	246.216	1.8	1.4
Food at home	225.005	223.746	225.186	0.1	0.6
Food away from home	263.314	266.663	272.984	3.7	2.4
Alcoholic beverages	266.241	270.694	270.880	1.7	0.1
Housing	294.532	300.113	306.480	4.1	2.1
Shelter	329.977	336.524	344.181	4.3	2.3
Rent of primary residence	322.979	329.807	337.405	4.5	2.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1)	351.241	358.339	365.724	4.1	2.1
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1)	351.241	358.339	365.724	4.1	2.1
Fuels and utilities	270.773	276.688	281.951	4.1	1.9
Household energy	237.777	244.848	250.290	5.3	2.2
Energy services	232.333	239.701	245.151	5.5	2.3
Electricity	220.539	231.328	236.897	7.4	2.4
Utility (piped) gas service	196.419	190.601	193.952	-1.3	1.8
Household furnishings and operations	182.221	183.531	185.266	1.7	0.9
Apparel	135.721	142.571	144.477	6.5	1.3
Transportation	218.362	213.587	215.297	-1.4	0.8
Private transportation	209.886	204.296	207.683	-1.0	1.7
Motor fuel	284.058	259.482	259.681	-8.6	0.1
Gasoline (all types)	283.979	259.634	259.987	-8.4	0.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular (2)	295.533	269.850	269.791	-8.7	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (2) (3)	242.955	222.721	224.045	-7.8	0.6
Gasoline, unleaded premium (2)	286.446	262.957	264.272	-7.7	0.5
Medical care	-	-	-	-	-
Recreation (4)	148.738	146.264	149.623	0.6	2.3
Education and communication (4)	146.694	145.187	145.705	-0.7	0.4
Other goods and services	370.999	365.906	370.311	-0.2	1.2
Commodity and service group
All Items	265.039	267.346	271.526	2.4	1.6
Commodities	197.980	196.178	197.256	-0.4	0.5
Commodities less food & beverages	173.024	169.752	169.738	-1.9	0.0
Nondurables less food & beverages	194.996	190.045	191.030	-2.0	0.5
Durables	149.613	148.717	147.191	-1.6	-1.0
Services	324.358	330.201	337.066	3.9	2.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	257.417	259.151	263.430	2.3	1.7
All items less shelter	240.352	240.755	243.430	1.3	1.1
Commodities less food	177.202	174.229	174.224	-1.7	0.0
Nondurables	221.091	218.911	220.963	-0.1	0.9
Nondurables less food	201.521	197.145	198.086	-1.7	0.5
Services less rent of shelter (1)	335.845	340.928	347.016	3.3	1.8
Services less medical care services	313.695	318.641	325.600	3.8	2.2
Energy	261.787	249.757	251.966	-3.8	0.9
All items less energy	267.150	270.683	275.057	3.0	1.6
All items less food and energy	273.026	277.064	281.618	3.1	1.6
Footnotes (1) Index is on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (3) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (4) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
- Data not available.