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News Release Information

19-2017-SAN
Wednesday, November 13, 2019

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

Consumer Price Index, West Region — October 2019

Area prices were up 0.5 percent over the past month, up 2.8 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.5 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The October increase was influenced by higher prices for gasoline and medical care. (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 2.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.8 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.6 percent. Energy prices rose 2.0 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices edged up 0.2 percent for the month of October. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home increased 0.3 percent, and prices for food at home inched up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.6 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 3.9 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home advanced 1.5 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 4.8 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (7.2 percent). Prices for natural gas service advanced 1.6 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 0.6 percent for the same period.

Energy prices rose 2.0 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (2.1 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service advanced 2.6 percent, and prices for electricity increased 2.1 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.2 percent in October. Higher prices for medical care (1.6 percent), recreation (0.7 percent), and shelter (0.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for household furnishings and operations (-0.8 percent) and apparel (-0.8 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (4.9 percent) and shelter (4.6 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decline in apparel (-2.1 percent).

Table A. West region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.30.70.52.60.52.50.53.10.22.7

February

0.60.90.12.10.63.00.53.10.22.4

March

0.81.10.21.50.33.10.43.20.42.4

April

0.31.00.51.80.32.90.43.20.82.9

May

0.81.20.51.50.22.60.53.50.52.9

June

0.01.10.21.60.02.50.23.60.02.7

July

0.31.30.11.40.12.50.13.60.02.7

August

-0.11.30.01.50.22.70.23.60.12.6

September

-0.21.00.32.00.52.90.33.40.32.6

October

0.01.10.32.30.32.90.43.50.52.8

November

-0.21.5-0.22.30.03.1-0.23.3

December

-0.11.80.02.50.13.1-0.23.1

The November 2019 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2019.


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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 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/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

IndexesPercent change from-
Aug.
2019
Sep.
2019
Oct.
2019
Oct.
2018
Aug.
2019
Sep.
2019

Expenditure category

All Items

271.264272.102273.5242.80.80.5

All items (December 1977=100)

438.483439.839442.137   

Food and beverages

265.684266.908267.3822.50.60.2

Food

265.531266.870267.4872.60.70.2

Food at home

249.406250.531251.0301.50.70.2

Cereals and bakery products

265.039268.127266.6173.40.6-0.6

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

257.263259.437257.9331.00.3-0.6

Dairy and related products

232.001231.028234.0682.40.91.3

Fruits and vegetables

332.753332.862336.8642.61.21.2

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

171.176171.955174.1180.21.71.3

Other food at home

212.771213.654212.8270.50.0-0.4

Food away from home

286.485288.102288.8713.90.80.3

Alcoholic beverages

264.307264.029262.6650.4-0.6-0.5

Housing

301.000301.774302.1444.20.40.1

Shelter

348.257349.189349.8024.60.40.2

Rent of primary residence(1)

368.205370.096371.9554.91.00.5

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

364.784366.097367.3144.50.70.3

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

364.792366.101367.3184.50.70.3

Fuels and utilities

309.466308.582310.6233.10.40.7

Household energy

261.438259.801262.2082.10.30.9

Energy services(1)

263.965262.225264.3122.20.10.8

Electricity(1)

297.286295.549297.3312.10.00.6

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

200.433198.516201.6262.60.61.6

Household furnishings and operations

133.167134.040132.9561.5-0.2-0.8

Apparel

115.220120.198119.233-2.13.5-0.8

Transportation

219.655219.408223.6740.71.81.9

Private transportation

215.380215.030219.3140.81.82.0

New and used motor vehicles(3)

101.23499.71999.743-0.5-1.50.0

New vehicles

147.708147.517147.3910.5-0.2-0.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

102.566102.436102.3500.5-0.2-0.1

New cars(4)

146.207145.982145.7821.2-0.3-0.1

Used cars and trucks

138.797133.329133.0711.2-4.1-0.2

Motor fuel

263.895267.730286.8541.98.77.1

Gasoline (all types)

262.925266.861286.2072.18.97.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

259.833263.710283.1622.19.07.4

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

252.338255.446272.4052.58.06.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

257.964262.003279.5152.48.46.7

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

846.586847.027842.158-1.2-0.5-0.6

Medical Care

513.165512.817521.1634.91.61.6

Medical care commodities

392.902388.800411.5267.14.75.8

Medical care services

551.076552.011555.4004.40.80.6

Professional services

359.808358.709359.6641.30.00.3

Recreation(3)

114.405114.847115.6271.31.10.7

Education and communication(3)

138.033138.154137.928-0.1-0.1-0.2

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

1,482.7311,491.7391,494.3132.50.80.2

Other goods and services

450.917449.522451.5862.90.10.5

Commodity and Service Group

All Items

271.264272.102273.5242.80.80.5

Commodities

187.223188.239190.0201.61.50.9

Commodities less food & beverages

148.394149.280151.4601.02.11.5

Nondurables less food & beverages

194.665197.192202.9341.24.22.9

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

250.370251.095261.6432.34.54.2

Durables

106.852106.454105.8350.7-1.0-0.6

Services

349.461350.092351.1023.40.50.3

Rent of shelter(2)

370.879371.879372.5364.60.40.2

Transportation services

321.034320.998321.753-0.40.20.2

Other services

357.889358.571360.0561.30.60.4

Special aggregate indexes:

All items less medical care

260.212261.099262.2212.60.80.4

All items less food

272.339273.100274.6492.80.80.6

All items less shelter

241.063241.866243.6161.71.10.7

Commodities less food

152.675153.538155.6421.01.91.4

Nondurables

230.342232.299235.6751.92.31.5

Nondurables less food

199.853202.233207.5981.13.92.7

Nondurables less food and apparel

251.390252.020261.4272.14.03.7

Services less rent of shelter(2)

361.338361.575363.1421.90.50.4

Services less medical care services

335.364335.975336.8253.30.40.3

Energy

266.906268.626281.3992.05.44.8

All items less energy

273.838274.619275.2272.80.50.2

All items less food and energy

276.089276.778277.3862.80.50.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

140.533141.049141.1270.70.40.1

Energy commodities

268.359272.235291.6621.98.77.1

Services less energy services

355.764356.528357.4833.50.50.3

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) Indexes 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.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

- Data not available
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: Wednesday, November 13, 2019