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

24-1911-SAN
Wednesday, September 11, 2024

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

Consumer Price Index, Anchorage area — August 2024

Area prices were down 0.1 percent over the past two months, up 1.5 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Anchorage area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.1 percent for the two months ending in August 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the August decrease was influenced by lower prices for gasoline. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 1.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices increased 0.5 percent. Energy prices declined 4.6 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices advanced 0.2 percent for the two months ending in August. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home declined 0.3 percent, led by lower prices for other food at home (-2.2 percent) and cereals and bakery products (-0.5 percent). Prices for food away from home increased 1.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 0.5 percent. Prices for food at home decreased 0.4 percent since a year ago, with lower prices in five of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home rose 2.7 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.9 percent for the two months ending in August. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-6.1 percent). Prices for natural gas service increased 3.5 percent, and prices for electricity rose 2.0 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 4.6 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-16.1 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 16.0 percent, and prices for natural gas service increased 3.5 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for shelter (0.9 percent) and education and communication (0.3 percent) were offset by lower prices for household furnishings and operations (-3.6 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (-1.8 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (9.4 percent) and shelter (3.4 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in new and used motor vehicles (-7.9 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-2.7 percent).

Table A. Urban Alaska CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20202021202220232024
2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month

February

0.0-0.31.01.31.17.40.14.30.11.7

April

-1.6-2.51.84.81.97.50.83.12.23.2

June

1.0-3.82.56.27.112.40.4-3.30.22.9

August

0.8-1.50.35.7-4.07.61.32.0-0.11.5

October

0.60.31.26.31.17.60.21.1

December

-0.50.30.47.2-1.75.4-1.11.8

The October 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Anchorage area is scheduled to be released on November 13, 2024.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures 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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods 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 Urban Alaska area covered in this release consists of Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the State of Alaska.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

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

IndexesPercent change from-
Historical
data
Jun.
2024
Jul.
2024
Aug.
2024
Aug.
2023
Jun.
2024
Jul.
2024

Expenditure category

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0
267.559-267.3131.5-0.1-

All items (1967=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GAA0
714.153-713.494---

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF
261.799-262.2570.70.2-

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF1
271.455-271.9520.50.2-

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF11
259.691259.583258.874-0.4-0.3-0.3

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF111
263.499265.477262.288-2.2-0.5-1.2

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF112
236.549237.139237.0462.10.20.0

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEFJ
243.769253.354247.305-0.31.5-2.4

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF113
400.895401.647401.428-0.70.1-0.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF114
183.018185.599185.228-2.11.2-0.2

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF115
223.332217.213218.504-0.2-2.20.6

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEFV
292.542-296.4272.71.3-

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAF116
------

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAH
238.316-239.8223.40.6-

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAH1
242.436242.713244.7153.40.90.8

Rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEHA
241.525242.306244.1246.01.10.8

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEHC
244.175244.224245.3954.40.50.5

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEHC01
244.175244.224245.3954.40.50.5

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAH2
384.355-391.7659.01.9-

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAH21
388.781398.781398.0729.42.4-0.2

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEHF
434.867446.198446.19810.42.60.0

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEHF01
384.580392.256392.25616.02.00.0

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEHF02
491.618508.833508.8333.53.50.0

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAH3
141.660-136.520-2.7-3.6-

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAA
159.113-158.1630.0-0.6-

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAT
285.103-279.914-6.1-1.8-

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAT1
295.185-288.833-5.8-2.2-

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSETA
125.126-122.860-7.9-1.8-

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSETA01
268.207-268.013-3.5-0.1-

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSETA02
335.190-326.772-12.8-2.5-

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSETB
329.164316.373310.085-16.4-5.8-2.0

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSETB01
333.567319.785313.222-16.1-6.1-2.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSS47014
318.879305.168299.266-17.0-6.2-1.9

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSS47015
327.284313.649306.317-14.4-6.4-2.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSS47016
350.343338.044329.710-12.6-5.9-2.5

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAM
801.985-803.0819.40.1-

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAR
141.819-142.0492.30.2-

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAE
113.363-113.667-0.30.3-

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSEEB
806.288-819.9183.71.7-

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAG
515.342-512.1123.7-0.6-

Commodity and service group

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0
267.559-267.3131.5-0.1-

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAC
213.190-210.370-2.6-1.3-

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSACL11
188.424-184.175-4.8-2.3-

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSANL11
250.040-243.783-3.7-2.5-

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAD
139.703-136.804-5.0-2.1-

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAS
315.598-318.0554.50.8-

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0L5
249.648-249.3710.9-0.1-

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0L2
277.930-276.3470.6-0.6-

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSACL1
187.999-183.894-4.4-2.2-

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSAN
256.392-254.072-1.0-0.9-

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSANL1
243.863-238.198-3.0-2.3-

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSASL2RS
437.752-440.2765.90.6-

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSASL5
286.853-289.3673.90.9-

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0E
356.775353.876349.994-4.6-1.9-1.1

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0LE
262.715-262.8482.00.1-

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49GSA0L1E
262.104-262.1692.40.0-

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1978=100 base.
(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.

- Data not available
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024