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News Release Information

24-994-SAN
Wednesday, May 15, 2024

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

Consumer Price Index, San Francisco Area — April 2024

Area prices were up 1.8 percent over the past two months, up 3.8 percent from a year ago

Prices in the San Francisco area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 1.8 percent for the two months ending in April 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the April increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and gasoline. (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 increased 3.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices advanced 3.1 percent. Energy prices advanced 18.0 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of electricity. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, San Francisco, April 2021-April 2024
Food

Food prices were unchanged for the two months ending in April. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home decreased 0.9 percent, with lower prices in four of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home advanced 1.1 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 3.1 percent. Prices for food at home increased 2.5 percent since a year ago, led by higher prices for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (12.1 percent). Prices for food away from home increased 4.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 8.5 percent for the two months ending in April. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (20.1 percent). Prices for electricity rose 0.3 percent, while prices for natural gas service decreased 15.8 percent for the same period.

Energy prices advanced 18.0 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for electricity (24.4 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service advanced 14.7 percent, and prices for gasoline advanced 12.2 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.7 percent in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for apparel (13.3 percent) and shelter (1.7 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for recreation (-0.8 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included apparel (13.2 percent) and shelter (2.9 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in new and used motor vehicles (-1.5 percent).

Table A. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA, 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

0.92.90.51.61.45.21.85.31.52.4

April

-0.51.11.73.81.55.00.44.21.83.8

June

0.71.60.03.21.76.80.52.9

August

0.01.60.53.7-0.55.70.03.4

October

0.51.10.73.81.06.00.32.8

December

0.42.00.84.2-0.34.9-0.42.6

The June 2024 Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco area is scheduled to be released on July 11, 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA. metropolitan area covered in this release is comprised of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo Counties in the State of California.

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

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
Historical
data
Feb.
2024
Mar.
2024
Apr.
2024
Apr.
2023
Feb.
2024
Mar.
2024

Expenditure category

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0
345.151-351.2473.81.8-

All items (1967=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BAA0
1,061.089-1,079.830---

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF
369.175-369.0703.50.0-

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF1
372.025-371.9533.10.0-

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF11
337.705335.599334.6872.5-0.9-0.3

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF111
341.261335.455338.3614.1-0.80.9

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF112
352.233355.660352.3821.30.0-0.9

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEFJ
332.577336.841342.0133.02.81.5

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF113
436.079439.412428.608-0.3-1.7-2.5

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF114
261.332247.089253.42612.1-3.02.6

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF115
295.399293.820292.2291.4-1.1-0.5

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEFV
413.574-418.1674.41.1-

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAF116
336.159-335.5127.6-0.2-

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAH
400.750-406.3373.61.4-

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAH1
443.865447.747451.3952.91.70.8

Rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEHA
503.938506.000504.9272.10.2-0.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEHC
475.570476.261477.5041.50.40.3

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEHC01
475.570476.261477.5041.50.40.3

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAH2
646.485-632.42416.1-2.2-

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAH21
634.527621.674612.39522.9-3.5-1.5

Energy services(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEHF
639.406626.248616.60023.4-3.6-1.5

Electricity(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEHF01
728.997730.759731.38924.40.30.1

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEHF02
476.774432.650401.64814.7-15.8-7.2

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAH3
172.101-174.4130.81.3-

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAA
112.180-127.05113.213.3-

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAT
256.537-270.8076.45.6-

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAT1
254.169-268.1355.75.5-

New and used motor vehicles(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSETA
118.298-120.198-1.51.6-

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSETA01
193.419-192.662-1.8-0.4-

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSETA02
325.453-327.027-6.40.5-

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSETB
331.815359.973397.91912.119.910.5

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSETB01
329.546357.710395.75412.220.110.6

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSS47014
328.983357.618396.22812.320.410.8

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSS47015
308.411333.917368.50612.019.510.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSS47016
314.537339.665373.86112.018.910.1

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAM
586.760-587.0110.60.0-

Recreation(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAR
149.805-148.6292.8-0.8-

Education and communication(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAE
161.437-163.1301.91.0-

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSEEB
1,951.663-1,966.792-0.8-

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAG
617.911-626.6284.21.4-

Commodity and service group

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0
345.151-351.2473.81.8-

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAC
231.401-238.1312.02.9-

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSACL11
161.576-170.6881.65.6-

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSANL11
213.382-233.0345.39.2-

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAD
112.659-114.414-2.51.6-

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAS
441.194-446.7214.61.3-

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0L5
335.127-341.4674.01.9-

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0L2
306.843-312.4214.41.8-

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSACL1
169.056-178.1341.95.4-

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSAN
292.666-302.4374.03.3-

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSANL1
222.891-241.6715.78.4-

Services less rent of shelter(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSASL2RS
464.780-467.2757.60.5-

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSASL5
430.366-436.3474.81.4-

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0E
449.829464.887487.96618.08.55.0

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0LE
344.555-349.4673.11.4-

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49BSA0L1E
341.209-346.9353.11.7-

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
(2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(3) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.

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

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024