Prices in the Los Angeles area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.2 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the December increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter. (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 advanced 3.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices rose 3.1 percent. Energy prices declined 5.3 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 4.1 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, December 2021–December 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Dec 2021	6.6	4.4
Jan 2022	7.5	5.5
Feb 2022	7.4	5.9
Mar 2022	8.5	6.2
Apr 2022	7.9	5.8
May 2022	8.0	5.8
Jun 2022	8.6	6.0
Jul 2022	7.7	5.7
Aug 2022	7.6	6.2
Sep 2022	7.8	6.3
Oct 2022	7.5	6.0
Nov 2022	6.0	5.2
Dec 2022	4.9	4.5
Jan 2023	5.8	4.5
Feb 2023	5.1	4.5
Mar 2023	3.7	4.3
Apr 2023	3.8	4.5
May 2023	3.2	4.3
Jun 2023	2.5	4.0
Jul 2023	2.7	3.4
Aug 2023	3.3	3.5
Sep 2023	3.2	3.2
Oct 2023	2.4	2.7
Nov 2023	2.8	2.8
Dec 2023	3.5	3.4
Jan 2024	2.5	3.7
Feb 2024	3.4	3.8
Mar 2024	4.0	4.3
Apr 2024	3.9	3.8
May 2024	3.9	3.8
Jun 2024	3.2	3.6
Jul 2024	3.4	4.2
Aug 2024	2.9	3.9
Sep 2024	2.8	4.1
Oct 2024	3.0	4.3
Nov 2024	3.2	4.1
Dec 2024	3.4	4.1

Food prices rose 0.3 percent for the month of December. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home advanced 0.4 percent, with higher prices in five of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home rose 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 3.1 percent. Prices for food at home increased 2.1 percent since a year ago, led by higher prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (4.0 percent). Overall, prices rose in five of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home increased 4.1 percent.

The energy index decreased 1.4 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-1.7 percent). Prices for natural gas service fell 5.1 percent, and prices for electricity were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices declined 5.3 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-7.8 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service decreased 5.7 percent, and prices for electricity declined 0.7 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.3 percent in December. Higher prices for apparel (0.7 percent), shelter (0.5 percent), and new and used motor vehicles (0.3 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for household furnishings and operations (-2.0 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (8.5 percent) and shelter (4.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in new and used motor vehicles (-2.2 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-1.0 percent).

The January 2025 Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area is scheduled to be released on February 12, 2025.

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 Consumer Price Index for Los Angeles is published monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Core Based Statistical Area includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

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

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes				Percent change from-
	Historical data	Oct. 2024	Nov. 2024	Dec. 2024	Dec. 2023	Oct. 2024	Nov. 2024
Expenditure category
All items		334.242	333.718	334.531	3.4	0.1	0.2
All items (1967=100)		987.499	985.952	988.352	-	-	-
Food and beverages		340.102	342.195	343.210	2.8	0.9	0.3
Food		342.867	345.157	346.201	3.1	1.0	0.3
Food at home		322.872	325.112	326.477	2.1	1.1	0.4
Cereals and bakery products		339.199	345.951	347.042	-1.2	2.3	0.3
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		357.058	360.635	363.011	4.0	1.7	0.7
Dairy and related products		307.829	304.710	307.040	1.4	-0.3	0.8
Fruits and vegetables		420.424	417.448	419.089	0.9	-0.3	0.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		303.752	309.019	311.966	3.8	2.7	1.0
Other food at home		262.724	265.123	264.856	2.3	0.8	-0.1
Food away from home		360.703	363.021	363.688	4.1	0.8	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		279.137	278.076	278.601	-1.6	-0.2	0.2
Housing		386.339	386.880	387.844	4.2	0.4	0.2
Shelter		443.937	444.885	447.233	4.7	0.7	0.5
Rent of primary residence(2)		471.502	472.970	474.878	4.8	0.7	0.4
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)		461.813	463.445	465.756	4.6	0.9	0.5
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)		461.787	463.418	465.729	4.6	0.9	0.5
Fuels and utilities		491.598	486.126	482.809	3.2	-1.8	-0.7
Household energy		423.328	416.827	412.333	-1.8	-2.6	-1.1
Energy services(2)		421.757	415.256	410.715	-1.8	-2.6	-1.1
Electricity(2)		497.209	496.656	496.840	-0.7	-0.1	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service(2)		308.897	289.523	274.817	-5.7	-11.0	-5.1
Household furnishings and operations		129.614	130.263	127.715	-1.0	-1.5	-2.0
Apparel		123.314	121.354	122.148	6.0	-0.9	0.7
Transportation		267.577	263.807	264.907	1.5	-1.0	0.4
Private transportation		268.798	267.061	268.267	1.9	-0.2	0.5
New and used motor vehicles(4)		108.830	108.429	108.757	-2.2	-0.1	0.3
New vehicles(1)		191.061	191.198	191.723	-0.7	0.3	0.3
Used cars and trucks(1)		343.617	345.620	346.848	-2.5	0.9	0.4
Motor fuel		344.208	337.436	331.846	-7.9	-3.6	-1.7
Gasoline (all types)		335.514	328.883	323.376	-7.8	-3.6	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		335.391	328.642	323.070	-8.0	-3.7	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		322.068	315.743	310.732	-7.5	-3.5	-1.6
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		324.193	318.212	313.114	-7.1	-3.4	-1.6
Medical care		594.385	592.688	592.940	8.5	-0.2	0.0
Recreation(6)		124.256	123.213	123.271	1.6	-0.8	0.0
Education and communication(6)		158.597	158.016	157.967	-0.5	-0.4	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		2,339.914	2,334.717	2,334.667	2.0	-0.2	0.0
Other goods and services		541.561	538.345	538.255	1.4	-0.6	0.0
Commodity and service group
All items		334.242	333.718	334.531	3.4	0.1	0.2
Commodities		217.699	217.404	217.032	0.7	-0.3	-0.2
Commodities less food & beverages		157.764	156.513	155.594	-1.1	-1.4	-0.6
Nondurables less food & beverages		222.196	218.991	218.075	0.0	-1.9	-0.4
Durables		98.872	98.891	98.105	-2.5	-0.8	-0.8
Services		438.261	437.530	439.458	4.8	0.3	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care		322.912	322.435	323.263	3.1	0.1	0.3
All items less shelter		285.531	284.301	284.390	2.5	-0.4	0.0
Commodities less food		162.996	161.732	160.835	-1.1	-1.3	-0.6
Nondurables		282.309	281.792	281.856	1.7	-0.2	0.0
Nondurables less food		228.600	225.480	224.638	-0.1	-1.7	-0.4
Services less rent of shelter(3)		442.081	438.542	439.811	4.8	-0.5	0.3
Services less medical care services		423.271	422.514	424.560	4.5	0.3	0.5
Energy		377.810	371.101	365.910	-5.3	-3.1	-1.4
All items less energy		333.630	333.426	334.555	4.0	0.3	0.3
All items less food and energy		332.150	331.515	332.660	4.1	0.2	0.3
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.