Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area — September 2026

Area prices were up 0.5 percent over the past month, up 3.7 percent from a year ago

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim increased 0.5 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that prices for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent. The food index rose 0.1 percent, and the energy index increased 4.7 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Los Angeles area all items CPI-U increased 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending in September. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.6 percent over the year. Food prices advanced 2.8 percent. Energy prices advanced 20.3 percent.

Line chart showing over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Los Angeles, September 2023-September 2026

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, September 2023–September 2026
Month	All items	All items less food and energy
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
Jan 2025	3.3	3.7
Feb 2025	3.1	3.2
Mar 2025	3.0	3.2
Apr 2025	3.0	3.3
May 2025	3.0	3.3
Jun 2025	3.2	3.3
Jul 2025	3.2	3.3
Aug 2025	3.3	3.2
Sep 2025	3.5	3.4
Oct 2025	-	-
Nov 2025	3.6	3.4
Dec 2025	3.0	2.9
Jan 2026	3.0	3.1
Feb 2026	2.9	3.1
Mar 2026	3.4	2.8
Apr 2026	3.7	2.9
May 2026	3.6	2.5
Jun 2026	3.3	2.6
Jul 2026	3.4	2.5
Aug 2026	3.6	2.8
Sep 2026	3.7	2.6
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

View Chart Data

Food

Food prices rose 0.1 percent for the month of September. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) decreased 0.1 percent, with lower prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 0.3 percent for the same period.

Food prices advanced 2.8 percent over the year. Prices for food at home rose 2.8 percent, with higher prices in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home advanced 2.8 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 4.7 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 7.7 percent.

Energy prices advanced 20.3 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 30.8 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.2 percent in September. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for recreation (+1.2 percent), education and communication (+1.0 percent) and shelter (+0.1 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for household furnishings and operations (-2.1 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.6 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+3.7 percent) and education and communication (+3.0 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for household furnishings and operations (-4.7 percent) and recreation (-1.0 percent).

Table A. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month	2022		2023		2024		2025		2026
Month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	1.1	7.5	1.9	5.8	1.0	2.5	0.9	3.3	0.9	3.0
February	0.3	7.4	-0.3	5.1	0.5	3.4	0.3	3.1	0.2	2.9
March	1.5	8.5	0.1	3.7	0.7	4.0	0.7	3.0	1.1	3.4
April	0.5	7.9	0.7	3.8	0.6	3.9	0.6	3.0	0.8	3.7
May	0.8	8.0	0.1	3.2	0.1	3.9	0.1	3.0	0.0	3.6
June	1.1	8.6	0.5	2.5	-0.2	3.2	0.0	3.2	-0.3	3.3
July	-0.2	7.7	0.0	2.7	0.2	3.4	0.2	3.2	0.3	3.4
August	0.1	7.6	0.7	3.3	0.1	2.9	0.3	3.3	0.5	3.6
September	0.5	7.8	0.3	3.2	0.2	2.8	0.4	3.5	0.5	3.7
October	0.6	7.5	-0.1	2.4	0.0	3.0	-	-
November	-0.8	6.0	-0.4	2.8	-0.2	3.2	-	3.6
December	-0.6	4.9	0.0	3.5	0.2	3.4	-0.3	3.0
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations

The October 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area is scheduled to be released on November 10, 2026.

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 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.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

TGS Table Preview

Table 1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U by expenditure category for September 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
Expenditure category	Historical data	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026	Sep. 2026	Sep. 2025	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026
All items		355.311	356.993	358.725	3.7	1.0	0.5
All items (1967=100)		1,049.745	1,054.715	1,059.834
Food and beverages		359.337	361.110	361.325	2.7	0.6	0.1
Food		362.571	364.441	364.668	2.8	0.6	0.1
Food at home		338.555	341.659	341.150	2.8	0.8	-0.1
Cereals and bakery products		353.022	370.614	362.442	4.2	2.7	-2.2
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		365.531	368.294	360.646	-6.1	-1.3	-2.1
Dairy and related products		301.409	304.906	302.715	1.8	0.4	-0.7
Fruits and vegetables		451.995	438.564	450.883	8.0	-0.2	2.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		324.611	326.202	330.862	4.6	1.9	1.4
Other food at home		280.870	287.512	287.198	6.7	2.3	-0.1
Food away from home		384.679	384.691	385.979	2.8	0.3	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		288.042	288.042	288.043	-0.8	0.0	0.0
Housing		411.417	412.748	412.446	3.1	0.3	-0.1
Shelter		473.415	475.519	476.071	3.7	0.6	0.1
Rent of primary residence		500.922	501.811	502.780	3.2	0.4	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		493.445	495.183	496.337	3.9	0.6	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		493.417	495.155	496.309	3.9	0.6	0.2
Household furnishings and operations		129.029	128.391	125.637	-4.7	-2.6	-2.1
Apparel		123.168	126.556	126.425	-1.2	2.6	-0.1
Transportation		299.982	303.255	310.690	11.0	3.6	2.5
Private transportation		303.539	305.686	313.049	10.6	3.1	2.4
New and used motor vehicles(3)		109.862	109.645	109.726	-0.1	-0.1	0.1
New vehicles(1)		193.835	194.216	194.368	0.9	0.3	0.1
Used cars and trucks(1)		351.221	351.897	351.323	-2.2	0.0	-0.2
Motor fuel		420.210	433.014	466.679	31.0	11.1	7.8
Gasoline (all types)		409.143	421.600	454.187	30.8	11.0	7.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		409.854	422.594	455.742	31.3	11.2	7.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		390.418	401.963	431.913	29.8	10.6	7.5
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		392.472	403.528	433.106	29.2	10.4	7.3
Medical care		615.906	614.801	615.699	0.5	0.0	0.1
Recreation(3)		123.958	123.256	124.785	-1.0	0.7	1.2
Education and communication(3)		159.754	163.371	164.973	3.0	3.3	1.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)		104.928	106.693	108.491	4.5	3.4	1.7
Other goods and services		586.743	573.054	577.337	2.1	-1.6	0.7
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1977=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. (6) Indexes on a December 2024=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

TGS Table Preview

Table 2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U by special aggregate index for September 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
Special aggregate index	Historical data	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026	Sep. 2026	Sep. 2025	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026
All items		355.311	356.993	358.725	3.7	1.0	0.5
Food		362.571	364.441	364.668	2.8	0.6	0.1
Energy		446.019	453.673	474.780	20.3	6.4	4.7
All items less food and energy		350.482	351.747	352.481	2.6	0.6	0.2
All items less energy		352.143	353.499	354.156	2.6	0.6	0.2
All items less medical care		343.910	345.703	347.467	4.0	1.0	0.5
All items less shelter		302.756	304.248	306.480	3.7	1.2	0.7
Commodities		228.596	230.329	232.405	4.5	1.7	0.9
Commodities less food		170.480	172.117	174.869	6.0	2.6	1.6
Commodities less food & beverages		165.054	166.702	169.470	6.2	2.7	1.7
Durables		98.812	98.624	98.767	0.6	0.0	0.1
Nondurables		301.033	304.053	307.381	5.4	2.1	1.1
Nondurables less food & beverages		240.171	244.408	250.809	9.7	4.4	2.6
Nondurables less food		246.547	250.634	256.807	9.1	4.2	2.5
Services		468.617	470.197	471.539	3.4	0.6	0.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		474.625	475.472	477.995	2.9	0.7	0.5
Services less medical care services		453.717	455.351	456.718	3.6	0.7	0.3
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Western Information Office

Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area — September 2026

Food

Energy

All items less food and energy