The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the West region advanced 0.5 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.4 percent. The food index rose 0.3 percent, and the energy index increased 3.4 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The West all items CPI-U increased 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending in February. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the year. Food prices rose 3.1 percent. Energy prices declined 0.3 percent.  

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, West region, February 2023–February 2026

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Feb 2023	6.0	5.3
Mar 2023	5.1	5.5
Apr 2023	4.9	5.4
May 2023	4.5	5.3
Jun 2023	3.5	4.7
Jul 2023	3.5	4.3
Aug 2023	3.9	4.1
Sep 2023	3.9	3.9
Oct 2023	3.3	3.7
Nov 2023	3.3	3.7
Dec 2023	3.6	3.7
Jan 2024	3.3	3.7
Feb 2024	3.2	3.6
Mar 2024	3.6	3.8
Apr 2024	3.7	3.6
May 2024	3.3	3.3
Jun 2024	2.8	3.0
Jul 2024	2.6	3.0
Aug 2024	2.2	2.9
Sep 2024	2.1	3.0
Oct 2024	2.1	3.1
Nov 2024	2.4	3.1
Dec 2024	2.5	2.9
Jan 2025	2.4	2.7
Feb 2025	2.6	2.7
Mar 2025	2.2	2.5
Apr 2025	2.1	2.5
May 2025	2.4	2.8
Jun 2025	2.7	2.9
Jul 2025	3.0	3.2
Aug 2025	3.2	3.4
Sep 2025	3.3	3.3
Oct 2025	-	-
Nov 2025	3.0	3.0
Dec 2025	2.9	2.9
Jan 2026	2.7	2.9
Feb 2026	2.7	2.8
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Food prices advanced 0.3 percent for the month of February. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.2 percent, with higher prices in 3 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 0.3 percent for the same period.

Food prices rose 3.1 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 2.4 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home rose 4.0 percent.

The energy index rose 3.4 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 6.2 percent. Prices for electricity rose 0.4 percent, while prices for natural gas service decreased 0.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 0.3 percent over the year. Gasoline prices decreased 3.1 percent. Prices for electricity increased 3.7 percent, and prices for natural gas service advanced 0.7 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in February. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for apparel (+4.9 percent) and shelter (+0.6 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for education and communication (-0.9 percent) and recreation (-0.4 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (+6.0 percent) and shelter (+2.8 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-2.4 percent) and education and communication (-0.6 percent).

The Consumer Price Index for March 2026 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 10, 2026.

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 the West Region 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.

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.

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.

Table 1. West region CPI-U by expenditure category for February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		343.789	345.152	346.990	2.7	0.9	0.5
All items (December 1977 = 100)		555.716	557.919	560.890
Food and beverages		356.886	359.632	360.472	3.1	1.0	0.2
Food		359.750	362.650	363.578	3.1	1.1	0.3
Food at home		331.043	335.240	335.984	2.4	1.5	0.2
Cereals and bakery products		338.666	347.132	347.300	3.0	2.5	0.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		365.470	370.338	364.504	-2.4	-0.3	-1.6
Dairy and related products		279.619	279.707	276.394	-3.7	-1.2	-1.2
Fruits and vegetables		412.132	415.609	425.455	4.7	3.2	2.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		232.662	239.539	242.438	5.3	4.2	1.2
Other food at home		290.925	292.909	294.311	5.2	1.2	0.5
Food away from home		401.108	401.585	402.819	4.0	0.4	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		313.224	313.713	313.273	1.7	0.0	-0.1
Housing		387.176	388.353	390.761	2.9	0.9	0.6
Shelter		446.433	447.728	450.259	2.8	0.9	0.6
Rent of primary residence		477.548	478.799	479.538	2.4	0.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		473.577	474.217	475.870	2.9	0.5	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		473.380	474.024	475.677	2.9	0.5	0.3
Fuels and utilities		437.805	440.753	442.487	3.5	1.1	0.4
Household energy		377.108	378.686	380.109	3.0	0.8	0.4
Energy services		381.107	382.553	383.664	3.0	0.7	0.3
Electricity		423.200	427.755	429.679	3.7	1.5	0.4
Utility (piped) gas service		301.078	294.652	293.758	0.7	-2.4	-0.3
Household furnishings and operations		162.109	162.253	164.363	3.4	1.4	1.3
Apparel		123.280	125.639	131.832	2.9	6.9	4.9
Transportation		282.937	281.762	284.921	0.8	0.7	1.1
Private transportation		282.756	279.793	283.240	0.3	0.2	1.2
New and used motor vehicles(2)		123.390	122.374	122.061	-1.0	-1.1	-0.3
New vehicles		175.658	176.336	176.485	0.4	0.5	0.1
New cars(3)		174.273	175.551	176.001	1.0	1.0	0.3
Used cars and trucks		177.253	172.132	170.240	-2.4	-4.0	-1.1
Motor fuel		314.367	303.149	321.413	-3.0	2.2	6.0
Gasoline (all types)		312.320	301.156	319.745	-3.1	2.4	6.2
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		306.763	295.612	314.411	-3.3	2.5	6.4
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		302.169	291.235	308.443	-2.7	2.1	5.9
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		314.121	303.648	320.306	-2.3	2.0	5.5
Medical care		650.209	655.472	656.281	6.0	0.9	0.1
Medical care commodities		488.218	481.568	483.709	0.9	-0.9	0.4
Medical care services		699.983	708.845	709.253	7.0	1.3	0.1
Professional services		444.642	447.877	450.097	4.9	1.2	0.5
Recreation(2)		135.930	137.894	137.310	3.6	1.0	-0.4
Education and communication(2)		144.134	144.336	143.104	-0.6	-0.7	-0.9
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,765.827	1,766.027	1,769.084	3.5	0.2	0.2
Other goods and services		582.714	587.959	585.858	4.9	0.5	-0.4
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Table 2. West region CPI-U by special aggregate index for February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		343.789	345.152	346.990	2.7	0.9	0.5
Food		359.750	362.650	363.578	3.1	1.1	0.3
Energy		347.980	341.887	353.487	-0.3	1.6	3.4
All items less food and energy		344.849	346.509	347.822	2.8	0.9	0.4
All items less energy		346.225	348.053	349.311	2.9	0.9	0.4
All items less medical care		329.724	330.915	332.793	2.4	0.9	0.6
All items less shelter		303.160	304.552	306.116	2.6	1.0	0.5
Commodities		229.444	229.585	231.632	1.3	1.0	0.9
Commodities less food		176.211	175.497	177.769	0.2	0.9	1.3
Commodities less food & beverages		171.215	170.484	172.786	0.1	0.9	1.4
Durables		122.378	122.014	121.801	-0.1	-0.5	-0.2
Nondurables		291.081	291.714	295.662	1.9	1.6	1.4
Nondurables less food & beverages		226.600	225.323	231.988	0.4	2.4	3.0
Nondurables less food		232.854	231.666	237.985	0.5	2.2	2.7
Services		450.875	453.478	455.019	3.5	0.9	0.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		469.934	474.422	474.643	4.4	1.0	0.0
Services less medical care services		433.315	435.484	437.102	3.1	0.9	0.4
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.