The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the West region increased 0.5 percent in August, 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 0.1 percent, and the energy index increased 1.7 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The West Region all items CPI-U advanced 3.2 percent for the 12 months ending in August. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.4 percent over the year. Food prices rose 3.0 percent. Energy prices rose 15.5 percent.  

  

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
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
Mar 2026	3.1	2.6
Apr 2026	3.5	2.6
May 2026	3.5	2.4
Jun 2026	3.2	2.3
Jul 2026	3.0	2.2
Aug 2026	3.2	2.4
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Food prices increased 0.1 percent for the month of August. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) declined 0.1 percent, with lower 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 3.0 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 2.7 percent, with higher prices in all six major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home rose 3.2 percent.

The energy index increased 1.7 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 3.3 percent. Prices for electricity fell 1.3 percent, and prices for natural gas service decreased 0.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices rose 15.5 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 24.4 percent. Prices for electricity rose 3.8 percent, and prices for natural gas service increased 0.4 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in August. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for education and communication (+2.3 percent) and shelter (+0.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for other goods and services (-0.6 percent) and recreation (-0.3 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.4 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+2.9 percent) and recreation (+2.6 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-2.8 percent).

The September 2026 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on October 14, 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 August 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026	Aug. 2025	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026
All items		353.605	353.569	355.254	3.2	0.5	0.5
All items (December 1977 = 100)		571.583	571.525	574.248
Food and beverages		363.235	363.980	364.322	3.0	0.3	0.1
Food		366.361	367.206	367.456	3.0	0.3	0.1
Food at home		338.935	339.590	339.354	2.7	0.1	-0.1
Cereals and bakery products		347.784	351.746	351.427	2.8	1.0	-0.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		371.382	374.489	375.541	1.6	1.1	0.3
Dairy and related products		284.721	281.763	284.162	0.9	-0.2	0.9
Fruits and vegetables		439.647	435.168	431.812	4.8	-1.8	-0.8
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		238.443	239.057	240.490	2.6	0.9	0.6
Other food at home		292.252	293.469	292.101	2.7	-0.1	-0.5
Food away from home		405.220	406.384	407.501	3.2	0.6	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		315.732	315.012	316.696	2.3	0.3	0.5
Housing		394.559	395.561	396.979	2.8	0.6	0.4
Shelter		455.033	455.788	458.101	2.9	0.7	0.5
Rent of primary residence		482.256	483.411	484.907	2.3	0.5	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		479.518	481.174	482.861	2.8	0.7	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		479.325	480.977	482.666	2.8	0.7	0.4
Fuels and utilities		452.224	456.364	454.065	3.5	0.4	-0.5
Household energy		391.061	394.881	390.776	3.2	-0.1	-1.0
Energy services		394.301	398.302	393.967	3.0	-0.1	-1.1
Electricity		439.202	442.960	437.225	3.8	-0.5	-1.3
Utility (piped) gas service		308.034	312.953	311.895	0.4	1.3	-0.3
Household furnishings and operations		162.891	163.551	163.338	0.8	0.3	-0.1
Apparel		130.520	129.883	133.004	4.0	1.9	2.4
Transportation		308.115	303.755	306.602	6.4	-0.5	0.9
Private transportation		304.804	301.417	304.043	5.5	-0.2	0.9
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.487	125.123	125.024	-0.3	0.4	-0.1
New vehicles		176.737	176.933	177.027	0.4	0.2	0.1
New cars(3)		176.944	177.271	177.453	1.2	0.3	0.1
Used cars and trucks		177.691	179.095	178.831	-2.8	0.6	-0.1
Motor fuel		422.774	402.242	416.551	25.0	-1.5	3.6
Gasoline (all types)		418.720	398.950	411.918	24.4	-1.6	3.3
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		413.771	393.880	407.053	24.8	-1.6	3.3
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		400.118	381.806	393.518	23.5	-1.6	3.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		411.891	393.942	405.481	22.8	-1.6	2.9
Medical care		651.903	655.130	654.433	1.5	0.4	-0.1
Medical care commodities		462.711	466.618	465.035	-2.3	0.5	-0.3
Medical care services		709.878	712.904	712.473	2.3	0.4	-0.1
Professional services		451.377	455.078	454.197	2.2	0.6	-0.2
Recreation(2)		138.103	138.742	138.316	2.6	0.2	-0.3
Education and communication(2)		142.944	144.056	147.419	1.5	3.1	2.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		103.909	104.294	106.217	2.9	2.2	1.8
Other goods and services		602.266	601.613	598.099	2.5	-0.7	-0.6
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 2024=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 August 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026	Aug. 2025	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026
All items		353.605	353.569	355.254	3.2	0.5	0.5
Food		366.361	367.206	367.456	3.0	0.3	0.1
Energy		419.143	408.383	415.275	15.5	-0.9	1.7
All items less food and energy		350.945	351.526	353.091	2.4	0.6	0.4
All items less energy		352.380	352.997	354.378	2.5	0.6	0.4
All items less medical care		339.871	339.694	341.478	3.4	0.5	0.5
All items less shelter		313.480	313.127	314.562	3.4	0.3	0.5
Commodities		239.446	238.777	240.057	3.8	0.3	0.5
Commodities less food		186.673	185.579	187.101	4.3	0.2	0.8
Commodities less food & beverages		181.723	180.633	182.134	4.3	0.2	0.8
Durables		122.885	123.716	123.804	-0.3	0.7	0.1
Nondurables		308.769	306.690	308.931	5.6	0.1	0.7
Nondurables less food & beverages		254.136	249.561	253.464	9.1	-0.3	1.6
Nondurables less food		259.196	254.803	258.610	8.7	-0.2	1.5
Services		460.089	460.726	462.770	2.9	0.6	0.4
Services less rent of shelter(1)		480.266	480.721	482.432	2.9	0.5	0.4
Services less medical care services		442.475	442.946	445.160	3.0	0.6	0.5
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.