Prices in the Honolulu area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.7 percent for the two months ending in September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the September increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and food. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 4.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices advanced 3.6 percent. Energy prices declined 3.0 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 4.9 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Urban Hawaii, September 2021–September 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	5.0	4.1
Nov 2021	5.4	3.4
Jan 2022	6.0	3.9
Mar 2022	7.5	5.3
May 2022	7.0	4.3
Jul 2022	6.8	3.9
Sep 2022	6.6	4.1
Nov 2022	5.8	3.6
Jan 2023	5.2	3.7
Mar 2023	3.3	3.0
May 2023	2.0	2.5
Jul 2023	2.1	3.3
Sep 2023	2.2	3.0
Nov 2023	3.6	4.8
Jan 2024	3.9	4.7
Mar 2024	4.8	5.6
May 2024	5.2	5.8
Jul 2024	4.5	5.0
Sep 2024	4.2	4.9

Food prices advanced 1.3 percent for the two months ending in September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home increased 1.6 percent, led by cereals and bakery products (5.5 percent). Overall, prices rose in five of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home rose 1.0 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 3.6 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 2.7 percent since a year ago. Overall, prices rose in all six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home rose 4.8 percent.

The energy index fell 0.8 percent for the two months ending in September. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-1.2 percent). Prices for natural gas service decreased 4.6 percent, while prices for electricity were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices declined 3.0 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-4.8 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service decreased 20.9 percent, while prices for electricity increased 0.1 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.6 percent in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for apparel (4.1 percent) and shelter (0.6 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for new and used motor vehicles (-0.5 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.5 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included apparel (7.8 percent) and shelter (7.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increase was a price decrease in new and used motor vehicles (-3.8 percent).

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Honolulu area is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2024.

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 Urban Hawaii is published bi-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 Urban Hawaii Core Based Statistical Area includes Honolulu County in the State of Hawaii.

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

Urban Hawaii (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes				Percent change from-
	Historical data	Jul. 2024	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024	Sep. 2023	Jul. 2024	Aug. 2024
Expenditure category
All items		340.439	-	342.676	4.2	0.7	-
All items (1967=100)		937.220	-	943.379	-	-	-
Food and beverages		365.738	-	370.540	3.7	1.3	-
Food		369.599	-	374.553	3.6	1.3	-
Food at home		348.854	352.327	354.572	2.7	1.6	0.6
Cereals and bakery products		387.528	395.136	408.870	0.2	5.5	3.5
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		327.926	330.655	335.918	3.0	2.4	1.6
Dairy and related products		287.389	289.365	289.683	1.4	0.8	0.1
Fruits and vegetables		402.932	408.777	410.297	1.5	1.8	0.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		423.223	424.593	436.678	6.5	3.2	2.8
Other food at home		358.253	360.760	353.556	3.6	-1.3	-2.0
Food away from home		388.822	-	392.532	4.8	1.0	-
Alcoholic beverages		304.056	-	305.331	6.6	0.4	-
Housing		373.200	-	375.246	6.6	0.5	-
Shelter		407.336	408.836	409.854	7.7	0.6	0.2
Rent of primary residence(2)		411.304	409.983	411.309	9.9	0.0	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		418.640	419.223	420.308	6.5	0.4	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		418.640	419.223	420.308	6.5	0.4	0.3
Fuels and utilities		460.339	-	463.563	1.0	0.7	-
Household energy		386.306	390.556	384.955	-1.4	-0.3	-1.4
Energy services		379.624	383.991	378.424	-1.3	-0.3	-1.4
Electricity		378.153	381.961	378.083	0.1	0.0	-1.0
Utility (piped) gas service		335.518	346.241	320.230	-20.9	-4.6	-7.5
Household furnishings and operations		169.654	-	168.854	1.2	-0.5	-
Apparel		130.270	-	135.559	7.8	4.1	-
Transportation		270.587	-	272.769	1.0	0.8	-
Private transportation		275.637	-	277.075	-1.2	0.5	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		121.619	-	121.012	-3.8	-0.5	-
New vehicles(1)		185.271	-	186.261	-2.4	0.5	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		309.902	-	307.235	-4.5	-0.9	-
Motor fuel		361.580	359.383	357.303	-4.7	-1.2	-0.6
Gasoline (all types)		371.145	368.873	366.721	-4.8	-1.2	-0.6
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		384.788	382.317	379.925	-5.0	-1.3	-0.6
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		310.166	308.809	307.383	-3.7	-0.9	-0.5
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		349.671	347.873	346.354	-3.9	-0.9	-0.4
Medical care		-	-	-	-	-	-
Recreation(3)		154.423	-	156.191	3.7	1.1	-
Education and communication(3)		155.467	-	155.141	-0.9	-0.2	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		2,047.018	-	2,058.264	2.5	0.5	-
Other goods and services		607.979	-	613.867	-1.3	1.0	-
Commodity and service group
All items		340.439	-	342.676	4.2	0.7	-
Commodities		252.681	-	253.501	0.5	0.3	-
Commodities less food & beverages		186.094	-	184.945	-2.2	-0.6	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		248.275	-	247.389	0.2	-0.4	-
Durables		125.303	-	124.189	-4.6	-0.9	-
Services		417.092	-	420.547	6.1	0.8	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care		331.095	-	333.692	4.5	0.8	-
All items less shelter		310.905	-	313.034	1.7	0.7	-
Commodities less food		190.495	-	189.373	-2.0	-0.6	-
Nondurables		309.123	-	311.382	2.3	0.7	-
Nondurables less food		251.647	-	250.852	0.5	-0.3	-
Services less rent of shelter(2)		423.764	-	428.834	3.4	1.2	-
Services less medical care services		408.644	-	412.126	6.7	0.9	-
Energy		372.839	373.398	369.807	-3.0	-0.8	-1.0
All items less energy		340.603	-	343.151	4.7	0.7	-
All items less food and energy		337.532	-	339.644	4.9	0.6	-
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.
- Data not available NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.