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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Western > News Release
News Release Information

26-1525-SAN
Friday, September 11, 2026

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, Anchorage area — August 2026

Area prices were up 0.8 percent over the past two months, up 3.3 percent from a year ago

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Urban Alaska increased 0.8 percent for the two months ending in August 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.2 percent during the two-month period. The food index rose 0.1 percent, while the energy index fell 2.3 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Anchorage area all items CPI-U advanced 3.3 percent for the 12 months ending in August. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.3 percent over the year. Food prices rose 1.6 percent. Energy prices rose 18.5 percent.

Food

Food prices increased 0.1 percent for the two months ending in August. 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) decreased 0.2 percent for the same period.

Food prices rose 1.6 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 1.7 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home rose 1.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index declined 2.3 percent for the two months ending in August. Gasoline prices fell 6.1 percent.

Energy prices rose 18.5 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 27.6 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.2 percent during the two-month period. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for education and communication (+2.7 percent), recreation (+2.3 percent), and shelter (+1.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for apparel (-4.0 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (-2.1 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.3 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included recreation (+8.5 percent) and shelter (+4.0 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for new and used motor vehicles (-2.7 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-1.6 percent).

Table A. Urban Alaska CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month

February

 1.1 7.4 0.1 4.3 0.1 1.7 0.6 2.9 0.3 1.5

April

 1.9 7.5 0.8 3.1 2.2 3.2 0.9 1.6 3.6 4.3

June

 7.1 12.4 0.4 -3.3 0.2 2.9 0.1 1.6 -0.8 3.3

August

 -4.0 7.6 1.3 2.0 -0.1 1.5 0.8 2.4 0.8 3.3

October

 1.1 7.6 0.2 1.1 0.8 2.1 - -

December

 -1.7 5.4 -1.1 1.8 -0.8 2.3 - 1.9

Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations

The October 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Anchorage 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 Urban Alaska 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.

A full all-items data series history for the original index value and for 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month percent changes can be accessed via BLS data query tools. A direct link to the all-items series is provided in Table 1 of this release under historical data.

The Urban Alaska area covered in this release consists of Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the State of Alaska.

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. Urban Alaska, 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

 280.761 - 282.910 3.3 0.8 -

All items (1967=100)

 749.391 - 755.125      

Food and beverages

 276.216 - 276.519 1.5 0.1 -

Food

 287.030 - 287.226 1.6 0.1 -

Food at home

 269.350 265.263 269.896 1.7 0.2 1.7

Cereals and bakery products

 285.071 258.334 267.336 -0.6 -6.2 3.5

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

 247.546 253.316 254.880 0.9 3.0 0.6

Dairy and related products

 255.062 252.082 266.837 2.3 4.6 5.9

Fruits and vegetables

 406.062 404.559 400.362 1.0 -1.4 -1.0

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

 197.675 197.951 206.112 15.8 4.3 4.1

Other food at home

 224.800 218.867 220.916 -2.4 -1.7 0.9

Food away from home

 322.771 - 322.168 1.4 -0.2 -

Alcoholic beverages

 172.931 - 174.076 - 0.7 -

Housing

 253.582 - 257.973 3.6 1.7 -

Shelter

 261.347 261.641 265.225 4.0 1.5 1.4

Rent of primary residence

 259.490 260.635 262.460 3.4 1.1 0.7

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)

 261.021 262.524 263.548 3.8 1.0 0.4

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)

 261.021 262.524 263.548 3.8 1.0 0.4

Household furnishings and operations

 134.544 - 138.297 -1.6 2.8 -

Apparel

 174.414 - 167.427 -1.0 -4.0 -

Transportation

 294.978 - 293.706 6.2 -0.4 -

Private transportation

 314.665 - 305.727 3.3 -2.8 -

New and used motor vehicles(3)

 123.985 - 121.355 -2.7 -2.1 -

New vehicles(1)

 264.318 - 263.703 -1.7 -0.2 -

Used cars and trucks(1)

 341.915 - 340.637 -3.4 -0.4 -

Motor fuel

 428.528 395.620 401.955 28.0 -6.2 1.6

Gasoline (all types)

 429.586 396.615 403.307 27.6 -6.1 1.7

Unleaded regular(4)

 413.672 381.163 387.722 28.2 -6.3 1.7

Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

 415.415 385.346 390.927 26.9 -5.9 1.4

Unleaded premium(4)

 439.751 408.836 415.300 25.6 -5.6 1.6

Medical Care

 809.409 - 801.621 -1.3 -1.0 -

Recreation(3)

 148.087 - 151.510 8.5 2.3 -

Education and communication(3)

 113.027 - 116.126 -1.1 2.7 -

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

 - - - - - -

Other goods and services

 554.697 - 552.830 5.1 -0.3 -

Footnotes
(1) Index is on a January 1978=100 base.
(2) Index is on a November 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. Data not seasonally adjusted.

Table 2. Urban Alaska, 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

 280.761 - 282.910 3.3 0.8 -

Food

 287.030 - 287.226 1.6 0.1 -

Energy

 428.255 414.075 418.339 18.5 -2.3 1.0

All items less food and energy

 271.151 - 274.421 2.3 1.2 -

All items less energy

 272.609 - 275.460 2.2 1.0 -

All items less medical care

 262.624 - 265.047 3.6 0.9 -

All items less shelter

 287.482 - 288.626 3.0 0.4 -

Commodities

 225.697 - 224.037 3.4 -0.7 -

Commodities less food

 198.677 - 196.421 4.3 -1.1 -

Commodities less food & beverages

 199.413 - 197.009 4.5 -1.2 -

Durables

 135.311 - 136.555 -2.2 0.9 -

Nondurables

 282.217 - 278.239 5.9 -1.4 -

Nondurables less food & beverages

 284.055 - 275.697 10.9 -2.9 -

Nondurables less food

 275.383 - 267.935 10.1 -2.7 -

Services

 330.795 - 336.486 3.4 1.7 -

Services less rent of shelter(1)

 443.223 - 452.072 2.6 2.0 -

Services less medical care services

 301.666 - 307.759 3.7 2.0 -

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.

- Data not available.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, September 11, 2026