Prices in the Riverside area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged 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 higher prices for food were offset by lower prices for shelter. (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 1.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices advanced 3.1 percent. Energy prices declined 14.4 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.8 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, September 2021–September 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Sep 2021	6.8	5.2
Nov 2021	7.9	5.4
Jan 2022	8.6	6.3
Mar 2022	10.0	6.9
May 2022	9.4	6.2
Jul 2022	9.2	6.2
Sep 2022	8.4	6.0
Nov 2022	7.5	6.4
Jan 2023	7.3	6.3
Mar 2023	4.6	5.9
May 2023	3.9	5.8
Jul 2023	3.4	5.1
Sep 2023	4.9	5.5
Nov 2023	4.3	5.1
Jan 2024	2.9	4.4
Mar 2024	4.3	4.7
May 2024	4.0	4.1
Jul 2024	2.8	3.6
Sep 2024	1.4	2.8

Food prices advanced 1.2 percent for the two months ending in September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home increased 0.8 percent, led by higher prices for cereals and bakery products (3.2 percent) and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (3.1 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 1.6 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 3.1 percent. Prices for food at home edged down 0.1 percent since a year ago, led by lower prices for other food at home (-4.0 percent) and fruits and vegetables (-2.9 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 7.5 percent.

The energy index fell 1.9 percent for the two months ending in September. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-3.0 percent). Prices for natural gas service fell 0.4 percent, and prices for electricity decreased 0.2 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 14.4 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-20.2 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service decreased 11.5 percent, and prices for electricity declined 0.3 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for apparel (5.2 percent) and medical care (1.6 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for recreation (-2.7 percent) and shelter (-0.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (7.7 percent) and shelter (3.6 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in other goods and services (-4.9 percent), household furnishings and operations (-3.3 percent), and new and used motor vehicles (-1.4 percent).

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Core Based Statistical Area includes Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in California.

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

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (December 2017=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		133.113	-	133.179	1.4	0.0	-
Food and beverages		135.585	-	137.177	2.9	1.2	-
Food		137.027	-	138.626	3.1	1.2	-
Food at home		131.480	129.601	132.510	-0.1	0.8	2.2
Cereals and bakery products		151.587	152.755	156.507	4.6	3.2	2.5
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		135.791	138.235	140.032	1.2	3.1	1.3
Dairy and related products		110.765	109.073	113.482	1.0	2.5	4.0
Fruits and vegetables		132.230	126.768	129.306	-2.9	-2.2	2.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		129.008	125.901	130.311	3.4	1.0	3.5
Other food at home		125.224	121.080	123.397	-4.0	-1.5	1.9
Food away from home		145.176	-	147.521	7.5	1.6	-
Alcoholic beverages		109.218	-	110.665	-	1.3	-
Housing		140.346	-	139.897	2.4	-0.3	-
Shelter		141.036	140.019	140.465	3.6	-0.4	0.3
Rent of primary residence		144.948	143.756	144.571	3.0	-0.3	0.6
Owners' equiv. rent of residences		139.124	138.773	139.909	4.3	0.6	0.8
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence		139.124	138.773	139.909	4.3	0.6	0.8
Fuels and utilities		155.602	-	155.358	-0.8	-0.2	-
Household energy		161.521	161.180	161.136	-3.0	-0.2	0.0
Energy services		162.732	162.392	162.392	-3.1	-0.2	0.0
Electricity		169.541	169.079	169.248	-0.3	-0.2	0.1
Utility (piped) gas service		142.999	143.114	142.469	-11.5	-0.4	-0.5
Household furnishings and operations		118.117	-	118.296	-3.3	0.2	-
Apparel		109.738	-	115.484	2.0	5.2	-
Transportation		136.962	-	137.255	-1.1	0.2	-
Private transportation		140.386	-	139.972	-1.2	-0.3	-
New and used motor vehicles		116.017	-	115.806	-1.4	-0.2	-
New vehicles		113.853	-	113.635	-1.5	-0.2	-
Used cars and trucks		131.208	-	130.079	-4.5	-0.9	-
Motor fuel		152.140	147.428	147.618	-20.4	-3.0	0.1
Gasoline (all types)		152.274	147.482	147.756	-20.2	-3.0	0.2
Gasoline, unleaded regular(1)		152.613	147.704	147.926	-20.5	-3.1	0.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(1)		152.853	148.337	148.806	-19.8	-2.6	0.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(1)		150.190	145.833	146.279	-19.0	-2.6	0.3
Medical care		129.205	-	131.311	7.7	1.6	-
Recreation		112.235	-	109.260	-1.5	-2.7	-
Education and communication		110.293	-	109.788	0.1	-0.5	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care		-	-	130.894	2.6	-	-
Other goods and services		127.964	-	125.217	-4.9	-2.1	-
Commodity and service group
All items		133.113	-	133.179	1.4	0.0	-
Commodities		125.410	-	125.726	-2.5	0.3	-
Commodities less food & beverages		119.949	-	119.476	-5.6	-0.4	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		128.351	-	128.139	-8.0	-0.2	-
Durables		111.173	-	110.410	-3.3	-0.7	-
Services		138.552	-	138.461	4.0	-0.1	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care		133.404	-	133.334	1.0	-0.1	-
All items less shelter		129.023	-	129.421	0.1	0.3	-
Commodities less food		119.573	-	119.166	-5.6	-0.3	-
Nondurables		132.111	-	132.876	-2.5	0.6	-
Nondurables less food		127.258	-	127.152	-7.9	-0.1	-
Services less rent of shelter		134.803	-	135.327	4.4	0.4	-
Services less medical care services		139.370	-	139.249	4.0	-0.1	-
Energy		156.226	153.149	153.251	-14.4	-1.9	0.1
All items less energy		130.957	-	131.233	2.9	0.2	-
All items less food and energy		130.009	-	130.056	2.8	0.0	-
Footnotes (1) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
- Data not available NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.