Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.3 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The September increase was influenced by higher prices for apparel and shelter. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 3.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices rose 9.5 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.2 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices were unchanged for the month of September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home edged down 0.2 percent, but prices for food away from home increased 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.5 percent. Prices for food at home were virtually unchanged since a year ago, while prices for food away from home increased 3.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index declined 0.3 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for electricity (-1.8 percent). Natural gas service declined 5.3 percent for the same period, but prices for gasoline advanced 1.1 percent.

Energy prices rose 9.5 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (15.6 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service advanced 0.7 percent, and prices for electricity rose 0.5 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.4 percent in September. Higher prices for apparel (3.8 percent), education and communication (0.7 percent), and shelter (0.3 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for used cars and trucks (-3.8 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 3.2 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.5 percent) and medical care (2.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increase was a price decline in used cars and trucks (-1.4 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)

Month	2013		2014		2015		2016		2017		2018
	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual
January	0.3	1.7	0.3	1.7	-0.3	0.7	0.5	2.6	0.5	2.5	0.5	3.1
February	0.8	2.0	0.4	1.3	0.6	0.9	0.1	2.1	0.6	3.0	0.5	3.1
March	0.4	1.5	0.6	1.5	0.8	1.1	0.2	1.5	0.3	3.1	0.4	3.2
April	0.0	1.3	0.3	1.8	0.3	1.0	0.5	1.8	0.3	2.9	0.4	3.2
May	0.2	1.3	0.6	2.3	0.8	1.2	0.5	1.5	0.2	2.6	0.5	3.5
June	0.1	1.5	0.1	2.3	0.0	1.1	0.2	1.6	0.0	2.5	0.2	3.6
July	0.0	1.9	0.1	2.3	0.3	1.3	0.1	1.4	0.1	2.5	0.1	3.6
August	0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.1	-0.1	1.3	0.0	1.5	0.2	2.7	0.2	3.6
September	0.2	1.3	0.1	2.0	-0.2	1.0	0.3	2.0	0.5	2.9	0.3	3.4
October	-0.1	0.9	-0.1	2.0	0.0	1.1	0.3	2.3	0.3	2.9
November	-0.4	1.3	-0.6	1.7	-0.2	1.5	-0.2	2.3	0.0	3.1
December	0.0	1.8	-0.5	1.3	-0.1	1.8	0.0	2.5	0.1	3.1

The October 2018 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on November 14, 2018.

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch17_a.htm.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. 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 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.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

West (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	Jul. 2018	Aug. 2018	Sep. 2018	Sep. 2017	Jul. 2018	Aug. 2018
Expenditure category
All Items	263.971	264.395	265.105	3.4	0.4	0.3
All items (December 1977=100)	426.695	427.380	428.528
Food and beverages	259.346	260.098	260.238	1.6	0.3	0.1
Food	258.957	259.839	259.955	1.5	0.4	0.0
Food at home	246.043	246.873	246.457	-0.1	0.2	-0.2
Cereals and bakery products	257.604	259.020	258.351		0.3	-0.3
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	254.621	258.828	255.646		0.4	-1.2
Dairy and related products	225.280	225.159	225.997		0.3	0.4
Fruits and vegetables	328.882	325.125	328.324		-0.2	1.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	169.007	171.246	171.372		1.4	0.1
Other food at home	211.847	211.715	210.942		-0.4	-0.4
Food away from home	275.768	276.720	277.520	3.3	0.6	0.3
Alcoholic beverages	261.082	260.135	260.600	3.0	-0.2	0.2
Housing	287.898	288.932	289.398	3.9	0.5	0.2
Shelter	331.639	332.959	333.957	4.5	0.7	0.3
Rent of primary residence(1)	349.575	351.431	353.140	4.9	1.0	0.5
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)	347.643	349.126	350.400	4.3	0.8	0.4
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)	347.658	349.141	350.417	4.3	0.8	0.4
Fuels and utilities	303.862	306.943	301.933	1.7	-0.6	-1.6
Household energy	260.716	263.985	257.487	0.6	-1.2	-2.5
Energy services(1)	263.022	266.349	259.548	0.5	-1.3	-2.6
Electricity(1)	293.988	294.006	288.745	0.5	-1.8	-1.8
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	205.731	218.282	206.671	0.7	0.5	-5.3
Household furnishings and operations	129.110	128.378	129.206	1.2	0.1	0.6
Apparel	116.023	116.614	120.996	0.3	4.3	3.8
Transportation	220.363	219.235	219.326	6.1	-0.5	0.0
Private transportation	215.824	215.011	214.985	6.5	-0.4	0.0
New and used motor vehicles(3)	100.701	100.683	99.368	0.0	-1.3	-1.3
New vehicles	147.075	145.903	145.885	-0.1	-0.8	0.0
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	102.160	101.334	101.315	-0.1	-0.8	0.0
New cars(4)	144.240	143.377	143.667	0.9	-0.4	0.2
Used cars and trucks	134.821	135.579	130.452	-1.4	-3.2	-3.8
Motor fuel	274.374	271.188	273.994	15.7	-0.1	1.0
Gasoline (all types)	273.199	269.963	272.802	15.6	-0.1	1.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	270.477	267.197	270.063	15.8	-0.2	1.1
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	259.895	257.208	259.277	15.7	-0.2	0.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	266.183	263.377	265.956	14.9	-0.1	1.0
Motor vehicle insurance(6)	843.244	841.012	847.893		0.6	0.8
Medical Care	496.037	494.151	495.094	2.7	-0.2	0.2
Medical care commodities	384.693	385.085	382.609	2.3	-0.5	-0.6
Medical care services	531.008	528.357	530.461	2.8	-0.1	0.4
Professional services	357.697	354.203	354.466	0.4	-0.9	0.1
Recreation(3)	113.911	114.002	113.933	1.0	0.0	-0.1
Education and communication(3)	136.063	137.172	138.175	1.5	1.6	0.7
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)	1,399.067	1,433.387	1,457.206		4.2	1.7
Other goods and services	436.007	436.312	437.335	2.7	0.3	0.2
Commodity and Service Group
All Items	263.971	264.395	265.105	3.4	0.4	0.3
Commodities	185.376	185.265	185.784	2.2	0.2	0.3
Commodities less food & beverages	148.319	147.891	148.525	2.6	0.1	0.4
Nondurables less food & beverages	196.321	195.806	198.314	5.6	1.0	1.3
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel	252.628	251.316	252.441	7.4	-0.1	0.4
Durables	105.466	105.123	104.306	-1.4	-1.1	-0.8
Services	336.793	337.754	338.639	4.0	0.5	0.3
Rent of shelter(2)	353.072	354.490	355.560	4.5	0.7	0.3
Transportation services	319.043	318.229	320.048	6.2	0.3	0.6
Other services	350.245	352.039	353.861	2.7	1.0	0.5
Special aggregate indexes:
All items less medical care	253.359	253.881	254.579	3.4	0.5	0.3
All items less food	264.929	265.282	266.086	3.6	0.4	0.3
All items less shelter	237.493	237.558	238.155	2.7	0.3	0.3
Commodities less food	152.516	152.071	152.706	2.6	0.1	0.4
Nondurables	228.310	228.376	229.819	3.4	0.7	0.6
Nondurables less food	201.237	200.694	203.099	5.4	0.9	1.2
Nondurables less food and apparel	253.126	251.851	252.912	6.9	-0.1	0.4
Services less rent of shelter(2)	353.751	354.242	354.992	3.4	0.4	0.2
Services less medical care services	323.213	324.408	325.212	4.1	0.6	0.2
Energy	273.095	272.425	271.577	9.5	-0.6	-0.3
All items less energy	265.503	266.010	266.840	2.9	0.5	0.3
All items less food and energy	267.428	267.873	268.827	3.2	0.5	0.4
Commodities less food and energy commodities	139.098	138.970	139.347	-0.1	0.2	0.3
Energy commodities	278.990	275.826	278.696	15.5	-0.1	1.0
Services less energy services	342.395	343.230	344.541	4.2	0.6	0.4
Footnotes (1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (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. (6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
- Data not available Regions defined as the four Census regions. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.