Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.1 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The October increase was influenced by higher prices for 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 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices rose 2.5 percent. Energy prices declined 9.9 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent over the year. (See table 1.)  

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, West region, October 2021–October 2024

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Oct 2021	6.0	4.5
Nov 2021	6.5	4.8
Dec 2021	7.1	5.5
Jan 2022	7.7	6.2
Feb 2022	8.1	6.7
Mar 2022	8.7	6.8
Apr 2022	8.3	6.4
May 2022	8.3	6.2
Jun 2022	8.8	6.2
Jul 2022	8.3	6.3
Aug 2022	8.1	6.7
Sep 2022	8.3	6.8
Oct 2022	8.1	6.4
Nov 2022	7.1	6.0
Dec 2022	6.2	5.7
Jan 2023	6.3	5.6
Feb 2023	6.0	5.3
Mar 2023	5.1	5.5
Apr 2023	4.9	5.4
May 2023	4.5	5.3
Jun 2023	3.5	4.7
Jul 2023	3.5	4.3
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

Food prices increased 0.3 percent for the month of October. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home advanced 0.3 percent, with higher prices in five of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home advanced 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.5 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 1.1 percent since a year ago, led by higher prices for fruits and vegetables (2.9 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 4.7 percent.

The energy index declined 0.9 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-2.1 percent). Prices for natural gas service fell 3.1 percent, while prices for electricity advanced 1.4 percent for the same period.

Energy prices declined 9.9 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-17.9 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service fell 8.0 percent, while prices for electricity advanced 4.4 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in October. Higher prices for household furnishings and operations (0.8 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-2.6 percent) and education and communication (-0.7 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (3.8 percent) and shelter (3.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in new and used motor vehicles (-1.0 percent).

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the West Region 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 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. 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 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.

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

West (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes				Percent change from-
	Historical data	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024	Oct. 2024	Oct. 2023	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024
Expenditure category
All Items		333.442	334.265	334.558	2.1	0.3	0.1
All items (December 1977=100)		538.991	540.321	540.794	-	-	-
Food and beverages		342.688	343.636	344.614	2.4	0.6	0.3
Food		345.168	346.078	347.078	2.5	0.6	0.3
Food at home		321.112	321.588	322.551	1.1	0.4	0.3
Cereals and bakery products		333.764	330.940	335.675	0.1	0.6	1.4
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		353.824	358.544	349.426	0.4	-1.2	-2.5
Dairy and related products		286.959	282.312	286.113	0.8	-0.3	1.3
Fruits and vegetables		400.473	404.412	408.552	2.9	2.0	1.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		223.332	221.841	224.647	-0.2	0.6	1.3
Other food at home		276.891	277.087	279.131	1.4	0.8	0.7
Food away from home		379.477	381.086	382.132	4.7	0.7	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		304.718	306.245	306.878	1.8	0.7	0.2
Housing		374.674	374.911	375.918	3.2	0.3	0.3
Shelter		432.345	432.115	432.906	3.7	0.1	0.2
Rent of primary residence(1)		460.199	461.749	462.823	3.7	0.6	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)		454.992	456.117	457.313	3.9	0.5	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)		454.750	455.877	457.075	3.9	0.5	0.3
Fuels and utilities		422.014	423.263	425.179	3.0	0.7	0.5
Household energy		366.997	367.801	369.591	1.4	0.7	0.5
Energy services(1)		370.385	371.264	372.994	1.6	0.7	0.5
Electricity(1)		412.323	412.368	418.277	4.4	1.4	1.4
Utility (piped) gas service(1)		291.485	294.623	285.540	-8.0	-2.0	-3.1
Household furnishings and operations		156.422	157.762	159.084	0.3	1.7	0.8
Apparel		126.865	130.727	127.356	0.2	0.4	-2.6
Transportation		279.281	280.375	279.617	-0.7	0.1	-0.3
Private transportation		279.038	280.160	278.454	-0.9	-0.2	-0.6
New and used motor vehicles(3)		122.903	122.848	122.795	-1.0	-0.1	0.0
New vehicles		175.077	175.029	174.804	-1.3	-0.2	-0.1
New cars and trucks(3)(4)		-	-	-	-	-	-
New cars(4)		172.778	172.791	172.272	-2.3	-0.3	-0.3
Used cars and trucks		170.376	170.464	171.507	-3.6	0.7	0.6
Motor fuel		336.506	336.319	329.639	-18.0	-2.0	-2.0
Gasoline (all types)		335.351	335.252	328.372	-17.9	-2.1	-2.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		330.830	330.592	323.539	-18.3	-2.2	-2.1
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		321.677	322.049	315.896	-17.2	-1.8	-1.9
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		332.076	332.469	326.608	-16.3	-1.6	-1.8
Medical Care		611.401	610.440	612.936	3.8	0.3	0.4
Medical care commodities		476.510	471.370	471.079	2.8	-1.1	-0.1
Medical care services		653.074	653.454	656.837	4.0	0.6	0.5
Professional services		426.918	425.980	427.456	4.1	0.1	0.3
Recreation(3)		131.086	131.860	132.339	0.9	1.0	0.4
Education and communication(3)		144.345	145.161	144.090	0.6	-0.2	-0.7
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)		1,696.525	1,706.342	1,706.849	3.5	0.6	0.0
Other goods and services		555.140	554.123	556.646	1.6	0.3	0.5
Commodity and Service Group
All Items		333.442	334.265	334.558	2.1	0.3	0.1
Commodities		226.365	227.309	226.927	-1.5	0.2	-0.2
Commodities less food & beverages		172.188	173.078	172.233	-3.9	0.0	-0.5
Nondurables less food & beverages		230.838	232.464	229.580	-5.9	-0.5	-1.2
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel		303.848	303.992	301.398	-7.5	-0.8	-0.9
Durables		121.299	121.670	122.106	-2.1	0.7	0.4
Services		433.320	433.999	434.967	4.2	0.4	0.2
Rent of shelter(2)		461.081	460.830	461.676	3.7	0.1	0.2
Transportation services		419.338	422.950	424.196	10.8	1.2	0.3
Other services		417.241	418.388	418.238	2.4	0.2	0.0
Special aggregate indexes:
All items less medical care		320.649	321.544	321.743	2.0	0.3	0.1
All items less food		331.725	332.535	332.721	2.0	0.3	0.1
All items less shelter		294.342	295.623	295.705	1.2	0.5	0.0
Commodities less food		176.990	177.903	177.081	-3.7	0.1	-0.5
Nondurables		286.525	287.842	286.781	-1.4	0.1	-0.4
Nondurables less food		236.440	238.073	235.354	-5.4	-0.5	-1.1
Nondurables less food and apparel		303.406	303.667	301.352	-6.8	-0.7	-0.8
Services less rent of shelter(2)		446.722	448.755	450.003	4.9	0.7	0.3
Services less medical care services		417.845	418.542	419.350	4.2	0.4	0.2
Energy		356.605	356.844	353.701	-9.9	-0.8	-0.9
All items less energy		334.639	335.504	336.010	3.0	0.4	0.2
All items less food and energy		333.723	334.582	335.009	3.1	0.4	0.1
Commodities less food and energy commodities		159.695	160.702	160.421	-0.9	0.5	-0.2
Energy commodities		342.758	342.536	335.932	-17.9	-2.0	-1.9
Services less energy services		438.663	439.336	440.270	4.3	0.4	0.2
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.