Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased by 0.7 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the January increase was largely due to an 0.8 percent increase in the shelter index, which also pulled the all items less food and energy index up 0.6 percent. The other major components of the CPI, food and energy, rose 0.9 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U index rose 6.0 percent; since August 2022, 12-month increases have ranged from 6.0 to 7.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index, up 4.9 percent, was predominantly responsible for the over-the-year increase in January. The food index increased 9.7 percent, while the energy index advanced 11.3 percent, the smallest increase March 2021 and well below June’s peak of 44.2 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

In January, food prices rose 0.9 percent, above November and December’s 0.2-percent gain. (See table 1.) Of the two major components within the food index, prices for food at home increased 1.0 percent, the highest increase since July 2022, and were responsible for most of the rise in food prices. Notably, prices for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials rose 3.4 percent over the month, the highest increase since the index began in 2018, and contributed the most to the food at home index increase. Within the category, higher prices for carbonated drinks and coffee led to the record high. The other food at home index was up 1.1 percent; among the other grocery categories, both the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index and the cereals and bakery products index advanced 0.9 percent; dairy and related products prices increased 0.8 percent.  Slightly offsetting the increase, the fruits and vegetables index was down 0.5-percent, as lettuce and tomato prices were lower. Food away from home prices advanced 0.6 percent.

From January 2022 to January 2023, the food index increased 9.7 percent. The food at home index advanced 11.1 percent since a year ago—continuing a trend of increases in the 10.1 to 12.0 percent range since May 2022—as prices in all grocery categories rose over the year. This was led by a 13.1-percent increase in the other food at home index and a 15.6-percent increase in the cereals and bakery products index, each continuing double-digit increases since last May although they were also down from recent over-the-year peaks. The food away from home index increased 7.2 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 1.1 percent over the month, following last month’s decrease of 4.0 percent. The January increase was nearly entirely due to higher prices for electricity, which advanced 5.9 percent; for the last decade, the electricity index has increased every January. Declines in utility (piped) gas and gasoline held down the overall energy increase. Gasoline prices, which have largely declined since peaking at 18.0 percent in March 2022, were down 1.7 percent following December's 8.5 percent drop. Utility (piped) gas service prices were down 0.6 percent.

Energy prices increased over the year, up 11.3 percent, mainly due to higher prices for electricity (up 14.9 percent although it was the smallest 12-month increase since April 2022). Over the year, prices for utility (piped) gas services were up 23.5 percent; similar to last quarter’s increases and moderately lower than September’s peak of 39.6 percent. The fuel oil index also rose. Gasoline prices were up 0.6 percent since last January, continuing the rapid deceleration in over the year price increases from June 2022’s peak-high of 60.0 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.6 percent in January, led by the rise in the shelter index (up 0.8 percent). All of the shelter components were higher: the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index rose 0.6 percent, lodging away from home advanced, and rent of primary residence was up 0.7 percent. The apparel index increase of 5.1 percent also contributed to the overall index rise. The household furnishing and operations index increased 0.9 percent. Other component indexes increased as well, including education and communication (0.3 percent), recreation (0.4 percent), and other goods and services (0.5 percent). Medical care was unchanged. Partially offsetting the overall index rise were lower prices since December for new and used motor vehicles—down 1.4 percent, as used cars and trucks had a 5^th consecutive month of lower prices, down 1.7 percent in January.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 4.9 percent, mostly due to the 5.9 percent higher shelter index.  The shelter rise was driven by the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index, up 5.4 percent. Although it had less impact on the overall shelter change, the 6.2-percent rise in rent of primary residence was the largest since April 1988. All of the other components of the all items less food and energy index were up over the year except for used cars and trucks, down 11.6 percent, the third such decline since November.

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for the New England division increased by 0.9 percent. For the Middle Atlantic division, the all items CPI-U index increased by 0.6 percent over the month.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 6.3 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 5.5 percent in the New England division. (See table B.)

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2019		2020		2021		2022		2023
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3	0.4	1.1	0.8	6.3	0.7	6.0
February	0.2	1.3	0.3	2.4	0.4	1.2	0.7	6.6
March	0.5	1.7	-0.2	1.7	0.6	2.1	1.3	7.3
April	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8	0.7	3.3	0.6	7.2
May	0.3	1.5	0.0	0.6	0.6	3.9	0.9	7.5
June	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8	1.0	4.6	1.2	7.6
July	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1	0.2	4.3	-0.2	7.3
August	0.1	1.5	0.1	1.1	0.1	4.4	0.3	7.4
September	0.0	1.4	0.1	1.2	0.3	4.6	0.1	7.2
October	-0.1	1.5	-0.2	1.1	0.6	5.4	0.3	6.9
November	0.1	1.9	0.1	1.1	0.6	6.0	0.1	6.4
December	-0.1	1.9	0.2	1.4	0.2	5.9	-0.1	6.1

Table B. CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, Northeast region and divisions, not seasonally adjusted

Area	1-month change	12-month change
Northeast	0.7	6.0
New England Division	0.9	5.5
Middle Atlantic Division	0.6	6.3

The February 2022 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on March 14, 2023.

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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The New England division is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Middle Atlantic division is comprised of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

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, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Nov. 2022	Dec. 2022	Jan. 2023	Jan. 2022	Nov. 2022	Dec. 2022
All items		308.394	308.150	310.323	6.0	0.6	0.7
All items (December 1977 = 100)		485.626	485.242	488.664
Food and beverages		316.523	317.382	319.989	9.4	1.1	0.8
Food		318.887	319.678	322.420	9.7	1.1	0.9
Food at home		302.349	302.872	305.904	11.1	1.2	1.0
Cereals and bakery products		375.754	373.637	377.050	15.6	0.3	0.9
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		312.165	310.878	313.788	7.5	0.5	0.9
Dairy and related products		280.700	279.412	281.746	13.2	0.4	0.8
Fruits and vegetables		354.639	360.229	358.601	7.3	1.1	-0.5
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		207.156	206.688	213.783	13.2	3.2	3.4
Other food at home		270.593	272.247	275.316	13.1	1.7	1.1
Food away from home		345.927	347.234	349.205	7.2	0.9	0.6
Alcoholic beverages		283.983	285.726	286.496	6.5	0.9	0.3
Housing		327.183	328.787	332.230	7.2	1.5	1.0
Shelter		394.293	396.479	399.784	5.9	1.4	0.8
Rent of primary residence		397.558	400.696	403.654	6.2	1.5	0.7
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		408.421	410.917	413.462	5.4	1.2	0.6
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		408.076	410.569	413.097	5.4	1.2	0.6
Fuels and utilities		313.359	311.112	319.254	17.0	1.9	2.6
Household energy		284.900	282.523	291.083	18.9	2.2	3.0
Energy services		265.897	272.890	282.731	17.6	6.3	3.6
Electricity		258.147	264.855	280.471	14.9	8.6	5.9
Utility (piped) gas service		260.721	267.730	266.182	23.5	2.1	-0.6
Household furnishings and operations		141.357	143.378	144.644	6.7	2.3	0.9
Apparel		128.061	126.325	132.760	4.0	3.7	5.1
Transportation		254.786	251.234	249.807	4.7	-2.0	-0.6
Private transportation		252.467	249.600	248.359	4.2	-1.6	-0.5
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.517	125.228	123.482	2.0	-0.8	-1.4
New vehicles		171.645	171.762	172.314	5.4	0.4	0.3
New cars(3)		162.974	163.378	163.851	6.4	0.5	0.3
Used cars and trucks		204.870	199.703	196.267	-11.6	-4.2	-1.7
Motor fuel		325.173	297.637	292.188	0.9	-10.1	-1.8
Gasoline (all types)		322.845	295.478	290.348	0.6	-10.1	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		318.386	290.229	285.242	-0.3	-10.4	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		348.141	325.398	317.799	4.0	-8.7	-2.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		340.474	320.008	314.249	6.8	-7.7	-1.8
Medical care		577.943	576.835	576.980	3.3	-0.2	0.0
Medical care commodities		390.358	393.020	396.552	3.9	1.6	0.9
Medical care services		633.285	630.938	630.056	3.1	-0.5	-0.1
Professional services		430.991	431.227	432.078	1.9	0.3	0.2
Recreation(2)		137.815	137.393	137.964	2.9	0.1	0.4
Education and communication(2)		154.693	154.234	154.754	1.4	0.0	0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,374.335	1,375.919	1,378.171	2.7	0.3	0.2
Other goods and services		568.889	565.841	568.819	5.6	0.0	0.5
Commodity and service group
Commodities		227.522	224.898	226.559	5.1	-0.4	0.7
Commodities less food and beverages		180.282	176.488	177.685	2.4	-1.4	0.7
Nondurables less food and beverages		232.770	224.480	227.090	5.1	-2.4	1.2
Durables		123.010	122.375	122.504	-0.5	-0.4	0.1
Services		385.971	388.149	390.816	6.6	1.3	0.7
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		278.888	277.789	279.555	6.1	0.2	0.6
All items less medical care		296.511	296.304	298.573	6.3	0.7	0.8
Commodities less food		184.218	180.546	181.738	2.5	-1.3	0.7
Nondurables		274.240	270.372	272.986	7.6	-0.5	1.0
Nondurables less food		235.706	228.054	230.549	5.2	-2.2	1.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		390.053	392.279	394.246	7.3	1.1	0.5
Services less medical care services		368.905	371.370	374.286	7.0	1.5	0.8
Energy		302.168	290.095	293.388	11.3	-2.9	1.1
All items less energy		312.958	313.764	315.869	5.6	0.9	0.7
All items less food and energy		313.904	314.717	316.724	4.9	0.9	0.6
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.