Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased by 0.5 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the February increase was largely due to the shelter index, up 0.8 percent over the month, which helped to push the all items less food and energy index up by the same amount. The food index moderated, up just 0.3 percent while the energy index decreased 1.6 percent. (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 5.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The 5.1-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index was mainly responsible for the over-the-year increase. The other two major categories’ rates of increase moderated; the food index was up 8.9 percent, while the energy index advanced 9.2 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

In February, the food index and its two major components, food at home and food away from home, all rose 0.3 percent and were below their January rates. (See table 1.) With the exception of fruits and vegetables, all grocery categories had over-the-month changes that were lower than those in January. Produce prices were up 0.7 percent as citrus fruit prices advanced. Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials prices increased 0.8 percent, down from the record 3.4-percent increase in January. Other grocery indexes that rose included cereals and bakery products (up 0.4 percent), other food at home (up 0.2 percent), and dairy and related products (up 0.1 percent). The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index edged down 0.2 percent as prices for eggs declined from last month.

From February 2022 to February 2023, the food index increased just 8.9 percent after peaking at 10.3 percent in October. The food at home index advanced 9.5 percent following the peak of 12.0 percent in August. Prices across all grocery categories rose at a slower rate than in recent months. This was led by a 11.9-percent increase in the other food at home index (down from the peak of 14.0 percent in October) and a 13.5-percent increase in the cereals and bakery products index (down from October’s 17.1 percent rise). Prices also rose for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (up 11.7 percent); meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (up 5.6 percent, notably lower than the 11.9-percent increase a year ago); dairy and related products (up 11.8 percent); and fruits and vegetables (up 5.4 percent). The food away from home index was up 8.0 percent, the highest 12-month increase for the index since October 1981.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.6 percent over the month as all energy categories except gasoline declined. The fuel oil index was down; the utility (piped) gas service index dropped 3.7 percent -- the greatest decrease since May 2020; and prices for electricity were down 1.0 percent. Gasoline prices were up 0.5 percent, the smallest change in that index since April 2021; gasoline prices peaked at 18.0 percent in March 2022.

Energy prices increased over the year, up 9.2 percent, although it was the smallest increase in 2 years. While there was some moderation in other categories, electricity increased at a record high of 23.2 percent, topping the previous 21.9-percent record set in December. Over the year, prices for utility (piped) gas services were up 16.9 percent, the smallest increase since August 2021, and the fuel oil index also rose. Gasoline prices were down 3.2 percent from last February, the first decline in the index in 25 months where the general trend was of moderating price increases over the year since the peak of 60.0 percent last June.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.8 percent in February, the highest 1-month increase since June.  It matched the 0.8-percent rise in the shelter index which contributed the most to that overall increase. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index and rent of primary residence index were both up 0.6 percent, and prices for lodging away from home also increased. Prices for apparel rose 2.7 percent over the month, down from 5.1 percent in January; this index has increased every February for the last 30 years. The other goods and services index was up 2.1 percent, the largest increase since March 2009, while the new and used motor vehicle index was up 0.9 percent despite a 1.6-percent decrease in prices for used cars and trucks, the sixth consecutive decline. Medical care prices declined slightly, led primarily by a decrease in prices for medical care services; each index was down 0.3 percent.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 5.1 percent, predominantly because of a 6.2-percent increase in the shelter index.  The shelter rise was driven by the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index, up 5.7 percent. The rent of primary residence index also contributed to the shelter increase -- the 6.4-percent rise was the largest in 36 years. Prices for household furnishings and operations increased 7.1 percent. All other categories across the all items less food and energy index rose over the year except for a 13.7-percent decrease in prices for used cars and trucks, following a trend of generally diminishing price increases from the recent peak of 42.5 percent last February.

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 Middle Atlantic division increased by 0.7 percent. For the New England division, the all items CPI-U index increased by 0.2 percent over the month.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 6.2 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 5.1 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	0.5	5.9
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	0.5	5.9
New England Division	0.2	5.1
Middle Atlantic Division	0.7	6.2

The March 2022 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on April 12, 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	Dec. 2022	Jan. 2023	Feb. 2023	Feb. 2022	Dec. 2022	Jan. 2023
All items		308.150	310.323	311.986	5.9	1.2	0.5
All items (December 1977 = 100)		485.242	488.664	491.282
Food and beverages		317.382	319.989	321.002	8.7	1.1	0.3
Food		319.678	322.420	323.444	8.9	1.2	0.3
Food at home		302.872	305.904	306.838	9.5	1.3	0.3
Cereals and bakery products		373.637	377.050	378.465	13.5	1.3	0.4
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		310.878	313.788	313.306	5.6	0.8	-0.2
Dairy and related products		279.412	281.746	282.111	11.8	1.0	0.1
Fruits and vegetables		360.229	358.601	361.145	5.4	0.3	0.7
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		206.688	213.783	215.541	11.7	4.3	0.8
Other food at home		272.247	275.316	275.825	11.9	1.3	0.2
Food away from home		347.234	349.205	350.401	8.0	0.9	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		285.726	286.496	287.371	5.6	0.6	0.3
Housing		328.787	332.230	333.577	7.5	1.5	0.4
Shelter		396.479	399.784	402.811	6.2	1.6	0.8
Rent of primary residence		400.696	403.654	406.089	6.4	1.3	0.6
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		410.917	413.462	416.140	5.7	1.3	0.6
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		410.569	413.097	415.759	5.7	1.3	0.6
Fuels and utilities		311.112	319.254	312.195	17.1	0.3	-2.2
Household energy		282.523	291.083	282.706	18.9	0.1	-2.9
Energy services		272.890	282.731	277.196	21.0	1.6	-2.0
Electricity		264.855	280.471	277.558	23.2	4.8	-1.0
Utility (piped) gas service		267.730	266.182	256.212	16.9	-4.3	-3.7
Household furnishings and operations		143.378	144.644	145.747	7.1	1.7	0.8
Apparel		126.325	132.760	136.335	4.2	7.9	2.7
Transportation		251.234	249.807	252.783	4.0	0.6	1.2
Private transportation		249.600	248.359	250.860	3.5	0.5	1.0
New and used motor vehicles(2)		125.228	123.482	124.621	2.1	-0.5	0.9
New vehicles		171.762	172.314	172.869	5.0	0.6	0.3
New cars(3)		163.378	163.851	164.302	5.8	0.6	0.3
Used cars and trucks		199.703	196.267	193.092	-13.7	-3.3	-1.6
Motor fuel		297.637	292.188	293.390	-3.1	-1.4	0.4
Gasoline (all types)		295.478	290.348	291.823	-3.2	-1.2	0.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		290.229	285.242	286.789	-4.2	-1.2	0.5
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		325.398	317.799	318.903	0.7	-2.0	0.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		320.008	314.249	315.196	3.5	-1.5	0.3
Medical care		576.835	576.980	575.275	2.8	-0.3	-0.3
Medical care commodities		393.020	396.552	396.336	3.8	0.8	-0.1
Medical care services		630.938	630.056	627.903	2.7	-0.5	-0.3
Professional services		431.227	432.078	432.476	2.1	0.3	0.1
Recreation(2)		137.393	137.964	138.639	2.6	0.9	0.5
Education and communication(2)		154.234	154.754	154.904	1.1	0.4	0.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,375.919	1,378.171	1,379.692	2.8	0.3	0.1
Other goods and services		565.841	568.819	580.957	6.3	2.7	2.1
Commodity and service group
Commodities		224.898	226.559	227.225	4.0	1.0	0.3
Commodities less food and beverages		176.488	177.685	178.177	1.0	1.0	0.3
Nondurables less food and beverages		224.480	227.090	227.953	2.9	1.5	0.4
Durables		122.375	122.504	122.693	-1.1	0.3	0.2
Services		388.149	390.816	393.427	7.1	1.4	0.7
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		277.789	279.555	280.716	5.7	1.1	0.4
All items less medical care		296.304	298.573	300.392	6.2	1.4	0.6
Commodities less food		180.546	181.738	182.244	1.1	0.9	0.3
Nondurables		270.372	272.986	273.924	6.1	1.3	0.3
Nondurables less food		228.054	230.549	231.412	3.1	1.5	0.4
Services less rent of shelter(1)		392.279	394.246	396.434	7.9	1.1	0.6
Services less medical care services		371.370	374.286	377.232	7.6	1.6	0.8
Energy		290.095	293.388	288.596	9.2	-0.5	-1.6
All items less energy		313.764	315.869	318.113	5.6	1.4	0.7
All items less food and energy		314.717	316.724	319.196	5.1	1.4	0.8
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.