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News Release Information

17-11-CHI
Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Consumer Price Index, Chicago-Gary-Kenosha — December 2016

Local prices rose 1.9 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Chicago-Gary-Kenosha area fell 0.2 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that food prices declined 0.4 percent and energy prices increased 2.6 percent in December. The all items less food and energy index fell 0.4 percent over the month. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were lower for apparel, shelter, and recreation. Prices for education and communication were higher over the month. (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 Chicago area all items CPI-U increased 1.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy costs rose 8.0 percent over the year due to increases in the indexes for gasoline and utility (piped) gas service. The all items less food and energy index was 1.8 percent higher over the year. (See table 1.)

 

Food

Food prices fell 0.4 percent in December after recording no change in November. Between the two components within the food index, prices for food at home (groceries) decreased 0.6 percent, while prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were unchanged over the month. Within the food at home group, prices were lower in December for citrus fruits, uncooked beef steaks, and eggs. In contrast, the indexes for canned fruits and vegetables and breakfast cereal were higher.

From December 2015 to December 2016, the food index fell 0.2 percent. Grocery prices declined 2.1 percent, while food away from home prices rose 2.7 percent over the year.

Energy

The energy index increased 2.6 percent in December, primarily due to a 7.8-percent increase in gasoline prices. Electricity costs were little changed over the month, increasing 0.1 percent, while the utility (piped) gas service index decreased 3.8 percent during same period.

Over the year, the Chicago area energy index rose 8.0 percent. The major contributing factors in the energy index’s increase were a 14.4-percent rise in gasoline prices and a 19.1-percent increase in the utility (piped) gas service index. Electricity costs fell 5.2 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy declined 0.4 percent in December. Prices were lower for apparel (-6.0 percent), shelter (-0.5 percent), and recreation (-0.9 percent), but higher for education and communication (0.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.8 percent. Increases in the indexes for shelter (2.9 percent) and medical care (6.5 percent) were major contributing factors.

Table A. Chicago CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20122013201420152016
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.62.10.21.20.91.2-0.20.40.80.9

February

0.01.61.12.30.50.70.0-0.2-0.20.7

March

1.22.1-0.10.91.11.90.7-0.60.10.2

April

0.01.70.00.90.52.40.1-0.90.60.7

May

-0.11.00.51.5-0.11.80.3-0.50.00.3

June

-0.10.90.11.70.42.00.2-0.70.50.7

July

-0.21.1-0.21.7-0.41.9-0.1-0.5-0.8-0.1

August

0.61.50.11.10.11.90.4-0.10.2-0.2

September

0.31.6-0.20.70.02.1-0.3-0.40.60.6

October

-0.21.7-0.30.5-0.42.0-0.1-0.20.10.8

November

-0.41.5-0.30.6-0.81.6-0.40.20.21.5

December

-0.31.7-0.30.5-0.41.5-0.60.0-0.21.9

The January 2017 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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/pdf/homch17.pdf.

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 Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. consolidated area covered in this release is comprised of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

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
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
IndexesPercent change from-
Oct.
2016
Nov.
2016
Dec.
2016
Dec.
2015
Oct.
2016
Nov.
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All items

230.506230.969230.4761.90.0-0.2

All items (1967=100)

688.657690.040688.567---

Food and beverages

243.493243.435242.856-0.2-0.3-0.2

Food

243.409243.466242.580-0.2-0.3-0.4

Food at home

234.715234.809233.374-2.1-0.6-0.6

Food away from home

250.838250.838250.8382.70.00.0

Alcoholic beverages

243.025241.256245.213-0.20.91.6

Housing

237.836238.965237.7672.50.0-0.5

Shelter

298.177300.016298.5422.90.1-0.5

Rent of primary residence(1)

315.028317.112317.2962.40.70.1

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

302.627304.051304.5822.50.60.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

302.627304.051304.5822.50.60.2

Fuels and utilities

198.338199.898197.7604.9-0.3-1.1

Household energy

156.634157.840155.6223.1-0.6-1.4

Energy services(1)

159.604160.926158.5543.1-0.7-1.5

Electricity(1)

150.121150.177150.375-5.20.20.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

161.008164.254157.94819.1-1.9-3.8

Household furnishings and operations

92.26491.17191.290-3.0-1.10.1

Apparel

90.71888.10282.776-5.0-8.8-6.0

Transportation

178.374176.508179.8113.50.81.9

Private transportation

175.340172.887176.6403.80.72.2

Motor fuel

212.050196.464211.67814.2-0.27.7

Gasoline (all types)

209.910194.380209.56814.4-0.27.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

200.688185.344200.58914.80.08.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

238.435222.363236.52713.1-0.86.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

238.051224.125236.88612.0-0.55.7

Medical care

482.970498.174495.5266.52.6-0.5

Recreation(5)

107.425106.585105.603-3.0-1.7-0.9

Education and communication(5)

144.041144.574145.2021.10.80.4

Other goods and services

386.640385.112388.3711.10.40.8
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All items

230.506230.969230.4761.90.0-0.2

Commodities

165.454163.609163.691-0.3-1.10.1

Commodities less food & beverages

126.022123.550123.894-0.3-1.70.3

Nondurables less food & beverages

167.564162.380163.1172.1-2.70.5

Durables

87.50987.15387.191-3.4-0.40.0

Services

292.198294.948293.8893.10.6-0.4
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

219.677219.492219.0931.4-0.3-0.2

All items less shelter

207.696207.683207.5291.4-0.1-0.1

Commodities less food

130.258127.777128.216-0.3-1.60.3

Nondurables

206.041203.289203.3960.8-1.30.1

Nondurables less food

172.608167.587168.5072.0-2.40.5

Services less rent of shelter(2)

300.870304.841304.1853.31.1-0.2

Services less medical care services

277.743279.293278.4192.60.2-0.3

Energy

177.821172.525177.0598.0-0.42.6

All items less energy

237.381238.381237.4181.50.0-0.4

All items less food and energy

237.122238.297237.3171.80.1-0.4

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) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
 

- Data not available.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2017