Prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged down 0.1 percent for the two months ending in July 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  Acting Regional Commissioner Bryan Droste noted that prices were lower over the two-month period for recreation and apparel. Price increases were noted in both the food index and the energy index. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U decreased 0.3 percent. (See table A.) Energy prices fell 12.3 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged over the year. Food prices rose 3.8 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.4 percent for the two months ending in July.  Prices for food at home (groceries) edged down 0.1 percent, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 1.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 3.8 percent. Prices for food at home increased 3.3 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home advanced 4.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index jumped 10.3 percent for the two months ending in July. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (17.9 percent). Prices for electricity rose 8.7 percent, while prices for utility (piped) gas service decreased 4.2 percent for the same period.

Energy prices fell 12.3 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-22.6 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 0.9 percent, while prices for utility (piped) gas service decreased 3.8 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy declined 0.8 percent in the latest two-month period. Lower prices for recreation (-14.8 percent) and apparel (-2.2 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for household furnishings and operations (3.2 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was unchanged. Within all items less food and energy, prices were higher for shelter (3.4 percent) and medical care (2.5 percent), while prices were lower for recreation (-15.5 percent).

Table A. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2018		2019		2020
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
January	0.3		0.4	1.4	0.6	3.0
March	0.5		1.4	2.3	-0.3	1.2
May	1.0		1.0	2.3	-0.1	0.0
July	0.3		0.3	2.2	-0.1	-0.3
September	0.3		-0.2	1.7
November	-1.2	1.3	-0.2	2.8

The September 2020 Consumer Price Index for Minneapolis is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

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/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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, LeSueur, Mille Lacs, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Washington, and Wright Counties in Minnesota; and Pierce and St. Croix Counties 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
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	May 2020	Jun. 2020	Jul. 2020	Jul. 2019	May 2020	Jun. 2020
Expenditure category
All items	251.243	-	250.986	-0.3	-0.1	-
All items (1967=100)	789.537	-	788.729	-	-	-
Food and beverages	293.606	-	294.397	3.7	0.3	-
Food	281.764	-	283.005	3.8	0.4	-
Food at home	253.796	256.282	253.447	3.3	-0.1	-1.1
Cereals and bakery products	263.399	-	270.094	-0.9	2.5	-
Meats, poultry, fish and eggs	288.043	-	277.130	8.0	-3.8	-
Dairy and related products	286.006	-	264.473	-1.8	-7.5	-
Fruits and vegetables	342.796	-	359.374	4.5	4.8	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)	156.183	-	163.828	7.1	4.9	-
Other food at home	199.891	-	198.413	0.8	-0.7	-
Food away from home	321.279	-	325.283	4.4	1.2	-
Alcoholic beverages	399.180	-	393.211	2.1	-1.5	-
Housing	244.116	-	246.104	3.2	0.8	-
Shelter	291.257	291.348	291.762	3.4	0.2	0.1
Rent of primary residence(2)	298.583	298.859	298.804	4.1	0.1	0.0
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)	305.990	306.688	307.415	4.6	0.5	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)(3)	305.990	306.688	307.415	4.6	0.5	0.2
Fuels and utilities	211.536	-	218.640	1.0	3.4	-
Household energy	186.227	195.603	194.424	0.3	4.4	-0.6
Energy services(2)	190.220	199.979	198.713	0.0	4.5	-0.6
Electricity(2)	267.509	296.492	290.734	0.9	8.7	-1.9
Utility (piped) gas service(2)	123.195	115.038	117.992	-3.8	-4.2	2.6
Household furnishings and operations	122.133	-	125.994	3.3	3.2	-
Apparel	128.230	-	125.388	-9.0	-2.2	-
Transportation	179.871	-	189.468	-6.9	5.3	-
Private transportation	170.072	-	179.548	-4.8	5.6	-
New and used motor vehicles(4)	92.721	-	92.463	0.1	-0.3	-
New vehicles(1)	159.651	-	157.186	-0.4	-1.5	-
Used cars and trucks(1)	271.244	-	280.224	0.8	3.3	-
Motor fuel	145.036	165.367	169.890	-22.5	17.1	2.7
Gasoline (all types)	144.252	165.250	170.014	-22.6	17.9	2.9
Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)	143.796	164.846	169.637	-22.9	18.0	2.9
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)	155.679	184.077	179.986	-19.9	15.6	-2.2
Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)	186.078	209.786	217.841	-19.8	17.1	3.8
Motor vehicle insurance(1)	375.583	-	484.336	4.6	29.0	-
Medical care	574.564	-	574.841	2.5	0.0	-
Recreation(4)	132.028	-	112.540	-15.5	-14.8	-
Education and communication(4)	137.299	-	136.153	-3.0	-0.8	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)	1,089.712	-	1,091.161	-3.9	0.1	-
Other goods and services	391.017	-	389.045	4.6	-0.5	-
Commodity and service group
All items	251.243	-	250.986	-0.3	-0.1	-
Commodities	184.306	-	186.613	-1.4	1.3	-
Commodities less food and beverages	138.161	-	140.759	-4.4	1.9	-
Nondurables less food and beverages	175.045	-	180.338	-7.7	3.0	-
Durables	105.145	-	105.756	-0.2	0.6	-
Services	311.007	-	308.302	0.3	-0.9	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	236.698	-	236.421	-0.6	-0.1	-
All items less shelter	235.161	-	234.579	-2.2	-0.2	-
Commodities less food	146.787	-	149.282	-4.1	1.7	-
Nondurables	229.239	-	232.722	-1.9	1.5	-
Nondurables less food	189.039	-	193.934	-6.9	2.6	-
Services less rent of shelter(3)	345.662	-	338.523	-3.1	-2.1	-
Services less medical care services	287.264	-	284.320	-0.1	-1.0	-
Energy	166.974	182.281	184.105	-12.3	10.3	1.0
All items less energy	262.955	-	261.326	0.5	-0.6	-
All items less food and energy	260.276	-	258.232	0.0	-0.8	-
Footnotes (1) Index on an April 1978=100 base. (2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (3) Index on a December 1982=100 base. (4) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (5) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (6) Index on a December 1993=100 base.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.