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News Release Information

24-496-CHI
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

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

Consumer Price Index, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area – February 2024

Detroit area prices were up 0.2 percent over the past two months, up 2.8 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 0.2 percent for the two months ending in February 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the energy index rose 2.1 percent, and the food index increased 0.8 percent from December to February. The all items less food and energy index was unchanged over the past two months. Increases in the apparel and shelter indexes were partially offset by decreases in the new and used motor vehicles and education and communication indexes. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 2.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.3 percent over the year. Food prices were up 2.0 percent. Energy prices fell 0.9 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of utility (piped) gas service. (See table 1.)


Food

Food prices advanced 0.8 percent for the two months ending in February. (See table 1.)  Prices for food at home (groceries) rose 1.1 percent.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.0 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 1.7 percent as four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the year. Categories increasing included other food at home (includes sugar, sweets, fats, and oils, for example) 2.7 percent, nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+4.2 percent), cereals and bakery products (+3.0 percent), and fruits and vegetables (+2.5 percent). The indexes for dairy and related products and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs fell 1.5 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively over the year.

Energy

The energy index increased 2.1 percent for the two months ending in February. The increase was mainly due to higher gasoline prices (+4.5 percent). Electricity prices increased 1.2 percent, while utility (piped) gas service prices decreased 2.4 percent for the same period.

Energy prices fell 0.9 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for utility (piped) gas service (-10.0 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 11.9 percent, while gasoline prices fell 5.2 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for apparel (+8.7 percent) and shelter (+0.3 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for new and used motor vehicles (-6.4 percent) and education and communication (-0.5 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.3 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+5.3 percent) and other goods and services (+6.8 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in apparel (-7.5 percent).

Table A. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month

February

0.5 2.6 0.6 0.8 1.1 7.5 1.9 7.0 0.2 2.8

April

-2.7 -0.8 1.7 5.4 2.5 8.3 2.1 6.6

June

1.7 0.5 1.7 5.4 3.0 9.7 1.1 4.7

August

1.9 1.8 0.5 3.9 -0.5 8.6 0.6 5.9

October

-0.3 0.5 1.2 5.5 1.1 8.5 -1.3 3.4

December

-0.3 0.7 1.1 7.0 -1.0 6.2 0.0 4.5

The April 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area is scheduled to be released on May 15, 2024.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Detroit is published bi-monthly. 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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/homch17_a.htm.

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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, Core Based Statistical Area consolidated area covered in this release is comprised of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne Counties in Michigan.

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
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

Indexes Percent change from-
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024
Feb.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Expenditure category

All items

283.757 - 284.455 2.8 0.2 -

All items (1967=100)

843.443 - 845.517 - - -

Food and beverages

285.689 - 288.057 2.4 0.8 -

Food

286.824 - 289.132 2.0 0.8 -

Food at home

272.254 274.555 275.208 1.7 1.1 0.2

Cereals and bakery products

350.427 348.876 348.274 3.0 -0.6 -0.2

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

289.176 280.524 280.470 -1.0 -3.0 0.0

Dairy and related products

207.241 209.049 208.804 -1.5 0.8 -0.1

Fruits and vegetables

274.877 278.179 280.730 2.5 2.1 0.9

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

254.575 258.721 266.466 4.2 4.7 3.0

Other food at home

254.701 264.706 262.018 2.7 2.9 -1.0

Food away from home

- - - - - -

Alcoholic beverages

- - 270.077 8.1 - -

Housing

275.126 - 275.888 4.1 0.3 -

Shelter

317.290 318.958 318.253 5.3 0.3 -0.2

Rent of primary residence(2)

330.550 331.080 331.706 4.6 0.3 0.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)

313.631 314.415 315.665 5.5 0.6 0.4

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)(3)

313.631 314.415 315.665 5.5 0.6 0.4

Fuels and utilities

322.465 - 322.589 4.5 0.0 -

Household energy

250.895 253.627 250.672 2.3 -0.1 -1.2

Energy services(2)

252.836 255.766 252.707 2.6 -0.1 -1.2

Electricity(2)

292.371 301.633 295.816 11.9 1.2 -1.9

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

192.914 187.753 188.290 -10.0 -2.4 0.3

Household furnishings and operations

139.652 - 140.116 -3.9 0.3 -

Apparel

97.216 - 105.696 -7.5 8.7 -

Transportation

320.104 - 315.741 4.4 -1.4 -

Private transportation

329.656 - 324.820 5.3 -1.5 -

New and used motor vehicles(4)

149.873 - 140.259 -0.3 -6.4 -

New vehicles(1)

256.616 - 258.135 2.0 0.6 -

Used cars and trucks(1)

389.048 - 376.027 -1.6 -3.3 -

Motor fuel

272.612 265.057 284.124 -5.6 4.2 7.2

Gasoline (all types)

270.186 263.047 282.402 -5.2 4.5 7.4

Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)

269.969 262.921 283.075 -5.3 4.9 7.7

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)

341.491 329.358 347.542 -4.1 1.8 5.5

Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)

300.904 292.385 306.325 -3.7 1.8 4.8

Medical care

492.464 - 494.724 - 0.5 -

Recreation(4)

126.004 - 125.937 2.0 -0.1 -

Education and communication(4)

159.613 - 158.853 1.7 -0.5 -

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)

1,534.267 - 1,532.772 6.1 -0.1 -

Other goods and services

525.025 - 535.402 6.8 2.0 -

Commodity and service group

All items

283.757 - 284.455 2.8 0.2 -

Commodities

207.755 - 210.643 -0.3 1.4 -

Commodities less food and beverages

168.924 - 171.937 -2.5 1.8 -

Nondurables less food and beverages

192.002 - 199.869 -3.5 4.1 -

Durables

135.937 - 134.307 -1.5 -1.2 -

Services

361.256 - 360.038 5.0 -0.3 -

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

275.493 - 276.110 3.1 0.2 -

All items less shelter

274.304 - 274.903 1.7 0.2 -

Commodities less food

172.463 - 175.498 -2.0 1.8 -

Nondurables

238.111 - 243.547 0.0 2.3 -

Nondurables less food

196.758 - 204.415 -2.6 3.9 -

Services less rent of shelter(3)

425.173 - 421.164 4.7 -0.9 -

Services less medical care services

352.587 - 351.063 5.6 -0.4 -

Energy

266.172 263.954 271.650 -0.9 2.1 2.9

All items less energy

289.098 - 289.405 3.0 0.1 -

All items less food and energy

290.532 - 290.507 3.3 0.0 -

Footnotes
(1) Index on a December 1977=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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2024