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News Release Information

18-264-KAN
Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – January 2018

Prices in the Midwest up 0.6 percent in January and 1.6 percent higher over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest turned up 0.6 percent in January, following a decrease of 0.2 percent in the prior month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Higher costs for gasoline (4.9 percent) led the increase. Overall, energy prices were up 2.7 percent over the month. Food prices were 0.4 percent higher in January and the index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The CPI-U for the Midwest advanced 1.6 percent from January 2017 to January 2018. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, rose 4.6 percent and food prices increased 1.3 percent. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U was up 1.4 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices in the Midwest increased 0.4 percent in January after decreasing in each of the prior two months. Costs for food at home rose 0.5 percent following a decline of 0.4 percent in December. The index for food away from home was up 0.2 percent over the month.

From January 2017 to January 2018, the index for food was 1.3 percent higher. Prices for food away from home rose 2.2 percent and prices for food at home were up 0.7 percent.

Energy

The energy index turned up 2.7 percent in January largely due to higher prices for gasoline. Gasoline prices rose 4.9 percent following a decline of 6.5 percent in December. Higher costs for electricity also contributed to the advance with an increase of 1.2 percent. Costs for utility (piped) gas service were down 1.5 percent over the month.

Energy costs rose 4.6 percent from January 2017 to January 2018 led by an 8.9-percent increase in gasoline prices. Higher costs for electricity (1.3 percent) also contributed to the increase. Prices for utility (piped) gas service (-2.8 percent) declined over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest was up 0.5 percent in January following little change in December (0.1 percent). Higher costs for shelter (0.3 percent) had the largest upward impact on the index, followed by prices for apparel (2.1 percent) and household furnishings and operations (1.3 percent). The medical care commodities index (-0.7 percent) was among those that were lower over the month.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.4 percent from January 2017 to January 2018. Higher costs for shelter (2.6 percent) led the increase.

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 232.028 in January 2018. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $232.03 in January 2018.

CPI-W

In January, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 226.170. The CPI-W increased 0.7 percent in January and rose 1.7 percent over the year.

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20142015201620172018
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.51.4-0.6-0.30.30.80.72.20.61.6

February

0.60.90.3-0.50.00.40.22.4  

March

0.91.50.6-0.90.60.50.11.9  

April

0.31.90.1-1.10.40.80.41.8  

May

0.21.60.4-0.80.40.80.01.4  

June

0.51.70.5-0.70.60.80.00.9  

July

-0.31.80.0-0.5-0.50.40.01.3  

August

-0.21.60.0-0.30.10.60.31.5  

September

0.11.6-0.3-0.80.21.10.31.5  

October

-0.51.6-0.1-0.3-0.11.0-0.21.5  

November

-0.61.2-0.5-0.2-0.31.20.21.9  

December

-0.70.7-0.60.00.11.8-0.21.7  

The February 2018 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.

Consumer Price Index Geographic Revision for 2018

In January 2018, BLS introduced a new geographic area sample for the Consumer Price Index (CPI).The indexes using the new structure are published for the first time this month. Additional information on the geographic revision is available at: https://www.bls.gov/cpi/additional-resources/geographic-revision-2018.htm.


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 94 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 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 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 Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 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, Midwest Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
 
Nov.
2017
Dec.
2017
Jan.
2018
Jan.
2017
Nov.
2017
Dec.
2017

All items

231.084230.548232.0281.60.40.6

All items (December 1977 = 100)

375.987375.115377.523   
 

Food and beverages

242.643242.295243.3051.30.30.4

Food

242.006241.621242.6011.30.20.4

Food at home

226.388225.452226.6560.70.10.5

Cereals and bakery products

 258.197258.660  0.2

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

 245.403247.204  0.7

Dairy and related products

 195.656199.915  2.2

Fruits and vegetables

 268.746271.572  1.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

 158.899159.503  0.4

Other food at home

 196.735196.058  -0.3

Food away from home

268.290268.849269.5022.20.50.2

Alcoholic beverages

249.271249.453250.8651.80.60.6
 

Housing

222.701222.996223.9962.10.60.4

Shelter

264.847265.446266.3642.60.60.3

Rent of primary residence(1)

265.492266.506267.2553.30.70.3

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)

269.506270.592271.0672.90.60.2

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)

269.462270.552271.0272.90.60.2

Fuels and utilities

220.900220.094220.6920.9-0.10.3

Household energy

180.422179.467180.1740.4-0.10.4

Energy services(1)

187.097185.913186.508-0.1-0.30.3

Electricity(1)

202.150198.794201.1851.3-0.51.2

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

150.883153.307150.985-2.80.1-1.5

Household furnishings and operations

112.010112.074113.564-0.31.41.3
 

Apparel

118.508114.054116.4812.4-1.72.1
 

Transportation

198.648196.875200.0642.40.71.6

Private transportation

193.768192.101195.0322.60.71.5

New and used motor vehicles(3)

94.61995.69695.980-1.01.40.3

New vehicles

135.939137.575137.200-2.10.9-0.3

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

95.97197.13696.915-2.11.0-0.2

New cars(4)

132.373133.620133.447-2.40.8-0.1

Used cars and trucks

134.252135.560136.232-1.31.50.5

Motor fuel

235.477220.298231.0779.0-1.94.9

Gasoline (all types)

234.172218.851229.6208.9-1.94.9

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

228.189212.844223.5569.1-2.05.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

267.318251.906264.4947.5-1.15.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

256.103242.985252.1147.6-1.63.8

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

 718.922725.538  0.9
 

Medical care

479.998480.251481.0110.40.20.2

Medical care commodities

388.850391.232388.5060.4-0.1-0.7

Medical care services

510.553510.045511.9880.40.30.4

Professional services

416.591416.243417.3480.80.20.3
 

Recreation(3)

121.690121.510122.3182.90.50.7
 

Education and communication(3)

137.609137.966137.948-1.80.20.0

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

 1,181.8511,183.109  0.1
 

Other goods and services

418.869417.834418.8401.50.00.2
 

Commodity and service group

 

Commodities

177.879176.384178.0281.10.10.9

Commodities less food and beverages

146.499144.591146.4050.9-0.11.3

Nondurables less food and beverages

195.192189.811193.8643.1-0.72.1

Durables

100.394101.194101.307-2.10.90.1

Services

285.940286.383287.6792.00.60.5
 

Special aggregate indexes

 

All items less shelter

221.207220.262221.9481.20.30.8

All items less medical care

219.301218.728220.2421.80.40.7

Commodities less food

149.707147.844149.6570.90.01.2

Nondurables

218.661215.654218.3122.2-0.21.2

Nondurables less food

198.037192.968196.8693.0-0.62.0

Services less rent of shelter(2)

317.537317.828319.5761.40.60.5

Services less medical care services

269.190269.701270.9492.20.70.5

Energy

204.945197.850203.2514.6-0.82.7

All items less energy

236.533236.638237.7361.40.50.5

All items less food and energy

236.259236.452237.5751.40.60.5

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) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
 

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2018