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News Release Information

18-1665-KAN
Thursday, October 11, 2018

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

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – September 2018

Prices in the Midwest up 0.1 percent in September and 1.9 percent higher over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest inched up 0.1 percent after recording no change in each of the prior two months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Higher prices for apparel (5.0 percent) had the largest upward impact on the monthly index. Lower prices for new and used motor vehicles (-2.1 percent) provided the largest offsetting effect. Food prices were up 0.3 percent for the month and energy prices were unchanged. The index for all items less food and energy was little changed, up 0.1 percent, in September. (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 1.9 percent from September 2017 to September 2018. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, rose 5.9 percent and food prices increased 0.8 percent. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U was up 1.7 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices in the Midwest were 0.3 percent higher in September after registering a 0.3 percent decline in the prior month. Prices for food away from home were up 0.3 percent and prices for food at home rose 0.2 percent.

From September 2017 to September 2018, the index for food rose 0.8 percent. Prices for food away from home were up 2.2 percent and were responsible for the increase. Prices for food at home were 0.2 percent lower over the year. 

Energy

The energy index was unchanged in September after registering little change (-0.1 percent) in August and declining 0.7 percent in July. Lower prices for electricity (-1.1 percent) were offset by other components of the index in September; prices for electricity rose 0.3 percent in the prior month. Utility piped gas service costs were up 0.3 percent following a 1.6-percent increase in August. Gasoline prices turned up 0.5 percent in September after declining 0.7 percent in the prior month.

Energy costs advanced 5.9 percent from September 2017 to September 2018 due largely to an increase of 13.6 percent in prices for gasoline. Costs for electricity and utility (piped) gas service were lower than in September 2017, decreasing 2.8 and 1.8 percent, respectively, over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest was little changed (0.1 percent) after remaining unchanged for three consecutive months. Among the expenditure categories registering higher costs were apparel (5.0 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent), while prices for new and used motor vehicles (-2.1 percent) were among those that declined over the month.  

The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.7 percent from September 2017 to September 2018. Higher costs for shelter (3.1 percent) led the over-the-year increase.

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 235.524 in September 2018. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $235.52 in September 2018.

CPI-W

In September, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 229.998. The CPI-W inched up 0.1 percent in September and rose 2.2 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

0.60.90.3-0.50.00.40.22.40.21.7

March

0.91.50.6-0.90.60.50.11.90.21.8

April

0.31.90.1-1.10.40.80.41.80.41.8

May

0.21.60.4-0.80.40.80.01.40.52.3

June

0.51.70.5-0.70.60.80.00.90.22.5

July

-0.31.80.0-0.5-0.50.40.01.30.02.4

August

-0.21.60.0-0.30.10.60.31.50.02.1

September

0.11.6-0.3-0.80.21.10.31.50.11.9

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 October 2018 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.


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 approximately 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 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
Jul.
2018
Aug.
2018
Sep.
2018
Sep.
2017
Jul.
2018
Aug.
2018

All items

235.346235.276235.5241.90.10.1

All items (December 1977 = 100)

382.922382.808383.210   

Food and beverages

244.433243.656244.4090.80.00.3

Food

243.935243.119243.7620.8-0.10.3

Food at home

226.957225.866226.373-0.2-0.30.2

Cereals and bakery products

261.962258.844258.904 -1.20.0

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

248.927248.286245.319 -1.4-1.2

Dairy and related products

197.357194.780195.649 -0.90.4

Fruits and vegetables

267.851267.998267.502 -0.1-0.2

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

159.918158.340162.289 1.52.5

Other food at home

197.201196.944198.371 0.60.7

Food away from home

272.407271.995272.8522.20.20.3

Alcoholic beverages

249.176248.942251.1791.40.80.9

Housing

227.948228.447228.6592.30.30.1

Shelter

271.218271.663272.1853.10.40.2

Rent of primary residence(1)

270.201271.325271.8653.10.60.2

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

275.383276.423276.8193.30.50.1

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

275.350276.390276.7863.30.50.1

Fuels and utilities

226.111227.656226.781-0.90.3-0.4

Household energy

184.866186.123185.179-2.00.2-0.5

Energy services(1)

191.937193.216191.940-2.50.0-0.7

Electricity(1)

213.319213.935211.597-2.8-0.8-1.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

145.318147.577148.086-1.81.90.3

Household furnishings and operations

114.276114.361114.3091.10.00.0

Apparel

113.443113.081118.790-1.44.75.0

Transportation

207.654207.200205.6894.6-0.9-0.7

Private transportation

202.945202.643201.2424.9-0.8-0.7

New and used motor vehicles(3)

97.94498.05095.9460.7-2.0-2.1

New vehicles

137.441137.207135.734-0.4-1.2-1.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

97.14396.97495.960-0.3-1.2-1.0

New cars(4)

134.235133.743132.7960.2-1.1-0.7

Used cars and trucks

139.892140.213133.797-2.1-4.4-4.6

Motor fuel

256.472254.719256.00113.7-0.20.5

Gasoline (all types)

255.024253.288254.52513.6-0.20.5

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

248.572246.845248.06313.8-0.20.5

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

294.158292.110292.94713.2-0.40.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

276.909275.281276.80812.10.00.6

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

731.542728.073731.895 0.00.5

Medical care

483.967484.957485.9511.50.40.2

Medical care commodities

392.814393.777394.5931.60.50.2

Medical care services

514.483515.481516.5351.40.40.2

Professional services

417.317417.894418.0120.60.20.0

Recreation(3)

121.967120.786120.600-1.6-1.1-0.2

Education and communication(3)

137.980138.398138.1240.70.1-0.2

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

1,185.0741,193.1121,190.313 0.4-0.2

Other goods and services

426.409426.414426.9772.60.10.1

Commodity and service group

Commodities

180.277179.912180.1491.4-0.10.1

Commodities less food and beverages

148.979148.783148.8181.6-0.10.0

Nondurables less food and beverages

199.075198.715200.9733.81.01.1

Durables

101.841101.774100.267-1.1-1.5-1.5

Services

292.108292.350292.6072.30.20.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

224.760224.512224.6661.50.00.1

All items less medical care

223.579223.458223.6702.00.00.1

Commodities less food

152.135151.937152.0271.6-0.10.1

Nondurables

221.651221.094222.6642.30.50.7

Nondurables less food

201.690201.336203.5913.60.91.1

Services less rent of shelter(2)

323.640323.686323.6531.60.00.0

Services less medical care services

275.523275.710275.9062.40.10.1

Energy

217.576217.425217.5235.90.00.0

All items less energy

239.973239.911240.1761.60.10.1

All items less food and energy

239.978240.048240.2481.70.10.1

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: Thursday, October 11, 2018