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News Release Information

21-2152-BOS
Friday, December 10, 2021

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Consumer Price Index, Boston-Cambridge-Newton — November 2021

Area prices were up 1.7 percent over the past two months, up 5.3 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Boston area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 1.7 percent for the two months ending in November 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Giancarlo Parenti noted that the November increase was influenced by higher prices for energy. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U increased 5.3 percent. (See chart 1.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.3 percent over the year. Energy prices jumped 34.4 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. Food prices advanced 5.6 percent. (See table 1.)

  Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, November 2018–November 2021

Food

Food prices increased 1.2 percent for the two months ending in November. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home rose 1.9 percent, and prices for food away from home crept up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 5.6 percent. Prices for food at home rose 2.7 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home advanced 9.8 percent.

Energy

The energy index jumped 14.2 percent for the two months ending in November. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for natural gas service (43.9 percent) as suppliers switched to winter rate schedules. Prices for gasoline jumped 10.2 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 7.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 34.4 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (62.3 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service jumped 17.9 percent, and prices for electricity increased 12.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.8 percent in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for new and used motor vehicles (6.6), shelter (0.3 percent), and household furnishings and operations (1.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-2.0 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.3 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.5 percent), new and used motor vehicles (20.4 percent), and household furnishings and operations (6.6 percent). Within new and used motor vehicles and shelter, higher prices for used cars and trucks and owners’ equivalent rent of residences, up 35.0 and 2.7 percent, respectively, led the increases. 

The January 2022 Consumer Price Index for the Boston area is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on November 2021 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in November was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed.

While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm

 


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures 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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.-N.H. Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk Counties in Massachusetts; Rockingham, Strafford Counties in New Hampshire.

Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339. 

Table A. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month

January

1.2 3.0 1.1 2.8 0.5 2.5 0.6 2.2 0.7 0.5

March

0.1 2.5 0.9 3.6 0.5 2.1 0.1 1.8 0.9 1.3

May

0.4 2.1 0.0 3.2 0.2 2.3 -1.0 0.6 0.8 3.2

July

0.1 2.2 0.3 3.4 0.0 2.0 0.2 0.8 1.2 4.3

September

1.2 2.7 1.2 3.3 0.2 1.1 0.1 0.6 -0.1 4.0

November

-0.2 2.9 -0.4 3.2 0.7 2.1 0.4 0.4 1.7 5.3
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Ma.-N.H. (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure category Indexes Percent change from
Historical
data
Sep.
2021
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021
Nov.
2020
Sep.
2021
Oct.
2021

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASA0
294.784   299.723 5.3 1.7  

All items (1967 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11AAA0
856.798   871.152      

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF
293.080   296.279 5.2 1.1  

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF1
295.902   299.367 5.6 1.2  

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF11
265.694 265.552 270.693 2.7 1.9 1.9

Cereal and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF111
315.229   326.540 4.1 3.6  

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF112
290.701   296.777 5.6 2.1  

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEFJ
292.393   296.859 -1.2 1.5  

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF113
348.637   351.027 3.5 0.7  

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF114
153.896   160.323 -6.1 4.2  

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF115
207.020   208.698 4.7 0.8  

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEFV
349.016   349.756 9.8 0.2  

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAF116
266.659   267.106 0.8 0.2  

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAH
308.126   313.236 4.1 1.7  

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAH1
366.527 369.605 367.731 2.5 0.3 -0.5

Rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEHA
379.339 380.134 379.851 1.1 0.1 -0.1

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEHC
393.473 395.130 395.614 2.7 0.5 0.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEHC01
393.473 395.130 395.614 2.7 0.5 0.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAH2
296.749   341.583 16.4 15.1  

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAH21
246.512 255.807 289.413 19.0 17.4 13.1

Energy services(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEHF
259.035 266.018 306.939 14.4 18.5 15.4

Electricity(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEHF01
307.267 307.451 329.685 12.4 7.3 7.2

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEHF02
174.637 189.775 251.242 17.9 43.9 32.4

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAH3
137.056   138.726 6.6 1.2  

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAA
130.189   127.601 6.9 -2.0  

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAT
208.309   220.436 18.6 5.8  

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAT1
217.117   230.899 23.2 6.3  

New and used motor vehicles(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASETA
123.094   131.202 20.4 6.6  

New Vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASETA01
205.640   231.917 6.7 12.8  

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASETA02
443.423   468.133 35.0 5.6  

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASETB
268.814 282.358 296.170 61.9 10.2 4.9

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASETB01
266.082 279.498 293.163 62.3 10.2 4.9

Gasoline, unleaded regular(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASS47014
258.365 271.742 285.224 64.9 10.4 5.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(6)(7)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASS47015
285.168 297.504 311.498 50.9 9.2 4.7

Gasoline, unleaded premium(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASS47016
277.308 289.095 301.931 47.1 8.9 4.4

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASETE
           

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAM
700.889   704.062 1.6 0.5  

Recreation(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAR
115.026   115.947 1.0 0.8  

Education and communication(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAE
175.585   175.610 1.4 0.0  

Tuition, other fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASEEB
1,433.804   1,433.804 0.6 0.0  

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAG
532.796   538.772 3.7 1.1  

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAC
207.145   212.686 11.5 2.7  

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASACL11
162.809   169.054 16.5 3.8  

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASANL11
205.838   211.733 18.9 2.9  

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAD
120.164   126.226 13.7 5.0  

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAS
373.876   378.319 2.5 1.2  

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASA0L2
268.736   275.433 7.0 2.5  

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASA0L5
279.290   284.263 5.6 1.8  

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASACL1
166.996   173.065 15.6 3.6  

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASAN
248.276   252.881 10.7 1.9  

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASANL1
209.272   214.730 17.0 2.6  

Services less rent of shelter(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASASL2RS
398.608   407.640 2.4 2.3  

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASASL5
350.404   354.771 2.7 1.2  

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASA0E
253.829 264.842 289.779 34.4 14.2 9.4

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASA0LE
302.873   305.472 3.6 0.9  

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS11ASA0L1E
305.112   307.581 3.3 0.8  

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a January 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) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
(4) This index series underwent a change in composition in January 2010. The expenditure class now includes weight from secondary residences, and has been re-titled "Owners' equivalent rent of residences." The item stratum "Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence" excludes secondary residences.
(5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(6) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(7) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

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

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, December 10, 2021