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errata

Incorrect prices for prescription drugs were used for the CPI-U and CPI-W indexes from May through August 2016 in a number of areas. Several indexes were affected, including the all items and medical care indexes. A list of the series affected can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-price-corrections-10182016.htm, and the corrected data are available in the CPI database (www.bls.gov/cpi/data.htm).

News Release Information

16-2027-DAL
Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Consumer Price Index, Dallas-Fort Worth — September 2016

Area prices edge up 0.2 percent in August and September; up 2.0 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Dallas-Fort Worth edged up 0.2 percent in August and September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that a 0.3-percent rise in the index for all items less food and energy was the biggest contributor, though food prices gained 0.2 percent. These increases were partially countered by a 1.2-percent decline in energy costs. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bimonthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

During the year ended in September 2016, the all items CPI-U rose 2.0 percent, its fastest rate of gain since the year ended in July 2013. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.7 percent during the latest 12-month period. (See chart 1 and table 1.) 

Food

Food prices edged up 0.2 percent in August and September, after rising 0.5 percent in June and July. Opposing movements were registered by the two components of the index as prices for food away from home increased 0.7 percent, while prices for food at home (grocery store prices) fell 0.3 percent.

From September 2015 to September 2016, food prices rose 1.2 percent, almost entirely on the strength of higher prices for food away from home, up 2.1 percent. Prices at the grocery store were virtually unchanged over the year (0.1 percent).

Energy

The energy index fell 1.2 percent in August and September, following a 2.7-percent increase in June and July. The current decrease was the result of a 4.2-percent decline in motor fuel prices. In contrast, household energy costs rose during the bimonthly period as prices for natural gas and electricity increased 5.3 and 0.5 percent, respectively.

During the year ended in September 2016, the energy index fell 3.2 percent. This was the slowest rate of decline since September 2014, when energy prices last registered an annual increase in the local area. Lower prices for both electricity (-6.0 percent) and motor fuel (-4.4 percent) were responsible for the decline. Countering a portion of these decreases, the cost of natural gas climbed 19.7 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent in August and September, after registering little change in June and July (0.1 percent). Movements were mixed among the sub-components during the latest period, but increases in shelter and apparel prices, up 0.7 and 7.3 percent, respectively, were nearly equal contributors to the advance. Higher charges for medical care (0.6 percent), particularly hospital and related services, also played a role. Partially countering these increases, lower prices were noted for new and used motor vehicles, and for the categories of recreation (-1.6 percent) and education and communication (-1.5 percent).

From September 2015 to September 2016, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.7 percent. The largest contributor was a 5.5-percent increase in shelter costs, reflecting increases of 5.0 percent or more for both renters’ costs and owners’ equivalent rent. The 5.5-percent annual rise in local shelter costs was the highest rate of increase since the year ended in June 1998 (5.8 percent). Medical care prices were another factor in the all items less food and energy increase, with an over-the-year advance of 4.4 percent.

The November 2016 Consumer Price Index for All Items for Dallas-Fort Worth is scheduled to be released Thursday, December 15, 2016.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant Counties.

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,
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and GroupIndexesPercent change from -
 
Jul.
2016
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016
Sep.
2015
Jul.
2016
Aug.
2016

All items

(R) 221.507-221.9232.00.2-

All items (1967 = 100)

(R) 694.854-696.161   

Food and beverages

251.015-251.4971.10.2-

Food

245.646-246.0691.20.2-

Food at home

219.099218.040218.3980.1-0.30.2

Food away from home

286.871-288.8252.10.7-

Alcoholic beverages

320.965-322.2930.40.4-

Housing

205.992-207.3434.00.7-

Shelter

225.099225.505226.6485.50.70.5

Rent of primary residence (1)

236.465237.316238.2155.00.70.4

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

241.280241.726243.5776.01.00.8

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

241.280241.726243.5776.01.00.8

Fuels and utilities

222.600-224.739-0.71.0-

Household energy

206.024212.014208.769-2.31.3-1.5

Energy services (1) (3)

202.896208.852205.633-2.21.3-1.5

Electricity (1)

191.223195.836192.162-6.00.5-1.9

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

214.506225.928225.81019.75.3-0.1

Household furnishings and operations

123.745-123.747-0.30.0-

Apparel

103.983-111.572-0.87.3-

Transportation

196.853-194.567-1.0-1.2-

Private transportation

198.957-196.481-1.1-1.2-

Motor fuel

190.668185.820182.621-4.4-4.2-1.7

Gasoline (all types)

189.714184.884181.607-4.3-4.3-1.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

182.423177.317174.052-4.5-4.6-1.8

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

200.849196.775193.559-4.1-3.6-1.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

206.694203.339200.251-3.2-3.1-1.5

Medical care

(R)434.529-436.9714.40.6-

Recreation (6)

113.178-111.407-1.3-1.6-

Education and communication (6)

141.475-139.3000.5-1.5-

Other goods and services

391.784-393.4622.00.4-
 

Commodity and service group

 

Commodities

(R)171.194-171.075-0.8-0.1-

Commodities less food and beverages

(R) 135.663-135.356-2.1-0.2-

Nondurables less food and beverages

(R) 163.020-163.749-0.30.4-

Durables

111.735-110.662-3.8-1.0-

Services

(R)270.691-271.6213.80.3-
 

Special aggregate indexes

 

All items less shelter

(R)220.602-220.4760.5-0.1-

All items less medical care

211.197-211.5191.80.2-

Commodities less food

(R)140.380-140.105-2.0-0.2-

Nondurables

(R)202.921-203.5520.50.3-

Nondurables less food

(R)170.326-171.083-0.30.4-

Services less rent of shelter (2)

(R)335.461-335.3232.00.0-

Services less medical care services

254.676-255.3473.80.3-

Energy

200.039200.788197.541-3.2-1.2-1.6

All items less energy

(R)227.315-227.9952.50.3-

All items less food and energy

(R)224.270-224.9872.70.3-

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) Prior to January 2011 this series was titled Gas (piped) and electricity.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(R) Revised.
 

(R)=Revised. 

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

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2016