Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

19-1484-SAN
Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, West Region — July 2019

Area prices were unchanged over the past month, up 2.7 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) During July, lower prices for gasoline helped counter higher shelter prices. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 2.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices edged down 0.2 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.9 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices edged up 0.2 percent for the month of July. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home advanced 0.3 percent, and prices for food at home edged up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 2.7 percent. Prices for food away from home advanced 3.6 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home increased 1.8 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.9 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-3.6 percent). Prices for natural gas service increased 2.8 percent, and prices for electricity rose 0.5 percent for the same period.

Energy prices edged down 0.2 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-0.8 percent). Prices for natural gas service decreased 1.9 percent, but prices paid for electricity advanced 1.8 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.2 percent in July. Higher prices for shelter (0.5 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-1.8 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.6 percent) and medical care (2.8 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decline in apparel (-1.3 percent).

Table A. West region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.30.70.52.60.52.50.53.10.22.7

February

0.60.90.12.10.63.00.53.10.22.4

March

0.81.10.21.50.33.10.43.20.42.4

April

0.31.00.51.80.32.90.43.20.82.9

May

0.81.20.51.50.22.60.53.50.52.9

June

0.01.10.21.60.02.50.23.60.02.7

July

0.31.30.11.40.12.50.13.60.02.7

August

-0.11.30.01.50.22.70.23.6

September

-0.21.00.32.00.52.90.33.4

October

0.01.10.32.30.32.90.43.5

November

-0.21.5-0.22.30.03.1-0.23.3

December

-0.11.80.02.50.13.1-0.23.1

The August 2019 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on September 12, 2019.


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 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/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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

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

West (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
May
2019
Jun.
2019
Jul.
2019
Jul.
2018
May
2019
Jun.
2019

Expenditure category

All Items

270.880270.957271.0292.70.10.0

All items (December 1977=100)

437.862437.988438.103   

Food and beverages

265.812265.355265.9812.60.10.2

Food

265.728265.176265.8202.70.00.2

Food at home

251.223250.038250.4501.8-0.30.2

Cereals and bakery products

269.246264.712267.2523.7-0.71.0

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

259.650258.131257.6271.2-0.8-0.2

Dairy and related products

230.481228.742229.5651.9-0.40.4

Fruits and vegetables

335.637331.796335.6582.10.01.2

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

174.776173.807173.1832.5-0.9-0.4

Other food at home

212.768214.621213.5750.80.4-0.5

Food away from home

284.595284.858285.8013.60.40.3

Alcoholic beverages

263.539264.303264.6921.40.40.1

Housing

297.487298.844300.1074.20.90.4

Shelter

343.752345.131346.7494.60.90.5

Rent of primary residence(1)

363.623365.456367.2225.01.00.5

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

360.524362.056363.3734.50.80.4

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

360.538362.070363.3874.50.80.4

Fuels and utilities

306.620308.287310.3042.11.20.7

Household energy

258.796260.849263.3071.01.70.9

Energy services(1)

260.761263.219265.7331.01.91.0

Electricity(1)

293.840297.814299.2761.81.80.5

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

197.563196.190201.779-1.92.12.8

Household furnishings and operations

132.761133.881133.6483.50.7-0.2

Apparel

116.675116.627114.572-1.3-1.8-1.8

Transportation

226.846224.419221.5510.5-2.3-1.3

Private transportation

221.540219.151217.0850.6-2.0-0.9

New and used motor vehicles(3)

100.135100.820101.4370.71.30.6

New vehicles

148.318148.396148.0200.6-0.2-0.3

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

102.987103.042102.7850.6-0.2-0.2

New cars(4)

146.045146.120146.1761.30.10.0

Used cars and trucks

134.113135.604137.5432.02.61.4

Motor fuel

294.800282.052271.868-0.9-7.8-3.6

Gasoline (all types)

294.057281.204270.957-0.8-7.9-3.6

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

291.448278.231267.890-1.0-8.1-3.7

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

278.754268.635259.061-0.3-7.1-3.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

285.004274.354265.401-0.3-6.9-3.3

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

851.108848.406847.1920.5-0.5-0.1

Medical Care

507.396507.872509.9952.80.50.4

Medical care commodities

389.466386.900388.2060.9-0.30.3

Medical care services

544.546546.057548.4453.30.70.4

Professional services

359.646359.820359.8060.60.00.0

Recreation(3)

114.357114.477114.3620.40.0-0.1

Education and communication(3)

136.854137.108137.6071.10.60.4

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

1,466.1321,470.2211,475.0575.40.60.3

Other goods and services

446.490446.371448.3922.80.40.5

Commodity and Service Group

All Items

270.880270.957271.0292.70.10.0

Commodities

189.555188.537187.7031.3-1.0-0.4

Commodities less food & beverages

151.431150.255148.9180.4-1.7-0.9

Nondurables less food & beverages

202.457199.088196.202-0.1-3.1-1.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

262.679256.935253.4750.3-3.5-1.3

Durables

106.148106.688106.5841.10.4-0.1

Services

346.298347.500348.4993.50.60.3

Rent of shelter(2)

366.086367.550369.2604.60.90.5

Transportation services

325.305325.504322.3971.1-0.9-1.0

Other services

355.680356.563357.1332.00.40.2

Special aggregate indexes:

All items less medical care

260.060260.120260.1032.70.00.0

All items less food

271.864272.040272.0222.70.10.0

All items less shelter

242.331241.887241.3381.6-0.4-0.2

Commodities less food

155.636154.502153.1990.4-1.6-0.8

Nondurables

234.684232.620231.3251.3-1.4-0.6

Nondurables less food

207.196204.046201.3330.0-2.8-1.3

Nondurables less food and apparel

262.447257.326254.2340.4-3.1-1.2

Services less rent of shelter(2)

359.883360.887361.0992.10.30.1

Services less medical care services

332.431333.608334.5143.50.60.3

Energy

284.955277.892272.575-0.2-4.3-1.9

All items less energy

272.109272.707273.1712.90.40.2

All items less food and energy

274.026274.823275.2572.90.40.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

140.177140.433140.1680.80.0-0.2

Energy commodities

299.649286.653276.455-0.9-7.7-3.6

Services less energy services

352.589353.727354.6483.60.60.3

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) 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.

- Data not available
Regions defined as the four Census regions. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2019