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News Release Information

21-1852-SAN
Wednesday, October 13, 2021

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

Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area – September 2021

Area prices were up 0.3 percent over the past month, up 4.6 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Los Angeles area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.3 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the September increase was influenced by higher prices for education and communication as well as shelter. (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 increased 4.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices increased 4.7 percent. Energy prices jumped 25.9 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.0 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Los Angeles, September 2018-September 2021
Food

Food prices increased 0.6 percent for the month of September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home advanced 0.6 percent, led by higher prices for cereals and bakery products (2.4 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 0.5 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 4.7 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 5.3 percent since a year ago. Five of the six grocery categories recorded price increases of 3.6 percent or more, while dairy and related products prices were unchanged. Prices for food away from home rose 4.2 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 0.3 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for electricity (0.6 percent). Prices for gasoline moved up 0.2 percent, but prices for natural gas service edged down 0.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 25.9 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (35.0 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service jumped 16.1 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 11.6 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.3 percent in September. Higher prices for education and communication (2.6 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-1.2 percent) new and used motor vehicles (-1.1 percent), and recreation (-0.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.0 percent. Components contributing to the increase included new and used motor vehicles (15.0 percent), recreation (11.6 percent), and shelter (1.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in apparel (-1.9 percent).

Table A. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20172018201920202021
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.92.10.83.50.73.20.83.10.20.9

February

0.62.70.73.60.12.50.33.40.41.0

March

0.32.70.43.80.62.7-0.71.90.52.2

April

0.22.70.44.01.03.3-0.30.71.13.6

May

0.32.50.44.10.23.10.40.90.63.9

June

-0.22.2-0.24.00.03.30.51.40.64.0

July

0.32.50.23.90.13.30.61.90.63.9

August

0.32.80.23.90.03.00.12.00.24.0

September

0.43.10.53.90.53.0-0.31.20.34.6

October

0.43.10.54.10.73.20.20.7

November

0.13.6-0.33.6-0.33.20.11.0

December

0.03.6-0.33.2-0.63.0-0.21.5

The October 2021 Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area is scheduled to be released on November 10, 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on September 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 September 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 https://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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.

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

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
Historical
data
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021
Sep.
2021
Sep.
2020
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021

Expenditure category

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0
290.890291.333292.2094.60.50.3

All items (1967=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49AAA0
859.418860.727863.315---

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF
289.881291.593293.1224.61.10.5

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF1
290.582292.167293.8084.71.10.6

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF11
277.535277.010278.8005.30.50.6

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF111
283.924282.737289.6313.62.02.4

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF112
321.214313.448318.1888.4-0.91.5

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEFJ
265.171268.182264.5850.0-0.2-1.3

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF113
372.452382.012380.8456.32.3-0.3

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF114
272.546273.176273.2323.60.30.0

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF115
209.102207.404209.0005.40.00.8

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEFV
300.355303.980305.4594.21.70.5

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAF116
260.790263.850263.9663.51.20.0

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH
332.085332.206333.1882.40.30.3

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH1
381.105380.890381.7141.70.20.2

Rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHA
403.329403.587403.9051.10.10.1

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHC
395.231395.806396.1301.10.20.1

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHC01
395.208395.784396.1081.10.20.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH2
393.448394.546395.65311.20.60.3

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH21
345.035346.461347.82012.80.80.4

Energy services(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHF
343.597345.029346.38012.80.80.4

Electricity(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHF01
384.683384.683386.98511.60.60.6

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEHF02
305.289309.848309.43116.11.4-0.1

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAH3
120.866121.846123.2841.92.01.2

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAA
107.807111.691110.378-1.92.4-1.2

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAT
238.876236.982235.49115.9-1.4-0.6

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAT1
238.880239.577238.74318.5-0.1-0.3

New and used motor vehicles(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETA
102.565102.573101.48415.0-1.1-1.1

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETA01
179.479183.610182.5617.91.7-0.6

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETA02
378.904373.749358.47523.4-5.4-4.1

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETB
326.954330.324331.10935.01.30.2

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETB01
319.494322.764323.53535.01.30.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASS47014
320.020323.306324.04835.81.30.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASS47015
306.247309.360310.14833.21.30.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASS47016
306.233309.330310.17732.31.30.3

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASETE
823.411821.038821.0387.6-0.30.0

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAM
511.849510.897512.3420.60.10.3

Recreation(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAR
114.741115.884115.67411.60.8-0.2

Education and communication(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAE
148.291148.759152.6551.22.92.6

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASEEB
1,939.9651,970.4922,050.9024.15.74.1

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAG
464.816465.026466.0185.30.30.2

Commodity and service group

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0
290.890291.333292.2094.60.50.3

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAC
197.297199.101199.5157.51.10.2

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASACL11
149.550151.343151.24010.31.1-0.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASANL11
202.451204.844206.07012.11.80.6

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAD
98.26099.46698.3327.40.1-1.1

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAS
373.713372.791374.0933.10.10.3

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0L5
281.186281.675282.5254.90.50.3

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0L2
251.018251.738252.6326.60.60.4

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASACL1
154.482156.332156.2359.81.1-0.1

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASAN
247.439249.502250.8887.61.40.6

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASANL1
208.757211.223212.37911.21.70.5

Services less rent of shelter(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASASL2RS
373.051371.090373.1105.30.00.5

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASASL5
360.556359.629361.0323.40.10.4

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0E
335.719338.421339.41625.91.10.3

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0LE
290.195290.490291.3653.20.40.3

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ASA0L1E
290.279290.327291.0563.00.30.3

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1977=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 December 1982=100 base.
(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.

- Data not available
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2021