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News Release Information

21-1851-SAN
Wednesday, October 13, 2021

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

Consumer Price Index, West Region — September 2021

Area prices were up 0.2 percent over the past month, up 5.3 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), crept up 0.2 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The September increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and food at home. (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 5.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices increased 4.7 percent. Energy prices jumped 25.1 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 4.0 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

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

Food prices advanced 0.6 percent for the month of September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home advanced 1.1 percent, led by meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (2.5 percent). Prices for food away from home, however, inched down 0.1 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 4.7 percent. Prices for food at home rose 5.1 percent. Higher prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs led the food categories (12.4 percent) since a year ago. Prices for food away from home rose 4.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index inched up 0.1 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for natural gas service (2.6 percent). Prices for electricity were unchanged, but prices for gasoline declined 0.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 25.1 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (39.1 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service jumped 12.4 percent, and prices for electricity increased 7.0 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.2 percent in September. Higher prices for household furnishings and operations (1.6 percent), education and communication (1.1 percent), and shelter (0.3 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for used cars and trucks (-3.7 percent) and recreation (-0.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.0 percent. Components contributing to the increase included used cars and trucks (24.8 percent) and shelter (3.0 percent).

Table A. West region 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

0.52.50.53.10.22.70.32.90.21.4

February

0.63.00.53.10.22.40.43.10.51.6

March

0.33.10.43.20.42.4-0.22.50.72.4

April

0.32.90.43.20.82.9-0.41.31.03.9

May

0.22.60.53.50.52.90.10.80.84.7

June

0.02.50.23.60.02.70.41.20.95.1

July

0.12.50.13.60.02.70.51.70.65.2

August

0.22.70.23.60.12.60.31.90.25.0

September

0.52.90.33.40.32.60.01.60.25.3

October

0.32.90.43.50.52.80.21.2

November

0.03.1-0.23.3-0.12.80.01.4

December

0.13.1-0.23.1-0.22.8-0.11.5

The October 2021 Consumer Price Index for the West Region 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 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-
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 CUUR0400SA0
289.863290.393291.0535.30.40.2

All items (December 1977=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400AA0
468.547469.404470.472   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF
290.472291.059292.7144.60.80.6

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF1
291.398291.915293.5634.70.70.6

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF11
272.502273.184276.2145.11.41.1

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF111
275.279273.850275.6832.00.10.7

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF112
304.475305.328313.04412.42.82.5

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEFJ
249.618247.499248.0950.0-0.60.2

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF113
348.995352.899354.3811.71.50.4

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF114
191.918194.802197.7736.53.11.5

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF115
227.921227.589229.1504.10.50.7

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEFV
315.954316.242315.9834.30.0-0.1

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF116
275.127276.575278.3043.61.20.6

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH
316.374317.480319.0193.30.80.5

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH1
364.668365.599366.7803.00.60.3

Rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHA
385.960387.334388.8152.20.70.4

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHC
382.556384.151385.9753.00.90.5

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHC01
382.499384.080385.8763.00.90.5

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH2
338.607339.920342.0877.41.00.6

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH21
288.609289.239291.0928.50.90.6

Energy services(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHF
290.859291.461293.0398.20.70.5

Electricity(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHF01
322.740322.659322.5297.0-0.10.0

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHF02
233.384235.786241.87512.43.62.6

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH3
139.064140.539142.8132.52.71.6

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAA
115.154117.294119.1284.23.51.6

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAT
251.485249.282246.72117.2-1.9-1.0

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAT1
248.783248.765247.02218.4-0.7-0.7

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETA
121.095119.949118.35815.8-2.3-1.3

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETA01
160.029160.827161.6387.91.00.5

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS4501A
111.174111.723112.2707.91.00.5

New cars(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS45011
 158.469159.1967.3 0.5

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETA02
191.889189.367182.37424.8-5.0-3.7

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETB
315.205321.517320.51039.11.7-0.3

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETB01
314.438320.704319.67139.11.7-0.3

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS47014
311.203317.473316.33739.91.6-0.4

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS47015
300.051306.023305.29436.91.7-0.2

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS47016
307.334313.192312.58435.91.7-0.2

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETE
838.731820.964817.4705.0-2.5-0.4

Medical Care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAM
541.222542.553543.0620.00.30.1

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAM1
417.940417.318417.893-2.10.00.1

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAM2
579.341581.285581.7740.50.40.1

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEMC
377.271378.388378.3333.10.30.0

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAR
120.253121.615121.1855.30.8-0.4

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAE
140.400140.721142.2241.31.31.1

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEEB
1,514.7811,528.9691,559.4563.22.92.0

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAG
476.463476.138476.8564.30.10.2

Commodity and Service Group

All Items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0
289.863290.393291.0535.30.40.2

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAC
206.153207.313207.7788.60.80.2

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACL11
164.187165.508165.49911.50.80.0

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL11
210.323212.392213.26412.71.40.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL113
277.022279.061279.28815.50.80.1

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAD
120.895121.638121.09310.20.2-0.4

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS
366.763366.581367.4233.30.20.2

Rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS2RS
388.466389.465390.7283.00.60.3

Transportation services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS4
334.006319.961315.6906.5-5.5-1.3

Other services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS367
374.008375.390377.3553.40.90.5

Special aggregate indexes:

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L5
278.336278.830279.4955.70.40.2

All items less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L1
289.763290.295290.7945.40.40.2

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L2
260.495260.868261.3256.60.30.2

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACL1
168.452169.787169.82511.10.80.0

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAN
250.584251.941253.2008.01.00.5

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL1
215.310217.345218.27711.91.40.4

Nondurables less food and apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL13
276.448278.422278.80714.10.90.1

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SASL2RS
380.216378.514378.9163.8-0.30.1

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SASL5
351.909351.586352.4503.70.20.2

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0E
309.105313.100313.29525.11.40.1

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0LE
290.999291.298291.9964.10.30.2

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L1E
291.746292.007292.5374.00.30.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACL1E
152.531153.360153.4796.60.60.1

Energy commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACE
320.517326.880326.10238.81.7-0.2

Services less energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SASLE
372.581372.354373.1583.10.20.2

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: Wednesday, October 13, 2021