Response Rates for the Consumer

Price Indexes, 2014

This article and the accompanying tables 

update articles previously published on response rates 

in the CPI Detailed Report for March 1991, and in the 

January issues of 1993 through 2014.

In an effort to measure the outcome of data 

collection for the CPI, the BLS calculates response 

rates. Response rates measure the proportion of 

completed surveys to those issued and help measure 

the accuracy of the CPI. Failure of a data unit to 

respond at either the data collection stage or estimation 

stage represents a loss of statistical information which 

dilutes the accuracy of the sample. The BLS publishes 

response rates annually to assist the data user in 

judging the accuracy of CPI data.

The BLS calculates response rates for the CPI-U at 

the data collection and data estimation phases for 

pricing. The response rate at the data collection phase 

is the number of responding sample units divided by 

the number of eligible sample units. A sample unit is 

eligible if it belongs to the defined target population 

and if it should provide information for one or more 

items. The percent of the sample used at estimation is 

defined as the number of sample units used in 

estimation divided by the number of eligible sample 

units.1

Response rates for 2014 are presented in 

tables R-1 through R-17. Table R-1 shows response 

rates for all data included in the CPI-U, U.S. city 

average, by major group, for all of 2014. Tables R-2

through R-17 show rates for current data collection in 

selected areas for which indexes are published 

monthly, bimonthly, or semiannually.

The response rates in tables R-1 through R-17 are 

separated into commodities and services, and the 

shelter portion of housing. Commodities and services 

1 Imputed prices, when used in estimation, are 

counted in this estimate. Beginning in July 2010, the 

BLS began using rent prices imputed by a noninterview adjustment technique in estimation. 

are further broken down into outlets and quotes. An 

"outlet" is a generic term that designates the place 

where prices are collected. A "quote" is a specific item 

to be priced in a specific outlet. There may be from 1 

to more than 50 quotes priced in each outlet. 

In table R-1, it is important to note the relatively 

low percentages of quotes reported, collected and used 

in estimation for apparel. Low rates for these items 

can be partially attributed to the design of the apparel 

sample. Because seasonal apparel items commonly 

are in stores only during certain times of the year, most 

of the apparel sample is doubled, with each half of the 

sample designated for pricing during part of the year. 

Thus, at any particular time of the year, a large number 

of apparel quotes, although eligible, are designated out 

of season and are not collected.

The response rates at the data collection phase for 

shelter are separated into three categories. If useable 

information is obtained, the unit is designated data 

reported. If the assigned unit is located but is 

unoccupied, the unit is designated found vacant. In 

instances where the unit is eligible but no data are 

available (for example, refusals or no one at home) the 

unit is designated other.

For additional information on response rates, 

write to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of 

Consumer Prices and Price Indexes, Room 3615, 2 

Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212-

0001, or call Bradley Akin at (202) 691-7000, or email 

him at Akin.Bradley@bls.gov.

Therefore, nearly all eligible sample units have 

prices, collected or imputed, that are used in 

estimation.
Table R-1. Response rates for the CPI-U, U.S. city average, by major group and shelter, 2014

 Quotes

Commodities and services Outlets

Total Food and bever-ages Housing (excluding shelter) Apparel Transpor- tation Medical care Recre- ation Ed

tion 

com

ica

Eligible 305,184 1,180,932 465,398 146,466 135,950 149,721 76,631 84,227 7

Collected Number 284,730 970,546 418,060 125,300 75,102 134,956 40,847 68,427 6

 Percent 93.3 82.2 89.8 85.5 55.2 90.1 53.3 81.2 

Used in estimation Number 271,931 944,414 410,615 121,502 70,700 131,796 39,534 65,064 6

 Percent 89.1 80.0 88.2 83.0 52.0 88.0 51.6 77.2 

Shelter All Units

Eligible Number 99,383 Percent 100.0Collected Data reported Number 72,966 Percent 73.4 Found vacant Number 7,057 Percent 7.1 Other Number 19,360 Percent 19.5Used in estimation Number 99,383 Percent 100.0
Table R-2. Response rates for the CPI-U, Chicago-GaryKenosha, IL-IN-WI, 2014

Commodities Total and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 15,994 51,583 EligibleCollected Number 3,604 Number 15,059 41,507 Percent 100.0 Percent 94.2 80.5 CollectedUsed in estimation Data reported Number 14,480 40,609 Number 2,501 Percent 90.5 78.7 Percent 69.4

Found vacant Number 232 Percent 6.4Other Number 871 Percent 24.2

Used in estimation

 Number 3,604 Percent 100.0
Table R-3. Response rates for the CPI-U, Los AngelesRiverside-Orange County, CA, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 22,761 71,851 Eligible

Collected Number 6,600

 Number 21,098 55,879 Percent 100.0

 Percent 92.7 77.8 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 19,953 54,569 Number 4,637

 Percent 87.7 75.9 Percent 70.3

Found vacant

 Number 227

 Percent 3.4

Other

 Number 1,736

 Percent 26.3

Used in estimation

 Number 6,600

 Percent 100.0
Table R-4. Response rates for the CPI-U, NY-Northern NJ-Long

Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 32,697 111,702 Eligible

Collected Number 8,314

 Number 30,266 90,353 Percent 100.0

 Percent 92.6 80.9 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 29,006 88,137 Number 5,902

 Percent 88.7 78.9 Percent 71.0

Found vacant

 Number 464

 Percent 5.6

Other

 Number 1,948

 Percent 23.4

Used in estimation

 Number 8,314

 Percent 100.0
Table R-5. Response rates for the CPI-U, Phil.-WilmingtonTrenton, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 5,352 19,005 Eligible

Collected Number 2,802

 Number 5,080 15,598 Percent 100.0

 Percent 94.9 82.1 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,851 15,103 Number 2,106

 Percent 90.6 79.5 Percent 75.2

Found vacant

 Number 243

 Percent 8.7

Other

 Number 453

 Percent 16.2

Used in estimation

 Number 2,802

 Percent 100.0
Table R-6. Response rates for the CPI-U, San FranciscoOakland-San Jose, CA, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,958 18,226 Eligible

Collected Number 4,771

 Number 4,434 13,896 Percent 100.0

 Percent 89.4 76.2 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,152 13,414 Number 3,498

 Percent 83.7 73.6 Percent 73.3

Found vacant

 Number 182

 Percent 3.8

Other

 Number 1,091

 Percent 22.9

Used in estimation

 Number 4,771

 Percent 100.0
Table R-7. Response rates for the CPI-U, WashingtonBaltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 7,168 26,089 Eligible

Collected Number 3,589

 Number 6,790 21,080 Percent 100.0

 Percent 94.7 80.8 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 6,402 20,267 Number 2,663

 Percent 89.3 77.7 Percent 74.2

Found vacant

 Number 278

 Percent 7.7

Other

 Number 648

 Percent 18.1

Used in estimation

 Number 3,589

 Percent 100.0
Table R-8. Response rates for the CPI-U, Boston-BrocktonNashua, MA-NH-ME-CT, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,977 17,266 Eligible

Collected Number 2,812

 Number 4,627 14,072 Percent 100.0

 Percent 93.0 81.5 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,416 13,592 Number 2,100

 Percent 88.7 78.7 Percent 74.7

Found vacant

 Number 136

 Percent 4.8

Other

 Number 576

 Percent 20.5

Used in estimation

 Number 2,812

 Percent 100.0
Table R-9. Response rates for the CPI-U, ClevelandAkron, OH, 2014

Commodities Total and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All UnitsEligible 3,825 14,296 EligibleCollected Number 1,138 Number 3,571 11,659 Percent 100.0 Percent 93.4 81.6 CollectedUsed in estimation Data reported Number 3,422 11,346 Number 843 Percent 89.5 79.4 Percent 74.1

Found vacant Number 130 Percent 11.4Other Number 165 Percent 14.5

Used in estimation

 Number 1,138 Percent 100.0
Table R-10. Response rates for the CPI-U, Miami-Fort

Lauderdale, FL, 2014

Commodities Total and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,136 6,264 Eligible

Collected Number 1,370 Number 1,097 5,806 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.6 92.7 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported Number 1,082 5,750 Number 1,105

 Percent 95.2 91.8 Percent 80.7

Found vacant Number 81 Percent 5.9Other Number 184 Percent 13.4

Used in estimation

 Number 1,370 Percent 100.0
Table R-11. Response rates for the CPI-U, St. Louis, 

MO-IL, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,059 5,578 Eligible

Collected Number 713

 Number 1,006 5,004 Percent 100.0

 Percent 95.0 89.7 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 998 4,916 Number 493

 Percent 94.2 88.1 Percent 69.1

Found vacant

 Number 60

 Percent 8.4

Other

 Number 160

 Percent 22.4

Used in estimation

 Number 713

 Percent 100.0
Table R-12. Response rates for the CPI-U, Dallas-Fort

Worth, TX, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,419 6,154 Eligible

Collected Number 1,685

 Number 1,387 5,675 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.7 92.2 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,359 5,615 Number 1,249

 Percent 95.8 91.2 Percent 74.1

Found vacant

 Number 103

 Percent 6.1

Other

 Number 333

 Percent 19.8

Used in estimation

 Number 1,685

 Percent 100.0
Table R-13. Response rates for the CPI-U, Detroit-Ann 

Arbor-Flint, MI, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,407 15,848 Eligible

Collected Number 2,127

 Number 3,853 12,122 Percent 100.0

 Percent 87.4 76.5 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,648 11,672 Number 1,354

 Percent 82.8 73.6 Percent 63.7

Found vacant

 Number 189

 Percent 8.9

Other

 Number 584

 Percent 27.5

Used in estimation

 Number 2,127

 Percent 100.0
Table R-14. Response rates for the CPI-U, HoustonGalveston-Brazoria, TX, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,943 13,347 Eligible

Collected Number 1,327

 Number 3,562 10,720 Percent 100.0

 Percent 90.3 80.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,349 10,347 Number 908

 Percent 84.9 77.5 Percent 68.4

Found vacant

 Number 93

 Percent 7.0

Other

 Number 326

 Percent 24.6

Used in estimation

 Number 1,327

 Percent 100.0
Table R-15. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Pittsburgh, PA, 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,193 11,749 Eligible

Collected Number 804

 Number 3,035 9,951 Percent 100.0

 Percent 95.1 84.7 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 2,912 9,559 Number 618

 Percent 91.2 81.4 Percent 76.9

Found vacant

 Number 83

 Percent 10.3

Other

 Number 103

 Percent 12.8

Used in estimation

 Number 804

 Percent 100.0
Table R-16. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ., 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,092 11,993 Eligible

Collected Number 1,382

 Number 2,851 9,408 Percent 100.0

 Percent 92.2 78.4 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 2,713 9,132 Number 1,066

 Percent 87.7 76.1 Percent 77.1

Found vacant

 Number 118

 Percent 8.5

Other

 Number 198

 Percent 14.3

Used in estimation

 Number 1,382

 Percent 100.0
Table R-17. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Atlanta, GA., 2014

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,299 14,176 Eligible

Collected Number 1,691 Number 4,040 11,556 Percent 100.0

 Percent 94.0 81.5 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported Number 3,843 11,232 Number 1,277

 Percent 89.4 79.2 Percent 75.5

Found vacant Number 140 Percent 8.3Other Number 274 Percent 16.2

Used in estimation

 Number 1,691 Percent 100.0