Response Rates for the Consumer 

Price Indexes, 2008

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 2008. 

 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 response rate at estimation is defined as the number of sample units used in estimation divided by the 

number of eligible sample units. 

 Response rates for 2008 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 2008. Tables R-2 through R-17 show rates for current 

data collection in selected areas for which indexes are published monthly and bimonthly. 

 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 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 Sanjeev Katz at (202) 

691-7000, or email him at katz.sanjeev@bls.gov. 

Consumer Price Index, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2009
Table R-1. Response rates for the CPI-U, U.S. city average, by major group and shelter, 200

8

 Quotes

Commodities and 

services

Outlets

Total

Food and 

beverages

Housing

(excluding

shelter)

Apparel Transpor- tation Medical care Recre- ation

Education and 

communication

Other

goods and 

services

Eligible 327,896 1,171,623 450,868 182,299 151,419 142,931 51,941 78,319 70,316 43,530Collected Number 314,742 989,980 411,970 163,833 81,159 129,311 39,429 66,159 58,195 39,924 Percent 96.0 84.5 91.4 89.9 53.6 90.5 75.9 84.5 82.8 91.7Used in estimation

 Number 299,898 963,459 405,722 159,897 74,789 125,960 38,292 62,795 56,751 39,253 Percent 91.5 82.2 90.0 87.7 49.4 88.1 73.7 80.2 80.7 90.2

Shelter All Units

Eligible Number 62,382

 Percent 100.0Collected Data reported Number 45,928

 Percent 73.6 Found vacant Number 6,201 Percent 9.9 Other Number 10,253

 Percent 16.4Used in estimation Number 52,129

 Percent 83.6
Table R-2. Response rates for the CPI-U, Chicago-GaryKenosha, IL-IN-WI, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 16,890 52,465 Eligible

Collected Number 1,947

 Number 16,236 43,429 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.1 82.8 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 15,487 42,450 Number 1,191

 Percent 91.7 80.9 Percent 61.2

Found vacant

 Number 227

 Percent 11.7

Other

 Number 529

 Percent 27.2

Used in estimation

 Number 1,418

 Percent 72.8
Table R-3. Response rates for the CPI-U, Los AngelesRiverside-Orange County, CA, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 25,345 77,764 Eligible

Collected Number 4,119

 Number 24,657 65,026 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.3 83.6 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 23,344 63,427 Number 2,983

 Percent 92.1 81.6 Percent 72.4

Found vacant

 Number 174

 Percent 4.2

Other

 Number 962

 Percent 23.4

Used in estimation

 Number 3,157

 Percent 76.6
Table R-4. Response rates for the CPI-U, NY-Northern NJ-Long

Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 36,119 121,110 Eligible

Collected Number 4,837

 Number 34,198 97,997 Percent 100.0

 Percent 94.7 80.9 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 32,612 95,616 Number 3,204

Percent 90.3 78.9 Percent 66.2

Found vacant

 Number 248

 Percent 5.1

Other

 Number 1,385

 Percent 28.6

Used in estimation

 Number 3,452

 Percent 71.4
Table R-5. Response rates for the CPI-U, Phil.-WilmingtonTrenton, PA-NJ-KE-MD, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 8,362 25,739 Eligible

Collected Number 1,434

 Number 8,062 22,462 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.4 87.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 7,742 21,807 Number 1,036

Percent 92.6 84.7 Percent 72.2

Found vacant

 Number 145

 Percent 10.1

Other

 Number 253

 Percent 17.6

Used in estimation

 Number 1,181

 Percent 82.4
Table R-6. Response rates for the CPI-U, San FranciscoOakland-San Jose, CA, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 6,662 23,521 Eligible

Collected Number 2,799

 Number 6,370 19,709 Percent 100.0

 Percent 95.6 83.8 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 6,053 19,174 Number 2,140

Percent 90.9 81.5 Percent 76.5

Found vacant

 Number 131

 Percent 4.7

Other

 Number 528

 Percent 18.9

Used in estimation

 Number 2,271

 Percent 81.1
Table R-7. Response rates for the CPI-U, WashingtonBaltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 7,949 27,795 Eligible

Collected Number 1,709

 Number 7,505 22,341 Percent 100.0

 Percent 94.4 80.4 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 7,040 21,428 Number 1,343

Percent 88.6 77.1 Percent 78.6

Found vacant

 Number 115

 Percent 6.7

Other

 Number 251

 Percent 14.7

Used in estimation

 Number 1,458

 Percent 85.3
Table R-8. Response rates for the CPI-U, Boston-BrocktonNashua, MA-NH-ME-CT, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 5,445 18,241 Eligible

Collected Number 1,448

 Number 5,195 14,974 Percent 100.0

 Percent 95.4 82.1 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,911 14,419 Number 1,057

Percent 90.2 79.0 Percent 73.0

Found vacant

 Number 112

 Percent 7.7

Other

 Number 279

 Percent 19.3

Used in estimation

 Number 1,169

 Percent 80.7
Table R-9. Response rates for the CPI-U, ClevelandAkron, OH, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,091 14,559 Eligible

Collected Number 1,273

 Number 3,960 12,276 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.8 84.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,755 11,881 Number 865

Percent 91.8 81.6 Percent 67.9

Found vacant

 Number 195

 Percent 15.3

Other

 Number 213

 Percent 16.7

Used in estimation

 Number 1,060

 Percent 83.3
Table R-10. Response rates for the CPI-U, Miami-Fort

Lauderdale, FL, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,558 7,014 Eligible

Collected Number 854

 Number 1,515 6,437 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.2 91.8 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,482 6,336 Number 696

 Percent 95.1 90.3 Percent 81.5

Found vacant

 Number 63

 Percent 7.4

Other

 Number 95

 Percent 11.1

Used in estimation

 Number 759

 Percent 88.9
Table R-11. Response rates for the CPI-U, St. Louis, 

MO-IL, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,337 6,050 Eligible

Collected Number 631

 Number 1,309 5,452 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.9 90.1 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,287 5,378 Number 458

 Percent 96.3 88.9 Percent 72.6

Found vacant

 Number 116

 Percent 18.4

Other

 Number 57

 Percent 9.0

Used in estimation

 Number 574

 Percent 91.0
Table R-12. Response rates for the CPI-U, Dallas-Fort

Worth, TX, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,895 6,611 Eligible

Collected Number 1,236

 Number 1,862 6,098 Percent 100.0

 Percent 98.3 92.2 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,830 6,006 Number 972

 Percent 96.6 90.8 Percent 78.6

Found vacant

 Number 140

 Percent 11.3

Other

 Number 124

 Percent 10.0

Used in estimation

 Number 1,112

 Percent 90.0
Table R-13. Response rates for the CPI-U, Detroit-Ann 

Arbor-Flint, MI, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 5,016 17,048 Eligible

Collected Number 1,157

 Number 4,720 13,838 Percent 100.0

 Percent 94.1 81.2 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,473 13,320 Number 775

 Percent 89.2 78.1 Percent 67.0

Found vacant

 Number 160

 Percent 13.8

Other

 Number 222

 Percent 19.2

Used in estimation

 Number 935

 Percent 80.8
Table R-14. Response rates for the CPI-U, HoustonGalveston-Brazoria, TX, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,864 13,348 Eligible

Collected Number 1,163

 Number 3,730 11,390 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.5 85.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,521 10,956 Number 875

 Percent 91.1 82.1 Percent 75.2

Found vacant

 Number 142

 Percent 12.2

Other

 Number 146

 Percent 12.6

Used in estimation

 Number 1,017

 Percent 87.4
Table R-15. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Pittsburgh, PA, 2008

Commodities Total

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,664 13,031 Eligible

Collected Number 711

 Number 3,482 10,599 Percent 100.0

 Percent 95.0 81.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,324 10,271 Number 450

 Percent 90.7 78.8 Percent 63.3

Found vacant

 Number 105

 Percent 14.8

Other

 Number 156

 Percent 21.9

Used in estimation

 Number 555

 Percent 78.1
Table R-16. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ., 2008

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,524 12,968 Eligible

Collected Number 617

 Number 3,406 11,055 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.7 85.2 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,269 10,709 Number 492

 Percent 92.8 82.6 Percent 79.7

Found vacant

 Number 73

 Percent 11.8

Other

 Number 52

 Percent 8.4

Used in estimation

 Number 565

 Percent 91.6
Table R-17. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Atlanta, GA., 2008

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,670 14,697 Eligible

Collected Number 1,320

 Number 4,502 12,238 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.4 83.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,280 11,868 Number 803

 Percent 91.6 80.8 Percent 60.8

Found vacant

 Number 159

 Percent 12.0

Other

 Number 358

 Percent 27.1

Used in estimation

 Number 962

 Percent 72.9