Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until USDL-11-1498

8:30 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Technical information: (202) 691-7000 • Reed.Steve@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cpi 

Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX – SEPTEMBER 2011 

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in September on a 

seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, 

the all items index increased 3.9 percent before seasonal adjustment. 

Increases in energy and food indexes were the main cause of the seasonally adjusted all items increase. 

The gasoline index continued to rise, and indexes for electricity and natural gas increased as well. Broad 

increases in food indexes also continued in September, with the food at home index rising 0.6 percent 

for the third month in a row and no major grocery store food group indexes declining. 

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in September, its smallest increase 

since March. The index for apparel declined in September after a series of sharp increases, and the 

indexes for used cars and recreation turned down as well. The indexes for new vehicles and household 

furnishings and operations were both flat. The shelter index rose, but posted its smallest increase since 

April, while the indexes for medical care, airline fares, and tobacco all increased. 

The 12-month change in the all items index, which was 3.8 percent in August, edged up to 3.9 percent in 

September. The 12-month change for all items less food and energy remained at 2.0 percent for the 

second straight month. The energy index has risen 19.3 percent over the last year, while the food index 

has increased 4.7 percent.

-0.2

-0.1

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

Sep'10 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep'11

Chart 1. One-month percent change in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), seasonally adjusted, Sep. 2010 - Sep. 2011

Percent change

 0.2 0.2

 0.1

 0.4 0.4

 0.5 0.5

 0.4

 0.2

 -0.2

 0.5

 0.4

 0.3
- 2 -

Chart 2. 12-month percent change in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), not seasonally adjusted, Sep. 2010 - Sep. 2011

Percent change

All items All items less food and energy

0

1

2

3

4

Sep'10 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep'11

Table A. Percent changes in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average

Seasonally adjusted changes from preceding month Unadjusted

12-mos.

ended

Sep. 2011

Mar.

2011

Apr.

2011

May

2011

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

All items ................................................. .5 .4 .2 -.2 .5 .4 .3 3.9 

Food .................................................... .8 .4 .4 .2 .4 .5 .4 4.7 

Food at home .................................... 1.1 .5 .5 .2 .6 .6 .6 6.3 

Food away from home 1 .................... .3 .3 .2 .3 .2 .4 .2 2.6 

Energy ................................................. 3.5 2.2 -1.0 -4.4 2.8 1.2 2.0 19.3 

Energy commodities .......................... 5.5 3.1 -1.9 -6.3 4.3 1.6 2.7 32.8 

Gasoline (all types) .......................... 5.6 3.3 -2.0 -6.8 4.7 1.9 2.9 33.3 

Fuel oil 1 .......................................... 6.2 3.2 -.8 -2.2 -1.7 -.4 -.7 33.4 

Energy services ................................. .2 .6 .6 -1.1 .4 .4 .7 2.1 

Electricity ......................................... .7 .2 .8 -1.6 .8 -.1 .7 2.7 

Utility (piped) gas service ................ -1.4 1.9 -.3 .4 -1.2 2.2 .8 .2 

All items less food and energy ............ .1 .2 .3 .3 .2 .2 .1 2.0 

Commodities less food and energy

commodities ................................ .1 .4 .5 .5 .3 .4 -.2 2.0 

New vehicles ................................... .7 .7 1.1 .6 .0 .0 .0 3.6 

Used cars and trucks ....................... .8 1.2 1.1 1.6 .7 .9 -.6 5.1 

Apparel ............................................ -.5 .2 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.1 -1.1 3.5 

Medical care commodities 1 ............ .5 .5 .0 -.1 .0 .1 .2 3.0 

Services less energy services ........... .2 .1 .2 .1 .2 .2 .2 2.0 

Shelter ............................................. .1 .1 .2 .2 .3 .2 .1 1.7 

Transportation services ................... .5 .2 .1 -.3 -.1 .2 .5 3.2 

Medical care services ...................... .1 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .2 2.8 

1 Not seasonally adjusted.
- 3 -

Consumer Price Index Data for September 2011 

Food

The food index, which rose 0.5 percent in August, increased 0.4 percent in September. The index for 

food at home repeated its July and August increase of 0.6 percent. The index for nonalcoholic beverages 

was unchanged, while the remaining major grocery store food groups all posted increases. The dairy and 

related products index rose the most, increasing 1.2 percent, followed by 0.9 percent increases in both 

the cereals and bakery products index and the fruits and vegetables index. Within the latter group, the 

indexes for apples and tomatoes both posted significant increases. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and 

eggs rose 0.4 percent as the index for eggs rose sharply, and the index for other food at home rose 0.6 

percent. The food at home index has now risen 6.3 percent over the past 12 months with the dairy index 

up 10.2 percent over that period. After rising 0.4 percent in August, the index for food away from home 

increased 0.2 percent in September and has risen 2.6 percent over the last 12 months. 

Energy

The energy index rose 2.0 percent in September after a 1.2 percent increase in August. The gasoline 

index, which was up 1.9 percent in August, rose 2.9 percent in September. (Before seasonal adjustment, 

gasoline prices fell 0.7 percent in September.) Over the past 12 months, the gasoline index has increased 

33.3 percent. The household energy index also rose in September, advancing 0.7 percent after a 0.4 

percent increase in August. The electricity index advanced 0.7 percent while index for natural gas rose 

0.8 percent; the fuel oil index declined 0.7 percent. Over the past year, the household energy index has 

increased 3.7 percent. The electricity index has risen 2.7 percent and the index for natural gas has 

increased 0.2 percent, while the fuel oil index has risen sharply, increasing 33.4 percent.

All items less food and energy 

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in September, a deceleration from 

recent months. Several factors contributed to the smaller increase in September. The apparel index, 

which had risen over one percent for four months in a row, declined 1.1 percent in September. The index 

for used cars and trucks also turned down, falling 0.6 percent after a long series of increases, and the 

recreation index declined 0.1 percent after rising in August. The shelter index decelerated, increasing 

0.1 percent in September following a 0.3 percent increase in July and a 0.2 percent increase in August. 

The rent index increased 0.2 percent while the index for owners’ equivalent rent increased 0.1 percent 

and the lodging away from home index declined 0.7 percent. The index for household furnishings and 

operations, which rose 0.3 percent in August, was unchanged in September, and the index for new 

vehicles was unchanged for the third month in a row. In contrast the medical care index continued to 

increase, rising 0.2 percent for the fifth month in a row. The indexes for airline fares, tobacco, and 

personal care all increased as well. 

After increasing steadily through most of the year, the 12-month change in the index for all items less 

food and energy remained at 2.0 percent for the second month in a row. The shelter index has increased 

1.7 percent over the last 12 months. The index for medical care has risen 2.8 percent while the apparel 

index has increased 3.5 percent. The new vehicles index has increased 3.6 percent and the index for used 

cars and trucks has increased 5.1 percent.
- 4 -

Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures 

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 3.9 percent over the last 12 

months to an index level of 226.889 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.2 percent prior 

to seasonal adjustment. 

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 4.4 

percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 223.688 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index 

increased 0.2 percent prior to seasonal adjustment. 

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 3.7 percent over the 

last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.1 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please 

note that the indexes for the post-2009 period are subject to revision. 

The Consumer Price Index for October 2011 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 

16, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. (EST).
- 5 -

Redesigning the Consumer Price Index (CPI) News Release Tables 

In August 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) restructured the text of the CPI news release to 

focus on the price movements of three broad expenditure categories; namely Food, Energy, and All 

items less food and energy. Table A within the CPI news release text was also updated in August 2009 

to reflect this new structure. Before August 2009, the text of the CPI news release had focused on eight 

CPI 'major groups' (Food and beverages; Housing; Apparel; Transportation; Medical care; Recreation; 

Education and communication; and Other goods and services). 

While the text of the CPI news release was restructured in 2009, seven additional CPI news release 

tables continued to be published using the eight major groups. BLS is redesigning these news release 

tables, to reflect the focus on Food, Energy, and All items less food and energy. Within these three broad 

categories, CPI item series will be further divided into commodities and services. 

A mock-up of the new CPI news release tables can be found at 

http://beta.bls.gov/cpi/redesigned_cpi_tables/cpiprmockup.htm. Comments or questions about these new 

tables can be forwarded to cpi_info@bls.gov. The public comment period runs through October 31, 

2011.

Beyond the redesign in the structure of the CPI news release tables, several other improvements to these 

tables have been made: 

The new Table 1 gives a summary of the index series which typically contribute to changes in the 

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). 

The new Table 2 will show the full publication stub using the new structure for the CPI-U, including 11 

new items series that were created to augment the redesign in the publication structure. 

Table 3 will show aggregate item series (e.g., Transportation) that do not fall under the Food, Energy, 

and All items less food and energy structure. 

Table 4 will show the All items indexes at the local, regional, and city-size class levels. Table 5 will 

show the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U), and presents a history of 

annual percentage changes in the C-CPI-U compared to the CPI-U. 

Table 6 will focus on 1-month seasonally adjusted changes in the CPI-U, while table 7 will focus on 12-

month not seasonally adjusted changes. Tables 6 and 7 will present three additional pieces of data to 

help users better interpret index changes. First, these tables will show the effect each item has on the 

price change for All items. For example, if the effect of food is 0.4, and the index for All items increased 

1.2 percent, it can be said that increases in food prices accounted for 0.4 / 1.2, or 33.3 percent, of the 

increase in overall prices for that period. Said another way, had food prices been unchanged, the All 

items index only would have increased 0.8 percent (or 1.2 percent for All items, minus the 0.4 effect for 

Food). Effects can be negative as well. For example, if the effect of food was a negative 0.1, and the All 

items index rose 0.5 percent, the All items index actually would have been 0.1 percent higher (or 0.6 

percent) had food prices been unchanged. 

Second, standard errors for percent changes will be shown on tables 6 and 7. Confidence intervals for 

statistics can be created using standard errors; e.g., roughly 95% confidence intervals can be constructed 

using two standard errors. For example, if an item increased 3.7 percent, and its standard error was 0.6 

percent, the 95% confidence interval for that price change can be said to be 3.7 percent plus or minus 

two standard errors, or 3.7 percent plus or minus 1.2 percent. 
- 6 -

Each item series in tables 6 and 7 will show the last time that item had a price change as large (or as 

small) as the percent change published that period. For example, if bananas rose 3.7 percent, and that 

was its largest increase since November 2007, that would be noted in the new tables. 

In addition, most of the existing tables show the relative importance, or weight, of each item category as 

of the previous December. The relative importance columns in the new tables will be improved in that 

they will be updated monthly to reflect the change in relative prices over time. 

Finally, there will no longer be any news release tables that focus on the Consumer Price Index for 

Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). That said, the CPI-W All items index level and 

percent changes will still be noted in the text of the news release. 

Facilities for Sensory Impaired

Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. 

Voice phone: 202-691-5200, Federal Relay Services: 1-800-877-8339.

Brief Explanation of the CPI 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time of goods and 

services purchased by households. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population 

groups: (1) the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which covers households 

of wage earners and clerical workers that comprise approximately 32 percent of the total population and 

(2) the CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Chained CPI for All Urban Consumers (C-CPIU), which cover approximately 87 percent of the total population and include in addition to wage 

earners and clerical worker households, 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 CPIs are based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for 

doctors’ and dentists’ services, drugs, and other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day 

living. Prices are collected each month in 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing 

units and approximately 26,000 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. Prices of fuels and a few other items are obtained 

every month in all 87 locations. Prices of most other commodities and services are collected every 

month in the three largest geographic areas and every other month in other areas. Prices of most goods 

and services are obtained by personal visits or telephone calls of the Bureau’s trained representatives. 

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with 

weights, which represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local 

data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. For the CPI-U and CPI-W separate indexes are 

also published by size of city, by region of the country, for cross-classifications of regions and 

population-size classes, and for 27 local areas. Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of 

prices among cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

For the C-CPI-U data are issued only at the national level. It is important to note that the CPI-U and 

CPI-W are considered final when released, but the C-CPI-U is issued in preliminary form and subject to 

two annual revisions. 
- 7 -

The index measures price change from a designed reference date. For the CPI-U and the CPI-W the 

reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. The reference base for the C-CPI-U is December 1999 equals 

100. An increase of 16.5 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 116.500. 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 visit the CPI home page on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/ or contact our CPI 

Information and Analysis Section on (202) 691-7000. 

Note on Sampling Error in the Consumer Price Index 

The CPI is a statistical estimate that is subject to sampling error because it is based upon a sample of 

retail prices and not the complete universe of all prices. BLS calculates and publishes estimates of the 

1-month, 2-month, 6-month and 12-month percent change standard errors annually, for the CPI-U.

These standard error estimates can be used to construct confidence intervals for hypothesis testing. For 

example, the estimated standard error of the 1 month percent change is 0.03 percent for the U.S. All 

Items Consumer Price Index. This means that if we repeatedly sample from the universe of all retail 

prices using the same methodology, and estimate a percentage change for each sample, then 95% of 

these estimates would be within 0.06 percent of the 1 month percentage change based on all retail prices.

For example, for a 1-month change of 0.2 percent in the All Items CPI for All Urban Consumers, we are 

95 percent confident that the actual percent change based on all retail prices would fall between 0.14 and 

0.26 percent. For the latest data, including information on how to use the estimates of standard error, 

see “Variance Estimates for Price Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January-December 2010”. 

These data are available on the CPI home page (http://www.bls.gov/cpi), or by using the following link 

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpivar2010.pdf

Calculating Index Changes 

Movements of the indexes from one month to another are usually expressed as percent changes rather 

than changes in index points, because index point changes are affected by the level of the index in 

relation to its base period while percent changes are not. The example below illustrates the computation 

of index point and percent changes. 

 Percent changes for 3-month and 6-month periods are expressed as annual rates and are computed 

according to the standard formula for compound growth rates. These data indicate what the percent 

change would be if the current rate were maintained for a 12-month period. 
- 8 -

Index Point Change

CPI 202.416 

Less previous index 201.800 

Equals index point change .616 

Percent Change

Index point difference .616 

Divided by the previous index 201.800 

Equals 0.003 

Results multiplied by one hundred 0.003x100 

Equals percent change 0.3

Regions Defined 

The states in the four regions shown in Tables 3 and 6 are listed below. 

The Northeast--Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 

and Vermont. 

The Midwest--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, 

and Wisconsin. 

The South--Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, 

Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. 

The West--Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, 

Washington, and Wyoming. 

A Note on Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data 

Because price data are used for different purposes by different groups, the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

publishes seasonally adjusted as well as unadjusted changes each month. 

For analyzing general price trends in the economy, seasonally adjusted changes are usually preferred 

since they eliminate the effect of changes that normally occur at the same time and in about the same 

magnitude every year--such as price movements resulting from changing climatic conditions, production 

cycles, model changeovers, holidays, and sales. 

The unadjusted data are of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices they actually pay.

Unadjusted data also are used extensively for escalation purposes. Many collective bargaining contract 

agreements and pension plans, for example, tie compensation changes to the Consumer Price Index 

before adjustment for seasonal variation. 

Seasonal factors used in computing the seasonally adjusted indexes are derived by the X-12-ARIMA 

Seasonal Adjustment Method. Seasonally adjusted indexes and seasonal factors are computed annually. 

Each year, the last 5 years of seasonally adjusted data are revised. Data from January 2006 through 

December 2010 were replaced in January 2011. Exceptions to the usual revision schedule were: the 
- 9 -

updated seasonal data at the end of 1977 replaced data from 1967 through 1977; and, in January 2002, 

dependently seasonally adjusted series were revised for January 1987-December 2001 as a result of a 

change in the aggregation weights for dependently adjusted series. For further information, please see 

“Aggregation of Dependently Adjusted Seasonally Adjusted Series,” in the October 2001 issue of the 

CPI Detailed Report. 

Effective with the publication of data from January 2006 through December 2010 in January 2011, the 

Video and audio series and the Information technology, hardware and services series were changed from 

independently adjusted to dependently adjusted. This resulted in an increase in the number of seasonal 

components used in deriving seasonal movement of the All items and 54 other lower level aggregations, 

from 73 for the publication of January 1998 through December 2005 data to 82 for the publication of 

seasonally adjusted data for January 2006 and later. Each year the seasonal status of every series is 

reevaluated based upon certain statistical criteria. If any of the 82 components change their seasonal 

adjustment status from seasonally adjusted to not seasonally adjusted, not seasonally adjusted data will 

be used in the aggregation of the dependent series for the last 5 years, but the seasonally adjusted 

indexes before that period will not be changed. Note: 37 of the 82 components are not seasonally 

adjusted for 2011. 

Seasonally adjusted data, including the all items index levels, are subject to revision for up to five years 

after their original release. For this reason, BLS advises against the use of these data in escalation 

agreements. 

Effective with the calculation of the seasonal factors for 1990, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has used an 

enhanced seasonal adjustment procedure called Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment for some 

CPI series. Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment allows for better estimates of seasonally 

adjusted data. Extreme values and/or sharp movements which might distort the seasonal pattern are 

estimated and removed from the data prior to calculation of seasonal factors. Beginning with the 

calculation of seasonal factors for 1996, X-12-ARIMA software was used for Intervention Analysis 

Seasonal Adjustment. 

For the seasonal factors introduced in January 2011, BLS adjusted 29 series using Intervention Analysis 

Seasonal Adjustment, including selected food and beverage items, motor fuels, electricity and vehicles.

For example, this procedure was used for the Motor fuel series to offset the effects of events such as 

damage to oil refineries from Hurricane Katrina. 

For a complete list of Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment series and explanations, please refer to 

the article “Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment”, located on our website at 

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpisapage.htm.

For additional information on seasonal adjustment in the CPI, please write to the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, Division of Consumer Prices and Price Indexes, Washington, DC 20212 or contact David 

Levin at (202) 691-6968, or by e-mail at Levin.David@bls.gov. If you have general questions about the 

CPI, please call our information staff at (202) 691-7000.
Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and

service group

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-U

Relative

importance,

December

2010

Unadjusted

indexes

Unadjusted

percent change to

Sep. 2011 from—

Seasonally adjusted

percent change from—

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Sep.

2010

Aug.

2011

June to

July

July to

Aug.

Aug. to

Sep.

Expenditure category

All items ........................................................................................ 100.000 226.545 226.889 3.9 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.3 

All items (1967=100) .................................................................... -

 678.628 679.658 - ----

Food and beverages .................................................................. 14.792 229.490 230.448 4.5 .4 .4 .5 .4 

Food ......................................................................................... 13.742 229.554 230.573 4.7 .4 .4 .5 .4 

Food at home ......................................................................... 7.816 228.354 229.739 6.3 .6 .6 .6 .6 

Cereals and bakery products ............................................... 1.090 262.970 264.135 5.6 .4 -.1 1.1 .9 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................................. 1.813 225.651 227.194 7.5 .7 .5 .4 .4 

Dairy and related products 1 ................................................ .839 216.720 219.381 10.2 1.2 1.2 .9 1.2 

Fruits and vegetables ........................................................... 1.152 282.579 286.865 6.7 1.5 1.2 .6 .9 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ................ .926 168.268 168.213 4.0 .0 .9 -.2 .0 

Other food at home .............................................................. 1.996 200.054 200.347 4.7 .1 .3 .8 .6 

Sugar and sweets 1 ............................................................ .297 209.780 213.330 5.4 1.7 -.2 1.2 1.7 

Fats and oils ....................................................................... .232 223.509 224.770 11.3 .6 .5 .9 .5 

Other foods ........................................................................ 1.466 212.114 211.619 3.6 -.2 .4 .7 .4 

Other miscellaneous foods 1 2 ......................................... .432 125.193 125.044 2.4 -.1 .6 .6 -.1 

Food away from home 1 ......................................................... 5.926 232.513 233.032 2.6 .2 .2 .4 .2 

Other food away from home 1 2 ........................................... .329 163.468 163.334 2.0 -.1 .3 .3 -.1 

Alcoholic beverages ................................................................. 1.051 227.126 227.265 1.4 .1 -.2 .2 .0 

Housing ...................................................................................... 41.460 220.506 220.540 1.8 .0 .2 .2 .2 

Shelter ...................................................................................... 31.955 252.546 252.647 1.7 .0 .3 .2 .1 

Rent of primary residence 3 ................................................... 5.925 254.003 254.628 2.1 .2 .3 .4 .2 

Lodging away from home 2 .................................................... .776 145.100 140.259 3.3 -3.3 .9 -1.8 -.7 

Owners’ equivalent rent of residences 3 4 .............................. 24.905 260.178 260.459 1.5 .1 .3 .2 .1 

Owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence 3 4 ................ 23.310 260.159 260.433 1.5 .1 .3 .2 .1 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ................................... .349 127.581 127.922 1.0 .3 .1 .2 .3 

Fuels and utilities ..................................................................... 5.096 226.493 226.409 4.0 .0 .2 .3 .7 

Household energy .................................................................. 4.000 200.144 199.814 3.7 -.2 .2 .4 .7 

Fuel oil and other fuels 1 ...................................................... .309 335.995 334.735 25.9 -.4 -1.1 -.3 -.4 

Energy services 3 ................................................................. 3.691 201.564 201.270 2.1 -.1 .4 .4 .7 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 ................... 1.095 180.762 181.569 5.1 .4 .2 .1 .7 

Household furnishings and operations ..................................... 4.409 125.138 125.013 .4 -.1 .0 .3 .0 

Household operations 1 2 ....................................................... .772 152.066 151.967 1.1 -.1 .1 .1 -.1 

Apparel ....................................................................................... 3.601 121.547 125.272 3.5 3.1 1.2 1.1 -1.1 

Men’s and boys’ apparel .......................................................... .882 114.399 116.602 3.9 1.9 1.7 -.2 -.2 

Women’s and girls’ apparel ...................................................... 1.520 107.780 113.304 3.7 5.1 1.4 2.1 -2.2 

Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel ................................................... .192 114.563 116.615 1.9 1.8 3.6 .8 -.3 

Footwear .................................................................................. .700 127.500 130.921 1.3 2.7 .0 .6 .1

Transportation ............................................................................ 17.308 216.057 215.198 11.8 -.4 1.5 .7 1.0 

Private transportation ............................................................... 16.082 211.315 210.513 12.2 -.4 1.6 .7 1.0

New and used motor vehicles 2 ............................................. 6.333 101.524 100.988 3.6 -.5 .1 .2 -.2 

New vehicles ........................................................................ 3.513 142.327 142.334 3.6 .0 .0 .0 .0 

Used cars and trucks ........................................................... 2.055 155.823 153.586 5.1 -1.4 .7 .9 -.6 

Motor fuel ............................................................................... 5.079 311.962 309.745 33.2 -.7 4.6 1.7 2.9 

Gasoline (all types) .............................................................. 4.865 311.269 309.018 33.3 -.7 4.7 1.9 2.9 

Motor vehicle parts and equipment 1 ..................................... .408 145.537 145.646 5.7 .1 .2 .4 .1 

Motor vehicle maintenance and repair 1 ................................ 1.172 253.337 255.244 2.4 .8 .1 .2 .8 

Public transportation ................................................................ 1.227 272.949 271.199 7.4 -.6 -.2 .6 .8 

Medical care ............................................................................... 6.627 400.874 401.605 2.8 .2 .2 .2 .2

Medical care commodities 1 ..................................................... 1.633 324.395 325.130 3.0 .2 .0 .1 .2 

Medical care services ............................................................... 4.994 424.546 425.258 2.8 .2 .3 .3 .2 

Professional services ............................................................. 2.830 336.378 336.461 1.9 .0 .2 .2 .1 

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and

service group-Continued

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-U

Relative

importance,

December

2010

Unadjusted

indexes

Unadjusted

percent change to

Sep. 2011 from—

Seasonally adjusted

percent change from—

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Sep.

2010

Aug.

2011

June to

July

July to

Aug.

Aug. to

Sep.

Expenditure category

Hospital and related services ................................................. 1.703 643.600 645.026 4.9 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.1 

Recreation 2 ............................................................................... 6.293 113.592 113.440 .3 -.1 -.1 .1 -.1 

Video and audio 2 .................................................................... 1.816 98.222 98.491 -.1 .3 .5 -.4 .4 

Education and communication 2 ................................................ 6.421 132.028 132.627 1.1 .5 .2 .1 .1 

Education 2 .............................................................................. 3.107 210.266 212.348 4.4 1.0 .7 .3 .2 

Educational books and supplies ............................................. .204 530.785 538.887 5.9 1.5 .2 .0 1.3 

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare ................................ 2.903 604.798 610.562 4.3 1.0 .7 .3 .1 

Communication 2 ..................................................................... 3.313 83.077 83.017 -1.9 -.1 -.2 -.1 -.1 

Information and information processing 2 .............................. 3.138 79.687 79.625 -2.3 -.1 -.2 -.2 -.1 

Telephone services 1 2 ......................................................... 2.334 101.006 101.084 -1.5 .1 -.2 .0 .1 

Information technology, hardware and services 5 ................ .804 8.960 8.912 -4.6 -.5 -.1 -.8 -.5 

Personal computers and peripheral equipment 6 ............... .228 66.753 65.796 -12.9 -1.4 -.5 -2.7 -1.2 

Other goods and services .......................................................... 3.497 387.053 388.627 1.3 .4 .1 .3 .3 

Tobacco and smoking products 1 ............................................ .906 837.427 843.141 2.4 .7 .5 .5 .7 

Personal care ........................................................................... 2.591 208.199 208.843 .9 .3 .0 .2 .2 

Personal care products 1 ....................................................... .671 159.017 160.162 -.5 .7 -.2 -.5 .7 

Personal care services 1 ........................................................ .638 230.779 230.974 .3 .1 -.1 .1 .1 

Miscellaneous personal services ........................................... 1.055 364.545 365.351 2.6 .2 .4 .4 .1 

Commodity and service group

Commodities ................................................................................ 40.012 185.566 186.015 6.7 .2 .9 .6 .5

Food and beverages .................................................................. 14.792 229.490 230.448 4.5 .4 .4 .5 .4 

Commodities less food and beverages ...................................... 25.219 161.621 161.850 8.1 .1 1.2 .6 .5 

Nondurables less food and beverages ..................................... 15.474 210.546 211.709 12.2 .6 1.5 .8 .8 

Apparel ................................................................................... 3.601 121.547 125.272 3.5 3.1 1.2 1.1 -1.1 

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .................... 11.873 270.809 270.380 15.0 -.2 1.5 .8 1.5 

Durables ................................................................................... 9.745 113.799 113.177 1.8 -.5 .1 .3 -.4

Services ....................................................................................... 59.988 267.271 267.510 2.0 .1 .2 .2 .2 

Rent of shelter 4 ......................................................................... 31.607 263.152 263.251 1.7 .0 .2 .3 .3 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ....................................... .349 127.581 127.922 1.0 .3 .1 .2 .3 

Energy services 3 ....................................................................... 3.691 201.564 201.270 2.1 -.1 .4 .4 .7 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 ....................... 1.095 180.762 181.569 5.1 .4 .2 .1 .7 

Household operations 1 2 ........................................................... .772 152.066 151.967 1.1 -.1 .1 .1 -.1 

Transportation services .............................................................. 6.140 268.940 268.979 3.2 .0 -.1 .2 .5 

Medical care services ................................................................. 4.994 424.546 425.258 2.8 .2 .3 .3 .2 

Other services ............................................................................ 11.340 315.791 316.708 1.6 .3 .2 .2 .1

Special indexes

All items less food ........................................................................ 86.258 226.092 226.329 3.7 .1 .5 .4 .3

All items less shelter .................................................................... 68.045 218.952 219.396 4.9 .2 .6 .5 .4

All items less medical care ........................................................... 93.373 217.955 218.281 3.9 .1 .5 .4 .3 

Commodities less food ................................................................. 26.270 164.059 164.287 7.8 .1 1.2 .6 .5 

Nondurables less food ................................................................. 16.525 211.642 212.750 11.5 .5 1.4 .7 .8 

Nondurables less food and apparel ............................................. 12.923 265.656 265.279 13.8 -.1 1.4 .8 1.3 

Nondurables ................................................................................. 30.266 220.958 222.036 8.4 .5 .9 .6 .6 

Services less rent of shelter 4 ...................................................... 28.382 292.871 293.301 2.3 .1 .1 .3 .3 

Services less medical care services ............................................ 54.994 255.085 255.295 1.9 .1 .1 .3 .3 

Energy .......................................................................................... 9.079 251.706 250.480 19.3 -.5 2.8 1.2 2.0 

All items less energy .................................................................... 90.921 225.797 226.303 2.4 .2 .3 .3 .1

All items less food and energy ................................................... 77.179 225.874 226.289 2.0 .2 .2 .2 .1 

Commodities less food and energy commodities ..................... 20.882 146.159 146.734 2.0 .4 .3 .4 -.2 

Energy commodities ............................................................... 5.388 315.330 313.145 32.8 -.7 4.3 1.6 2.7 

Services less energy services .................................................. 56.297 274.038 274.327 2.0 .1 .2 .2 .2 

Purchasing power of the consumer dollar (1982-84=$1.00) ........ -

 $ .441 $ .441 - ----

Purchasing power of the consumer dollar (1967=$1.00) ............. - $ .147 $ .147 - ----

1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other

item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. 4 Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.

5 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. 6 Indexes on a December 2007=100 base. - Data not available.

NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by expenditure category

and commodity and service group

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-U

Seasonally adjusted indexes Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent

change for

3 months ended— 6 months

ended—

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Dec.

2010

Mar.

2011

June

2011

Sep.

2011 Mar.

2011

Sep.

2011

Expenditure category

All items .............................................................................. 224.304 225.425 226.268 226.955 3.3 6.1 1.5 4.8 4.7 3.1 

Food and beverages ......................................................... 227.585 228.453 229.589 230.542 1.5 7.1 4.0 5.3 4.3 4.7

Food ................................................................................ 227.493 228.455 229.643 230.673 1.6 7.5 4.1 5.7 4.5 4.9 

Food at home ................................................................ 225.818 227.131 228.508 229.911 2.0 11.2 4.7 7.4 6.5 6.1 

Cereals and bakery products ...................................... 259.833 259.615 262.369 264.757 1.9 5.7 7.1 7.8 3.8 7.5 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..................................... 223.561 224.610 225.514 226.323 2.9 13.5 9.0 5.0 8.1 7.0 

Dairy and related products 1 ....................................... 212.286 214.781 216.720 219.381 6.2 8.4 12.4 14.1 7.3 13.2 

Fruits and vegetables .................................................. 282.217 285.577 287.215 289.690 5.4 23.3 -10.2 11.0 14.0 -.1 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ....... 166.866 168.300 168.012 167.995 -3.1 10.4 6.3 2.7 3.5 4.5 

Other food at home ..................................................... 197.027 197.654 199.249 200.393 -.1 7.1 5.1 7.0 3.4 6.0 

Sugar and sweets 1 .................................................. 207.672 207.321 209.780 213.330 1.2 4.8 4.3 11.4 3.0 7.8 

Fats and oils .............................................................. 219.368 220.368 222.384 223.600 3.4 25.8 9.2 7.9 14.1 8.6 

Other foods ............................................................... 208.810 209.632 211.126 211.873 -.9 4.8 4.6 6.0 1.9 5.3

Other miscellaneous foods 1 2 ................................ 123.692 124.418 125.193 125.044 1.0 .8 3.4 4.4 .9 3.9 

Food away from home 1 ............................................... 231.097 231.580 232.513 233.032 1.1 2.8 3.2 3.4 2.0 3.3 

Other food away from home 1 2 .................................. 162.494 162.971 163.468 163.334 1.5 3.0 1.5 2.1 2.3 1.8 

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................ 227.306 226.915 227.345 227.285 .8 1.6 3.4 .0 1.2 1.7

Housing ............................................................................. 218.770 219.299 219.780 220.162 1.1 1.9 1.7 2.6 1.5 2.1 

Shelter ............................................................................. 251.267 251.947 252.420 252.726 1.2 1.3 1.9 2.3 1.2 2.1 

Rent of primary residence 3 .......................................... 252.683 253.315 254.265 254.857 2.0 1.7 1.2 3.5 1.9 2.3 

Lodging away from home 2 ........................................... 141.840 143.172 140.659 139.636 -2.8 -1.0 25.8 -6.1 -1.9 8.7 

Owners’ equivalent rent of residences 3 4 .................... 259.023 259.682 260.230 260.548 1.1 1.3 1.3 2.4 1.2 1.8 

Owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence 3 4 ....... 259.009 259.664 260.211 260.522 1.1 1.3 1.3 2.4 1.2 1.8 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ......................... 127.155 127.278 127.581 127.922 -1.4 -1.0 4.2 2.4 -1.2 3.3 

Fuels and utilities ............................................................ 219.939 220.447 221.155 222.606 3.2 7.1 .8 4.9 5.2 2.9 

Household energy ......................................................... 193.171 193.621 194.359 195.624 2.7 7.2 -.1 5.2 5.0 2.5

Fuel oil and other fuels 1 ............................................. 340.775 336.894 335.995 334.735 58.0 73.2 -1.3 -6.9 65.4 -4.1 

Energy services 3 ........................................................ 193.669 194.368 195.223 196.677 -.6 2.8 .0 6.4 1.1 3.1 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 .......... 179.574 179.974 180.159 181.374 5.1 6.7 4.3 4.1 5.9 4.2 

Household furnishings and operations ............................ 124.813 124.870 125.275 125.249 -1.5 .2 1.4 1.4 -.6 1.4 

Household operations 1 2 ............................................. 151.730 151.908 152.066 151.967 .8 -.3 3.2 .6 .3 1.9 

Apparel .............................................................................. 122.037 123.562 124.934 123.529 -.4 -1.5 11.5 5.0 -.9 8.2 

Men’s and boys’ apparel ................................................. 115.111 117.114 116.898 116.635 -3.3 -2.3 17.1 5.4 -2.8 11.1 

Women’s and girls’ apparel ............................................. 108.838 110.363 112.690 110.218 .4 -2.3 12.4 5.2 -1.0 8.7

Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel .......................................... 111.560 115.598 116.559 116.253 -1.6 -12.7 6.6 17.9 -7.3 12.1 

Footwear ......................................................................... 129.051 129.026 129.766 129.833 -3.3 1.0 5.0 2.4 -1.2 3.7 

Transportation ................................................................... 210.317 213.484 215.052 217.280 15.1 23.9 -3.1 13.9 19.4 5.0 

Private transportation ...................................................... 205.663 209.018 210.575 212.785 15.1 24.1 -2.6 14.6 19.5 5.6 

New and used motor vehicles 2 .................................... 100.992 101.140 101.297 101.095 -1.8 4.5 11.6 .4 1.3 5.9 

New vehicles ............................................................... 143.501 143.549 143.572 143.509 -1.7 6.4 10.1 .0 2.3 5.0 

Used cars and trucks .................................................. 150.707 151.827 153.211 152.354 -2.3 2.5 16.8 4.4 .1 10.5

Motor fuel ...................................................................... 290.494 303.903 309.112 318.141 57.0 74.8 -20.2 43.9 65.6 7.1 

Gasoline (all types) ..................................................... 289.077 302.520 308.398 317.446 59.5 71.2 -20.5 45.4 65.2 7.5 

Motor vehicle parts and equipment 1 ............................ 144.618 144.960 145.537 145.646 4.2 4.3 11.7 2.9 4.2 7.2 

Motor vehicle maintenance and repair 1 ....................... 252.529 252.769 253.337 255.244 1.5 1.1 2.8 4.4 1.3 3.6 

Public transportation ....................................................... 266.349 265.862 267.455 269.718 15.2 21.4 -9.5 5.2 18.2 -2.5 

Medical care ...................................................................... 399.500 400.468 401.431 402.269 2.3 2.9 3.2 2.8 2.6 3.0 

Medical care commodities 1 ............................................ 324.102 324.159 324.395 325.130 1.8 7.1 1.8 1.3 4.4 1.5 

Medical care services ..................................................... 422.741 424.076 425.328 426.192 2.5 1.6 3.7 3.3 2.0 3.5

Professional services .................................................... 335.125 335.831 336.426 336.855 1.9 2.3 1.4 2.1 2.1 1.7

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by expenditure category

and commodity and service group-Continued

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-U

Seasonally adjusted indexes Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent

change for

3 months ended— 6 months

ended—

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Dec.

2010

Mar.

2011

June

2011

Sep.

2011 Mar.

2011

Sep.

2011

Expenditure category

Hospital and related services ........................................ 641.042 643.675 647.003 647.688 5.7 2.3 7.7 4.2 4.0 5.9 

Recreation 2 ...................................................................... 113.448 113.332 113.461 113.379 -1.2 1.8 .8 -.2 .3 .3 

Video and audio 2 ........................................................... 97.922 98.435 98.047 98.421 -2.8 2.5 -2.2 2.1 -.2 -.1 

Education and communication 2 ....................................... 131.300 131.598 131.685 131.772 .0 1.8 1.2 1.4 .9 1.3 

Education 2 ..................................................................... 207.115 208.477 209.073 209.477 4.0 5.2 3.9 4.6 4.6 4.3 

Educational books and supplies ................................... 527.674 528.975 528.860 535.859 6.5 6.6 4.1 6.4 6.6 5.2 

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare ...................... 595.349 599.439 601.281 601.966 3.8 5.1 3.9 4.5 4.4 4.2 

Communication 2 ............................................................ 83.391 83.235 83.112 83.064 -3.6 -1.4 -1.3 -1.6 -2.5 -1.4 

Information and information processing 2 ..................... 80.004 79.846 79.722 79.673 -3.8 -2.3 -1.4 -1.6 -3.1 -1.5 

Telephone services 1 2 ............................................... 101.204 100.961 101.006 101.084 -3.4 -1.9 -.2 -.5 -2.7 -.3 

Information technology, hardware and services 5 ....... 9.049 9.043 8.975 8.933 -4.9 -3.5 -4.9 -5.0 -4.2 -5.0 

Personal computers and peripheral equipment 6 ..... 69.430 69.089 67.192 66.391 -11.6 -14.3 -9.3 -16.4 -13.0 -12.9 

Other goods and services ................................................. 386.068 386.568 387.673 388.859 .8 .6 .9 2.9 .7 1.9 

Tobacco and smoking products 1 ................................... 828.860 833.067 837.427 843.141 1.9 1.5 -.9 7.1 1.7 3.0 

Personal care .................................................................. 208.232 208.228 208.649 209.012 .4 .2 1.5 1.5 .3 1.5 

Personal care products 1 .............................................. 160.163 159.763 159.017 160.162 -.8 .8 -2.0 .0 .0 -1.0 

Personal care services 1 ............................................... 230.614 230.454 230.779 230.974 -.3 -.2 1.0 .6 -.3 .8 

Miscellaneous personal services .................................. 361.765 363.086 364.537 364.789 2.6 1.7 2.8 3.4 2.2 3.1 

Commodity and service group

Commodities ....................................................................... 183.042 184.701 185.783 186.622 6.0 12.6 .9 8.1 9.3 4.4 

Food and beverages ......................................................... 227.585 228.453 229.589 230.542 1.5 7.1 4.0 5.3 4.3 4.7

Commodities less food and beverages ............................. 158.934 160.855 161.879 162.643 8.8 15.9 -.8 9.7 12.3 4.3 

Nondurables less food and beverages ........................... 206.462 209.517 211.198 212.876 16.5 23.3 -2.5 13.0 19.8 5.0 

Apparel .......................................................................... 122.037 123.562 124.934 123.529 -.4 -1.5 11.5 5.0 -.9 8.2 

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .......... 263.361 267.418 269.682 273.642 22.3 32.0 -7.2 16.6 27.1 4.0 

Durables .......................................................................... 113.560 113.697 114.000 113.488 -3.0 3.1 7.6 -.3 .0 3.6 

Services .............................................................................. 265.318 265.897 266.471 267.015 1.4 2.1 1.8 2.6 1.8 2.2 

Rent of shelter 4 ................................................................ 261.396 261.882 262.558 263.256 2.6 -.3 1.6 2.9 1.1 2.2 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ............................. 127.155 127.278 127.581 127.922 -1.4 -1.0 4.2 2.4 -1.2 3.3 

Energy services 3 .............................................................. 193.669 194.368 195.223 196.677 -.6 2.8 .0 6.4 1.1 3.1 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 .............. 179.574 179.974 180.159 181.374 5.1 6.7 4.3 4.1 5.9 4.2 

Household operations 1 2 ................................................. 151.730 151.908 152.066 151.967 .8 -.3 3.2 .6 .3 1.9 

Transportation services ..................................................... 267.700 267.367 267.867 269.113 4.2 6.4 .3 2.1 5.3 1.2

Medical care services ....................................................... 422.741 424.076 425.328 426.192 2.5 1.6 3.7 3.3 2.0 3.5 

Other services ................................................................... 313.917 314.461 315.150 315.430 .7 2.0 1.7 1.9 1.3 1.8 

Special indexes

All items less food ............................................................... 223.822 224.968 225.757 226.389 3.5 5.9 1.1 4.7 4.7 2.8 

All items less shelter ........................................................... 216.303 217.613 218.612 219.458 4.3 8.5 1.3 6.0 6.3 3.6 

All items less medical care .................................................. 215.700 216.818 217.649 218.324 3.3 6.4 1.3 5.0 4.8 3.1 

Commodities less food ........................................................ 161.441 163.305 164.317 165.062 8.4 15.3 -.7 9.3 11.8 4.2 

Nondurables less food ........................................................ 207.713 210.536 212.073 213.675 16.6 21.0 -2.3 12.0 18.8 4.6 

Nondurables less food and apparel .................................... 259.034 262.591 264.643 268.178 20.4 29.3 -6.2 14.9 24.8 3.8

Nondurables ........................................................................ 217.801 219.814 221.179 222.435 9.6 15.4 .2 8.8 12.4 4.4 

Services less rent of shelter 4 ............................................. 290.050 290.297 291.055 291.867 2.2 2.9 1.7 2.5 2.5 2.1 

Services less medical care services ................................... 252.972 253.218 253.904 254.668 2.4 1.0 1.5 2.7 1.7 2.1 

Energy ................................................................................. 237.889 244.507 247.367 252.319 29.8 42.4 -12.5 26.6 36.0 5.3 

All items less energy ........................................................... 224.711 225.284 225.930 226.190 .9 2.8 3.1 2.7 1.9 2.9 

All items less food and energy .......................................... 224.958 225.463 226.014 226.137 .8 2.0 2.9 2.1 1.4 2.5 

Commodities less food and energy commodities ........... 145.979 146.370 146.897 146.533 -1.2 1.9 5.9 1.5 .3 3.7 

Energy commodities ..................................................... 295.025 307.662 312.602 321.179 57.0 74.7 -19.2 40.5 65.6 6.5 

Services less energy services ......................................... 272.638 273.207 273.755 274.216 1.6 2.1 1.9 2.3 1.8 2.1 

1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other

item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means

estimator.

4 Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. 5 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. 6 Indexes on a December 2007=100 base.

NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 3. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Selected areas, all items index 

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-U

All items 

Pricing

schedule 1

Indexes Percent change to

Sep.2011 from—

Percent change to

Aug.2011 from—

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Sep.

2010

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Aug.

2010

June

2011

July

2011

U.S. city average ............................................ M 225.722 225.922 226.545 226.889 3.9 0.4 0.2 3.8 0.4 0.3 

Region and area size2

Northeast urban .............................................. M 241.690 242.282 243.033 243.323 4.0 .4 .1 3.8 .6 .3 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 243.257 243.806 244.601 244.983 3.8 .5 .2 3.6 .6 .3 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 144.525 144.952 145.339 145.369 4.4 .3 .0 4.3 .6 .3 

Midwest urban ................................................ M 215.954 216.099 216.586 216.968 3.9 .4 .2 3.8 .3 .2 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 216.290 216.350 216.870 217.360 3.9 .5 .2 3.8 .3 .2 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 139.115 139.222 139.451 139.542 3.9 .2 .1 3.8 .2 .2 

Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than

50,000) ............................................... M 211.717 212.261 213.009 213.606 4.1 .6 .3 3.9 .6 .4 

South urban .................................................... M 219.318 219.682 220.471 220.371 4.1 .3 .0 4.3 .5 .4 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 220.481 220.897 221.685 221.242 3.6 .2 -.2 4.1 .5 .4 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 139.639 139.783 140.378 140.471 4.3 .5 .1 4.5 .5 .4 

Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than

50,000) ............................................... M 223.675 224.681 224.613 224.462 4.3 -.1 -.1 4.3 .4 .0 

West urban ..................................................... M 228.075 227.805 228.222 229.147 3.5 .6 .4 3.0 .1 .2 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 232.010 231.666 232.219 233.221 3.3 .7 .4 2.8 .1 .2 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 138.269 138.128 138.171 138.564 3.8 .3 .3 3.3 -.1 .0 

Size classes

A 4 .............................................................. M 205.792 205.928 206.524 206.883 3.6 .5 .2 3.5 .4 .3 

B/C 3 ........................................................... M 139.935 140.057 140.440 140.584 4.1 .4 .1 4.1 .4 .3 

D ................................................................. M 218.862 219.465 219.856 220.391 4.2 .4 .2 3.9 .5 .2 

Selected local areas5

Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI ................... M 220.182 219.277 219.688 220.027 3.1 .3 .2 3.2 -.2 .2 

Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA ... M 232.328 231.303 231.833 233.022 3.1 .7 .5 2.4 -.2 .2 

New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island,

NY-NJ-CT-PA ......................................... M 248.505 249.164 250.058 250.559 3.8 .6 .2 3.5 .6 .4 

Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT ..... 1 -

 244.256 - 245.310 3.7 .4 ----

Cleveland-Akron, OH ...................................... 1 - 211.686 - 213.004 3.7 .6 ----

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ..................................... 1 - 208.602 - 209.255 3.7 .3 ----

Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV 6 ...... 1 - 147.747 - 147.658 3.4 -.1 ----

Atlanta, GA ..................................................... 2 211.074 - 212.335 ---- 3.8 .6 -

Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI .............................. 2 213.506 - 213.924 ---- 4.1 .2 -

Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX .................... 2 201.309 - 202.445 ---- 3.7 .6 -

Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ............................. 2 231.197 - 232.749 ---- 4.5 .7 -

Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City,

PA-NJ-DE-MD ........................................ 2 234.463 - 236.196 ---- 3.4 .7 -

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA ........... 2 233.646 - 234.608 ---- 2.9 .4 -

Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA .................... 2 233.250 - 233.810 ---- 2.7 .2 -

1 Foods, fuels, and several other items priced every month in all areas;

 most other goods and services priced as indicated:

 M - Every month.

 1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November.

 2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December. 2 Regions defined as the four Census regions. See technical notes. 3 Indexes on a December 1996=100 base. 4 Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. 5 In addition, the following metropolitan areas are published semiannually

and appear in Tables 34 and 39 of the January and July issues of the CPI

Detailed Report: Anchorage, AK; Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN;

Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO; Honolulu, HI; Kansas City, MO-KS;

Milwaukee-Racine, WI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI; Phoenix-Mesa, AZ;

Pittsburgh, PA; Portland-Salem, OR-WA; St. Louis, MO-IL; San Diego, CA;

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. 6 Indexes on a November 1996=100 base. - Data not available.

NOTE: Local area indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. 

Each local index has a smaller sample size than the national index and is,

therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement

error. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national

index, although their long-term trends are similar. Therefore, the Bureau of

Labor Statistics strongly urges users to consider adopting the national

average CPI for use in their escalator clauses. 

NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 4. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category

and commodity and service group

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-W

Relative

importance,

December

2010

Unadjusted

indexes

Unadjusted

percent change to

Sep. 2011 from—

Seasonally adjusted

percent change from—

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Sep.

2010

Aug.

2011

June to

July

July to

Aug.

Aug. to

Sep.

Expenditure category

All items ........................................................................................ 100.000 223.326 223.688 4.4 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.4 

All items (1967=100) .................................................................... -

 665.221 666.299 - ----

Food and beverages .................................................................. 16.401 228.957 229.965 4.6 .4 .4 .5 .5 

Food ......................................................................................... 15.315 228.911 229.967 4.8 .5 .4 .6 .5 

Food at home ......................................................................... 8.906 227.388 228.777 6.4 .6 .6 .6 .6 

Cereals and bakery products ............................................... 1.236 263.608 264.869 5.7 .5 -.1 1.1 1.0 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................................. 2.227 225.682 227.285 7.7 .7 .4 .4 .4 

Dairy and related products 1 ................................................ .917 215.910 218.406 10.4 1.2 1.2 .9 1.2 

Fruits and vegetables ........................................................... 1.219 280.617 284.884 6.9 1.5 1.2 .7 1.0 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ................ 1.091 167.391 167.416 3.8 .0 .8 -.1 .0 

Other food at home .............................................................. 2.217 199.201 199.519 4.8 .2 .4 .8 .5 

Sugar and sweets 1 ............................................................ .324 208.537 211.591 5.3 1.5 -.1 1.2 1.5 

Fats and oils ....................................................................... .258 224.327 225.698 11.7 .6 .7 1.0 .5 

Other foods ........................................................................ 1.635 212.092 211.730 3.7 -.2 .4 .7 .4 

Other miscellaneous foods 1 2 ......................................... .463 125.327 125.167 2.5 -.1 .6 .6 -.1 

Food away from home 1 ......................................................... 6.409 232.682 233.257 2.7 .2 .2 .5 .2 

Other food away from home 1 2 ........................................... .326 164.551 164.421 2.3 -.1 .4 .2 -.1 

Alcoholic beverages ................................................................. 1.086 228.213 228.513 1.6 .1 -.2 .2 .2 

Housing ...................................................................................... 39.228 217.235 217.371 1.9 .1 .3 .2 .2 

Shelter ...................................................................................... 29.811 246.187 246.372 1.7 .1 .2 .2 .1 

Rent of primary residence 3 ................................................... 8.396 252.195 252.771 2.1 .2 .2 .4 .2 

Lodging away from home 2 .................................................... .436 146.163 140.665 3.1 -3.8 .8 -1.9 -1.0 

Owners’ equivalent rent of residences 3 4 .............................. 20.672 235.645 235.886 1.5 .1 .2 .2 .1 

Owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence 3 4 ................ 19.942 235.638 235.876 1.5 .1 .2 .2 .1 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ................................... .306 128.727 129.090 1.1 .3 .1 .3 .3 

Fuels and utilities ..................................................................... 5.633 225.399 225.398 4.0 .0 .3 .3 .7 

Household energy .................................................................. 4.476 198.396 198.168 3.7 -.1 .3 .4 .7 

Fuel oil and other fuels 1 ...................................................... .301 334.935 334.361 25.1 -.2 -1.0 -.3 -.2 

Energy services 3 ................................................................. 4.175 201.084 200.861 2.4 -.1 .5 .4 .8 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 ................... 1.157 181.099 181.931 5.0 .5 .2 .1 .7 

Household furnishings and operations ..................................... 3.784 121.325 121.399 .7 .1 .2 .3 .1 

Household operations 1 2 ....................................................... .364 154.879 154.718 1.2 -.1 .1 .1 -.1 

Apparel ....................................................................................... 3.668 120.624 124.716 4.0 3.4 1.2 1.0 -.6 

Men’s and boys’ apparel .......................................................... .921 114.068 116.854 4.4 2.4 1.6 -.3 .3 

Women’s and girls’ apparel ...................................................... 1.502 107.359 113.333 4.4 5.6 1.4 2.0 -1.6 

Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel ................................................... .280 118.265 119.921 2.8 1.4 3.2 1.6 -.3 

Footwear .................................................................................. .750 128.108 131.035 2.0 2.3 -.1 .7 -.1

Transportation ............................................................................ 19.418 217.491 216.474 13.0 -.5 1.8 .9 1.1 

Private transportation ............................................................... 18.631 214.131 213.141 13.3 -.5 1.9 .9 1.1

New and used motor vehicles 2 ............................................. 6.914 101.393 100.736 4.0 -.6 .3 .3 -.3 

New vehicles ........................................................................ 3.320 143.276 143.290 3.6 .0 .1 .0 -.1 

Used cars and trucks ........................................................... 3.003 156.860 154.645 5.2 -1.4 .8 .9 -.5 

Motor fuel ............................................................................... 6.470 313.307 310.810 33.2 -.8 4.7 1.7 2.8 

Gasoline (all types) .............................................................. 6.193 312.768 310.227 33.3 -.8 4.9 1.8 2.8 

Motor vehicle parts and equipment 1 ..................................... .479 145.390 145.652 5.8 .2 .3 .4 .2 

Motor vehicle maintenance and repair 1 ................................ 1.184 256.077 258.001 2.4 .8 .1 .2 .8 

Public transportation ................................................................ .787 269.427 267.826 7.2 -.6 -.1 .7 .6 

Medical care ............................................................................... 5.355 402.783 403.433 2.9 .2 .3 .2 .2

Medical care commodities 1 ..................................................... 1.318 316.299 316.869 3.1 .2 .1 .1 .2 

Medical care services ............................................................... 4.038 428.190 428.856 2.8 .2 .3 .3 .2 

Professional services ............................................................. 2.220 340.053 340.195 2.0 .0 .2 .2 .1 

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category

and commodity and service group-Continued

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-W

Relative

importance,

December

2010

Unadjusted

indexes

Unadjusted

percent change to

Sep. 2011 from—

Seasonally adjusted

percent change from—

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Sep.

2010

Aug.

2011

June to

July

July to

Aug.

Aug. to

Sep.

Expenditure category

Hospital and related services ................................................. 1.414 646.560 647.586 5.2 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.0 

Recreation 2 ............................................................................... 5.862 110.146 109.995 .3 -.1 .0 .0 -.1 

Video and audio 2 .................................................................... 1.959 98.939 99.148 -.1 .2 .6 -.5 .3 

Education and communication 2 ................................................ 6.118 125.797 126.219 .3 .3 .1 .0 .0 

Education 2 .............................................................................. 2.380 206.790 208.721 4.2 .9 .5 .3 .2 

Educational books and supplies ............................................. .199 536.250 544.702 6.3 1.6 .1 .2 1.3 

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare ................................ 2.181 581.447 586.531 4.0 .9 .5 .3 .1 

Communication 2 ..................................................................... 3.738 85.545 85.492 -2.1 -.1 -.2 -.1 .0 

Information and information processing 2 .............................. 3.605 83.198 83.144 -2.4 -.1 -.2 -.1 .0 

Telephone services 1 2 ......................................................... 2.823 100.405 100.475 -1.8 .1 -.3 .0 .1 

Information technology, hardware and services 5 ................ .782 9.514 9.462 -4.3 -.5 .0 -.6 -.5 

Personal computers and peripheral equipment 6 ............... .208 66.530 65.435 -13.2 -1.6 -.3 -2.3 -1.3 

Other goods and services .......................................................... 3.950 416.896 418.837 1.5 .5 .2 .3 .4 

Tobacco and smoking products 1 ............................................ 1.450 842.479 848.513 2.4 .7 .5 .6 .7 

Personal care ........................................................................... 2.500 205.957 206.615 1.0 .3 .0 .2 .2 

Personal care products 1 ....................................................... .717 159.655 160.623 -.3 .6 -.1 -.6 .6 

Personal care services 1 ........................................................ .572 230.907 231.139 .2 .1 -.1 .1 .1 

Miscellaneous personal services ........................................... 1.027 365.826 366.656 2.6 .2 .3 .3 .1 

Commodity and service group

Commodities ................................................................................ 43.898 190.217 190.644 7.5 .2 1.1 .7 .6 

Food and beverages .................................................................. 16.401 228.957 229.965 4.6 .4 .4 .5 .5 

Commodities less food and beverages ...................................... 27.497 168.623 168.793 9.3 .1 1.5 .7 .6 

Nondurables less food and beverages ..................................... 17.244 222.704 223.817 13.6 .5 1.4 .9 1.0 

Apparel ................................................................................... 3.668 120.624 124.716 4.0 3.4 1.2 1.0 -.6 

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .................... 13.576 290.820 290.172 16.4 -.2 1.8 1.0 1.6 

Durables ................................................................................... 10.253 116.037 115.332 2.4 -.6 .2 .3 -.5 

Services ....................................................................................... 56.102 262.344 262.636 1.9 .1 .2 .2 .2 

Rent of shelter 4 ......................................................................... 29.504 237.244 237.418 1.7 .1 .2 .3 .2 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ....................................... .306 128.727 129.090 1.1 .3 .1 .3 .3 

Energy services 3 ....................................................................... 4.175 201.084 200.861 2.4 -.1 .5 .4 .8 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 ....................... 1.157 181.099 181.931 5.0 .5 .2 .1 .7 

Household operations 1 2 ........................................................... .364 154.879 154.718 1.2 -.1 .1 .1 -.1 

Transportation services .............................................................. 5.994 268.778 269.151 3.2 .1 -.1 .3 .4 

Medical care services ................................................................. 4.038 428.190 428.856 2.8 .2 .3 .3 .2 

Other services ............................................................................ 10.563 300.411 301.130 1.1 .2 .1 .1 .1

Special indexes

All items less food ........................................................................ 84.685 222.144 222.384 4.3 .1 .6 .4 .4

All items less shelter .................................................................... 70.189 217.387 217.817 5.5 .2 .7 .5 .5

All items less medical care ........................................................... 94.645 215.996 216.346 4.5 .2 .6 .4 .4 

Commodities less food ................................................................. 28.583 170.764 170.938 9.0 .1 1.4 .7 .6 

Nondurables less food ................................................................. 18.329 223.269 224.341 12.9 .5 1.3 .9 .9 

Nondurables less food and apparel ............................................. 14.662 284.219 283.654 15.3 -.2 1.6 .9 1.5 

Nondurables ................................................................................. 33.644 226.913 227.983 9.2 .5 1.0 .7 .7 

Services less rent of shelter 4 ...................................................... 26.598 258.552 258.945 2.2 .2 .1 .2 .3 

Services less medical care services ............................................ 52.065 250.789 251.058 1.9 .1 .1 .2 .3 

Energy .......................................................................................... 10.946 254.191 252.823 20.2 -.5 3.0 1.2 2.0 

All items less energy .................................................................... 89.054 220.587 221.161 2.5 .3 .3 .3 .2

All items less food and energy ................................................... 73.739 219.290 219.766 2.0 .2 .2 .3 .1 

Commodities less food and energy commodities ..................... 21.812 149.003 149.633 2.4 .4 .3 .4 -.1 

Energy commodities ............................................................... 6.771 315.799 313.363 32.8 -.8 4.5 1.7 2.7 

Services less energy services .................................................. 51.927 268.988 269.337 1.9 .1 .2 .2 .2 

Purchasing power of the consumer dollar (1982-84=$1.00) ........ -

 $ .448 $ .447 - ----

Purchasing power of the consumer dollar (1967=$1.00) ............. - $ .150 $ .150 - ----

1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other

item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. 4 Indexes on a December 1984=100 base

5 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. 6 Indexes on a December 2007=100 base. - Data not available.

NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 5. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by

expenditure category and commodity and service group

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-W

Seasonally adjusted indexes Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent

change for

3 months ended— 6 months

ended—

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Dec.

2010

Mar.

2011

June

2011

Sep.

2011 Mar.

2011

Sep.

2011

Expenditure category

All items .............................................................................. 220.768 222.077 223.010 223.845 3.8 7.1 1.2 5.7 5.4 3.4 

Food and beverages ......................................................... 226.929 227.802 229.016 230.060 1.6 7.3 4.0 5.6 4.4 4.8

Food ................................................................................ 226.723 227.692 228.952 230.030 1.7 7.7 4.1 6.0 4.6 5.0 

Food at home ................................................................ 224.769 226.069 227.458 228.884 2.0 11.5 4.7 7.5 6.7 6.1 

Cereals and bakery products ...................................... 260.567 260.242 263.058 265.587 2.2 5.6 7.1 7.9 3.9 7.5 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..................................... 223.720 224.657 225.516 226.446 2.9 13.9 9.2 5.0 8.3 7.1 

Dairy and related products 1 ....................................... 211.374 213.957 215.910 218.406 6.5 8.6 12.7 14.0 7.6 13.3 

Fruits and vegetables .................................................. 278.965 282.395 284.468 287.175 6.0 25.0 -12.2 12.3 15.1 -.7 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ....... 166.036 167.414 167.199 167.262 -3.1 10.3 5.7 3.0 3.4 4.3 

Other food at home ..................................................... 196.198 196.955 198.478 199.568 -.3 7.3 5.4 7.0 3.5 6.2 

Sugar and sweets 1 .................................................. 206.402 206.103 208.537 211.591 2.5 4.4 4.0 10.4 3.4 7.2 

Fats and oils .............................................................. 219.872 221.486 223.640 224.718 3.3 25.4 10.0 9.1 13.8 9.6 

Other foods ............................................................... 208.866 209.767 211.152 211.956 -1.3 5.2 4.9 6.1 1.9 5.5

Other miscellaneous foods 1 2 ................................ 123.911 124.607 125.327 125.167 .3 1.9 3.5 4.1 1.1 3.8 

Food away from home 1 ............................................... 231.112 231.603 232.682 233.257 1.2 2.5 3.2 3.8 1.9 3.5 

Other food away from home 1 2 .................................. 163.524 164.167 164.551 164.421 2.3 3.0 1.7 2.2 2.6 1.9 

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................ 228.503 227.990 228.514 229.060 .5 1.7 3.4 1.0 1.1 2.2

Housing ............................................................................. 215.369 215.909 216.430 216.896 1.3 2.0 1.5 2.9 1.6 2.2 

Shelter ............................................................................. 245.029 245.635 246.170 246.496 1.4 1.3 1.5 2.4 1.4 2.0 

Rent of primary residence 3 .......................................... 250.938 251.517 252.486 253.029 2.1 1.8 1.2 3.4 1.9 2.3 

Lodging away from home 2 ........................................... 143.333 144.542 141.783 140.409 -1.0 -1.1 25.1 -7.9 -1.1 7.3 

Owners’ equivalent rent of residences 3 4 .................... 234.643 235.213 235.681 235.969 1.2 1.3 1.2 2.3 1.2 1.7 

Owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence 3 4 ....... 234.639 235.206 235.674 235.959 1.2 1.3 1.2 2.3 1.2 1.7 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ......................... 128.242 128.377 128.727 129.090 -.1 -2.4 4.3 2.7 -1.3 3.5 

Fuels and utilities ............................................................ 218.367 219.074 219.783 221.302 2.7 6.5 1.2 5.5 4.6 3.3 

Household energy ......................................................... 190.982 191.649 192.373 193.702 2.2 6.6 .4 5.8 4.3 3.1

Fuel oil and other fuels 1 ............................................. 339.095 335.796 334.935 334.361 57.8 68.8 -2.7 -5.5 63.2 -4.1 

Energy services 3 ........................................................ 192.818 193.693 194.520 195.994 -.8 3.0 .7 6.8 1.1 3.7 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 .......... 179.953 180.357 180.557 181.809 5.0 6.3 4.6 4.2 5.6 4.4 

Household furnishings and operations ............................ 120.881 121.083 121.447 121.613 -1.3 .2 1.4 2.4 -.5 1.9 

Household operations 1 2 ............................................. 154.581 154.670 154.879 154.718 .7 -.4 4.3 .4 .1 2.3 

Apparel .............................................................................. 121.203 122.700 123.897 123.110 -.9 -1.5 12.6 6.4 -1.2 9.5 

Men’s and boys’ apparel ................................................. 115.078 116.888 116.537 116.944 -2.4 -2.9 17.6 6.6 -2.6 12.0 

Women’s and girls’ apparel ............................................. 108.462 109.948 112.099 110.315 -.6 -1.9 14.1 7.0 -1.3 10.5

Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel .......................................... 114.525 118.190 120.035 119.637 1.7 -13.7 6.7 19.1 -6.3 12.7 

Footwear ......................................................................... 129.412 129.250 130.189 130.053 -3.6 2.9 7.1 2.0 -.4 4.5 

Transportation ................................................................... 210.835 214.617 216.457 218.765 16.7 26.0 -3.7 15.9 21.3 5.7 

Private transportation ...................................................... 207.502 211.387 213.215 215.526 16.8 26.3 -3.5 16.4 21.5 6.0 

New and used motor vehicles 2 .................................... 100.337 100.613 100.947 100.694 -1.6 4.3 12.3 1.4 1.3 6.7 

New vehicles ............................................................... 144.411 144.489 144.511 144.429 -1.4 6.4 9.6 .0 2.4 4.7

Used cars and trucks .................................................. 151.670 152.817 154.229 153.401 -2.1 2.5 16.7 4.6 .2 10.5

Motor fuel ...................................................................... 291.497 305.332 310.629 319.294 57.0 75.4 -20.6 44.0 65.9 6.9 

Gasoline (all types) ..................................................... 290.345 304.500 310.120 318.744 60.0 71.3 -20.8 45.2 65.6 7.3 

Motor vehicle parts and equipment 1 ............................ 144.458 144.840 145.390 145.652 4.2 4.5 11.1 3.3 4.4 7.2 

Motor vehicle maintenance and repair 1 ....................... 255.133 255.509 256.077 258.001 1.3 1.0 2.8 4.6 1.2 3.7 

Public transportation ....................................................... 263.506 263.228 264.968 266.655 13.8 20.2 -7.9 4.9 17.0 -1.7 

Medical care ...................................................................... 401.374 402.449 403.355 404.101 2.6 2.9 3.3 2.7 2.8 3.0 

Medical care commodities 1 ............................................ 315.710 315.957 316.299 316.869 2.0 7.1 1.9 1.5 4.5 1.7 

Medical care services ..................................................... 426.464 427.870 428.997 429.797 2.8 1.6 3.8 3.2 2.2 3.5

Professional services .................................................... 338.809 339.447 340.063 340.515 1.9 2.4 1.6 2.0 2.2 1.8

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 5. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by

expenditure category and commodity and service group-Continued

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-W

Seasonally adjusted indexes Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent

change for

3 months ended— 6 months

ended—

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Dec.

2010

Mar.

2011

June

2011

Sep.

2011 Mar.

2011

Sep.

2011

Expenditure category

Hospital and related services ........................................ 644.001 647.029 650.044 650.292 6.5 2.7 7.5 4.0 4.6 5.7 

Recreation 2 ...................................................................... 110.001 109.989 110.007 109.921 -2.2 3.2 .7 -.3 .4 .2 

Video and audio 2 ........................................................... 98.575 99.198 98.741 99.049 -2.7 3.0 -2.4 1.9 .1 -.2 

Education and communication 2 ....................................... 125.440 125.517 125.576 125.624 -.9 .7 .9 .6 -.1 .7 

Education 2 ..................................................................... 204.259 205.277 205.796 206.130 4.1 5.0 4.0 3.7 4.5 3.8 

Educational books and supplies ................................... 532.591 532.994 534.305 541.400 5.7 8.4 4.5 6.8 7.0 5.6 

Tuition, other school fees, and childcare ...................... 574.039 577.124 578.589 578.907 4.0 4.7 3.9 3.4 4.3 3.7 

Communication 2 ............................................................ 85.836 85.644 85.568 85.530 -4.0 -2.0 -1.1 -1.4 -3.0 -1.2 

Information and information processing 2 ..................... 83.492 83.298 83.221 83.182 -4.2 -2.6 -1.2 -1.5 -3.4 -1.3 

Telephone services 1 2 ............................................... 100.657 100.366 100.405 100.475 -3.8 -2.4 -.2 -.7 -3.1 -.4 

Information technology, hardware and services 5 ....... 9.584 9.582 9.527 9.482 -5.3 -3.4 -4.7 -4.2 -4.3 -4.4 

Personal computers and peripheral equipment 6 ..... 68.685 68.476 66.880 66.005 -12.6 -15.1 -10.1 -14.7 -13.9 -12.4 

Other goods and services ................................................. 415.446 416.213 417.579 419.144 1.2 .6 .5 3.6 .9 2.0 

Tobacco and smoking products 1 ................................... 833.452 837.692 842.479 848.513 1.9 1.3 -.9 7.4 1.6 3.2 

Personal care .................................................................. 206.112 206.107 206.492 206.855 .8 .3 1.3 1.4 .6 1.4 

Personal care products 1 .............................................. 160.780 160.567 159.655 160.623 .2 1.1 -2.2 -.4 .7 -1.3 

Personal care services 1 ............................................... 230.814 230.579 230.907 231.139 -.5 -.1 1.0 .6 -.3 .8 

Miscellaneous personal services .................................. 363.440 364.641 365.672 366.100 3.0 1.5 2.8 3.0 2.3 2.9 

Commodity and service group

Commodities ....................................................................... 187.064 189.046 190.282 191.372 7.0 14.1 .4 9.5 10.5 4.9 

Food and beverages ......................................................... 226.929 227.802 229.016 230.060 1.6 7.3 4.0 5.6 4.4 4.8

Commodities less food and beverages ............................. 165.079 167.478 168.690 169.769 10.3 18.2 -1.6 11.9 14.2 4.9 

Nondurables less food and beverages ........................... 217.845 220.896 222.967 225.168 20.3 25.1 -3.1 14.1 22.7 5.2 

Apparel .......................................................................... 121.203 122.700 123.897 123.110 -.9 -1.5 12.6 6.4 -1.2 9.5 

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .......... 281.604 286.641 289.480 294.063 25.2 34.8 -8.6 18.9 29.9 4.3 

Durables .......................................................................... 115.400 115.677 116.073 115.500 -3.2 4.0 8.8 .3 .3 4.5 

Services .............................................................................. 260.433 260.993 261.562 262.136 1.3 2.0 1.7 2.6 1.7 2.2 

Rent of shelter 4 ................................................................ 235.908 236.372 237.045 237.511 1.9 .8 1.2 2.7 1.4 2.0 

Tenants’ and household insurance 1 2 ............................. 128.242 128.377 128.727 129.090 -.1 -2.4 4.3 2.7 -1.3 3.5 

Energy services 3 .............................................................. 192.818 193.693 194.520 195.994 -.8 3.0 .7 6.8 1.1 3.7 

Water and sewer and trash collection services 2 .............. 179.953 180.357 180.557 181.809 5.0 6.3 4.6 4.2 5.6 4.4 

Household operations 1 2 ................................................. 154.581 154.670 154.879 154.718 .7 -.4 4.3 .4 .1 2.3 

Transportation services ..................................................... 267.896 267.720 268.407 269.601 3.3 5.2 1.7 2.6 4.3 2.1 

Medical care services ....................................................... 426.464 427.870 428.997 429.797 2.8 1.6 3.8 3.2 2.2 3.5 

Other services ................................................................... 299.140 299.585 299.911 300.175 .0 1.7 1.3 1.4 .9 1.4 

Special indexes

All items less food ............................................................... 219.523 220.891 221.765 222.557 4.2 7.0 .7 5.6 5.6 3.1 

All items less shelter ........................................................... 214.295 215.872 216.959 217.988 4.8 9.6 1.0 7.1 7.2 4.0 

All items less medical care .................................................. 213.426 214.730 215.656 216.487 3.9 7.4 1.1 5.9 5.6 3.4 

Commodities less food ........................................................ 167.311 169.640 170.837 171.906 9.9 17.5 -1.4 11.4 13.7 4.8 

Nondurables less food ........................................................ 218.640 221.553 223.538 225.645 19.1 23.7 -2.8 13.4 21.4 5.0 

Nondurables less food and apparel .................................... 275.970 280.419 283.019 287.198 23.2 32.2 -7.7 17.3 27.6 4.1

Nondurables ........................................................................ 223.294 225.476 226.992 228.532 10.9 17.0 -.2 9.7 13.9 4.6 

Services less rent of shelter 4 ............................................. 255.986 256.220 256.800 257.577 1.8 2.7 1.9 2.5 2.2 2.2 

Services less medical care services ................................... 248.840 249.178 249.772 250.450 1.7 1.6 1.5 2.6 1.6 2.1 

Energy ................................................................................. 239.606 246.895 249.914 254.922 31.3 44.5 -13.2 28.1 37.8 5.5 

All items less energy ........................................................... 219.475 220.065 220.749 221.083 .8 3.0 3.3 3.0 1.9 3.1 

All items less food and energy .......................................... 218.395 218.908 219.477 219.660 .7 2.0 3.1 2.3 1.3 2.7 

Commodities less food and energy commodities ........... 148.509 148.996 149.589 149.394 -1.3 2.1 6.4 2.4 .4 4.4 

Energy commodities ..................................................... 294.876 308.122 313.210 321.564 57.0 75.1 -19.9 41.4 65.8 6.4 

Services less energy services ......................................... 267.802 268.327 268.865 269.335 1.5 2.0 1.8 2.3 1.7 2.0 

1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other

item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means

estimator.

4 Indexes on a December 1984=100 base 5 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. 6 Indexes on a December 2007=100 base.

NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 6. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Selected areas, all items index 

(1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted)

CPI-W

All items 

Pricing

schedule 1

Indexes Percent change to

Sep.2011 from—

Percent change to

Aug.2011 from—

June

2011

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Sep.

2011

Sep.

2010

July

2011

Aug.

2011

Aug.

2010

June

2011

July

2011

U.S. city average ............................................ M 222.522 222.686 223.326 223.688 4.4 0.4 0.2 4.3 0.4 0.3 

Region and area size2

Northeast urban .............................................. M 240.158 240.707 241.431 241.838 4.4 .5 .2 4.2 .5 .3 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 239.972 240.475 241.191 241.752 4.3 .5 .2 4.0 .5 .3 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 146.144 146.536 146.985 147.039 4.8 .3 .0 4.7 .6 .3 

Midwest urban ................................................ M 212.556 212.718 213.212 213.626 4.5 .4 .2 4.4 .3 .2 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 212.147 212.211 212.589 213.070 4.5 .4 .2 4.4 .2 .2 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 139.738 139.835 140.207 140.363 4.5 .4 .1 4.3 .3 .3 

Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than

50,000) ............................................... M 210.516 211.120 211.873 212.520 4.6 .7 .3 4.4 .6 .4 

South urban .................................................... M 217.722 218.087 218.947 218.787 4.6 .3 -.1 4.9 .6 .4 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 219.263 219.543 220.583 220.130 4.1 .3 -.2 4.6 .6 .5 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 139.407 139.584 140.190 140.229 4.9 .5 .0 5.1 .6 .4 

Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than

50,000) ............................................... M 224.807 225.923 225.793 225.478 4.7 -.2 -.1 4.8 .4 -.1 

West urban ..................................................... M 223.237 222.815 223.204 224.237 3.9 .6 .5 3.3 .0 .2 

Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..................... M 225.670 225.152 225.662 226.764 3.8 .7 .5 3.1 .0 .2 

Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 3 ................ M 138.392 138.151 138.255 138.770 4.1 .4 .4 3.6 -.1 .1 

Size classes

A 4 .............................................................. M 205.415 205.474 206.077 206.484 4.1 .5 .2 4.0 .3 .3 

B/C 3 ........................................................... M 140.179 140.288 140.723 140.883 4.6 .4 .1 4.6 .4 .3 

D ................................................................. M 218.067 218.791 219.093 219.494 4.6 .3 .2 4.4 .5 .1 

Selected local areas5

Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI ................... M 215.325 214.437 214.740 215.005 3.9 .3 .1 4.1 -.3 .1 

Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA ... M 225.461 224.277 224.665 226.096 3.5 .8 .6 2.7 -.4 .2 

New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island,

NY-NJ-CT-PA ......................................... M 244.601 245.265 246.025 246.877 4.3 .7 .3 3.9 .6 .3 

Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT ..... 1 -

 245.949 - 246.424 4.0 .2 ----

Cleveland-Akron, OH ...................................... 1 - 203.660 - 204.981 4.2 .6 ----

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ..................................... 1 - 213.480 - 214.567 4.4 .5 ----

Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV 6 ...... 1 - 148.294 - 148.352 3.9 .0 ----

Atlanta, GA ..................................................... 2 210.598 - 212.325 ---- 4.2 .8 -

Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI .............................. 2 210.354 - 210.377 ---- 4.5 .0 -

Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX .................... 2 200.444 - 201.772 ---- 4.4 .7 -

Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ............................. 2 229.353 - 231.448 ---- 4.8 .9 -

Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City,

PA-NJ-DE-MD ........................................ 2 234.965 - 236.583 ---- 3.5 .7 -

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA ........... 2 230.605 - 231.445 ---- 3.2 .4 -

Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA .................... 2 230.072 - 230.558 ---- 3.2 .2 -

1 Foods, fuels, and several other items priced every month in all areas;

 most other goods and services priced as indicated:

 M - Every month.

 1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November.

 2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December. 2 Regions defined as the four Census regions. See technical notes. 3 Indexes on a December 1996=100 base. 4 Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. 5 In addition, the following metropolitan areas are published semiannually

and appear in Tables 34 and 39 of the January and July issues of the CPI

Detailed Report: Anchorage, AK; Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN;

Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO; Honolulu, HI; Kansas City, MO-KS;

Milwaukee-Racine, WI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI; Phoenix-Mesa, AZ;

Pittsburgh, PA; Portland-Salem, OR-WA; St. Louis, MO-IL; San Diego, CA;

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. 6 Indexes on a November 1996=100 base. - Data not available.

NOTE: Local area indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. 

Each local index has a smaller sample size than the national index and is,

therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement

error. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national

index, although their long-term trends are similar. Therefore, the Bureau of

Labor Statistics strongly urges users to consider adopting the national

average CPI for use in their escalator clauses. 

NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
Table 7. Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure

category and commodity and service group

(December 1999=100, unless otherwise noted)

C-CPI-U Relative

importance,

2007-2008

 Unadjusted

 indexes

 Unadjusted

 percent change to

 Sep. 2011 from—

 Aug.

 2011

 Sep.

 2011

 Sep.

 2010

 Aug.

 2011

Expenditure category

All items ...................................................................................... 100.000 130.258 130.449 3.7 0.1 

Food and beverages ................................................................ 14.519 133.489 134.054 4.4 .4 

Food ....................................................................................... 13.493 133.764 134.369 4.6 .5 

Food at home ....................................................................... 7.780 129.875 130.684 6.2 .6 

Food away from home .......................................................... 5.712 139.045 139.350 2.6 .2 

Alcoholic beverages ............................................................... 1.027 130.624 130.684 1.2 .0 

Housing .................................................................................... 42.074 130.528 130.529 1.7 .0 

Shelter .................................................................................... 32.119 133.331 133.392 1.6 .0 

Fuels and utilities .................................................................... 5.231 165.667 165.443 3.7 -.1 

Household furnishings and operations ................................... 4.724 92.610 92.464 .1 -.2 

Apparel ..................................................................................... 3.772 90.756 93.711 3.2 3.3 

Transportation .......................................................................... 17.199 145.446 144.884 12.1 -.4 

Private transportation ............................................................. 16.013 146.382 145.848 12.4 -.4 

Public transportation ............................................................... 1.186 133.531 132.614 7.3 -.7 

Medical care ............................................................................. 6.294 154.976 155.282 2.7 .2 

Medical care commodities ...................................................... 1.570 136.516 136.868 2.8 .3 

Medical care services ............................................................. 4.723 161.756 162.044 2.6 .2 

Recreation ................................................................................ 6.625 102.354 102.120 -.7 -.2 

Education and communication ................................................. 6.288 113.465 113.861 .4 .3 

Education ............................................................................... 2.804 193.837 195.655 4.3 .9 

Communication ...................................................................... 3.484 70.991 70.905 -2.5 -.1 

Other goods and services ........................................................ 3.229 142.415 142.954 2.3 .4 

Commodity and service group

Services ...................................................................................... 59.383 138.512 138.611 1.9 .1 

Commodities .............................................................................. 40.617 120.385 120.696 6.4 .3 

Durables ................................................................................... 10.376 81.898 81.414 .9 -.6 

Nondurables ............................................................................... 30.241 140.534 141.308 8.3 .6 

All items less food and energy ................................................. 76.901 122.166 122.379 1.8 .2 

Energy ........................................................................................ 9.606 213.270 212.213 19.1 -.5 

Indexes for 2011 are initial estimates. Indexes for 2010 are interim adjustments.

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