Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005 

Response Rates for the Consumer 

Price Indexes, 2004

This article and the accompanying tables update articles 

previously published on response rates in the CPI Detailed 

Report for March 1991, and in the January issues of 1993 

through 2004. 

 In an effort to measure the outcome of data collection 

for the CPI, the BLS calculates response rates. Response 

rates measure the proportion of completed surveys to those 

issued and help measure the accuracy of the CPI. Failure of 

a data unit to respond at either the data collection stage or 

estimation stage represents a loss of statistical information 

which dilutes the accuracy of the sample. The BLS 

publishes response rates annually to assist the data user in 

judging the accuracy of CPI data. 

The BLS calculates response rates for the CPI-U at the 

data collection and data estimation phases for pricing. The 

response rate at the data collection phase is the number of 

responding sample units divided by the number of eligible 

sample units. A sample unit is eligible if it belongs to the 

defined target population and if it should provide 

information for one or more items. The response rate at 

estimation is defined as the number of sample units used in 

estimation divided by the number of eligible sample units. 

 Response rates for 2004 are presented in tables R-1 

through R-16. Table R-1 shows response rates for all data 

included in the CPI-U, U.S. city average, by major group, 

for all of 2004. Tables R-2 through R-16 show rates for 

current data collection in selected areas for which indexes 

are published monthly and bimonthly. 

The response rates in tables R-1 through R-16 are 

separated into commodities and services, and the shelter 

portion of housing. Commodities and services are further 

broken down into outlets and quotes. An "outlet" is a 

generic term that designates the place where prices are 

collected. A "quote" is a specific item to be priced in a 

specific outlet. There may be from 1 to more than 50 

quotes priced in each outlet.

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

percentages of quotes reported, collected and used in 

estimation for apparel. Low rates for these items can be 

partially attributed to the design of the apparel sample. 

Because seasonal apparel items commonly are in stores only 

during certain times of the year, most of the apparel sample 

is doubled, with each half of the sample designated for 

pricing during part of the year. Thus, at any particular time 

of the year, a large number of apparel quotes, although 

eligible, are designated out of season and are not collected. 

The response rates at the data collection phase for 

shelter are separated into three categories. If useable 

information is obtained, the unit is designated data 

reported. If the assigned unit is located but is unoccupied, 

the unit is designated found vacant. In instances where the 

unit is eligible but no data are available (for example, 

refusals or no one at home) the unit is designated other.

 For additional information on response rates, write to 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Consumer Prices 

and Price Indexes, Room 3615, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, 

NE., Washington, DC 20212-0001, or call Doris L. Johnson 

at (202) 691-7000, or email her at Johnson.Doris@bls.gov 
Table R-1. Response rates for the CPI-U, U.S. city average, by major group and shelter, 2004

 Quotes

Commodities and 

services

Outlets

Total Food

Housing

(excluding

shelter)

Apparel Transportation

Medical

care

Recreation

Education and 

communication

Other

goods and 

services

Eligible 386,431 1,162,628 405,608 158,146 139,049 180,417 84,699 84,352 64,369 45,988

Collected 

 Number 375,474 1,000,093 372,447 142,629 72,944 169,477 74,984 72,277 52,907 42,428

 Percent 97.2 86.0 91.8 90.2 52.5 93.9 88.5 85.7 82.2 92.3 

Used in estimation 

 Number 360,626 977,865 366,846 138,973 68,627 166,355 73,782 69,692 51,766 41,824

 Percent 93.3 84.1 90.4 87.9 49.4 92.2 87.1 82.6 80.4 90.9

Shelter All Units

Eligible

 Number 67,538

 Percent 100.0

Collected

 Data reported

 Number 50,136

 Percent 74.2

 Found vacant

 Number 6,715

 Percent 9.9

 Other

 Number 10,687

 Percent 15.8

Used in estimation

 Number 56,851

 Percent 84.2

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-2. Response rates for the CPI-U, Chicago-GaryKenosha, IL-IN-WI, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 16,772 46,571 Eligible

Collected Number 2,171

 Number 16,313 39,329 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.3 84.4 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 15,634 38,607 Number 1,338

 Percent 93.2 82.9 Percent 61.6

Found vacant

 Number 226

 Percent 10.4

Other

 Number 607

 Percent 28.0

Used in estimation

 Number 1,564

 Percent 72.0

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-3. Response rates for the CPI-U, Los AngelesRiverside-Orange County, CA, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 27,627 75,758 Eligible

Collected Number 4,522

 Number 27,053 62,968 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.9 83.1 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 25,711 61,575 Number 3,603

 Percent 93.1 81.3 Percent 79.7

Found vacant

 Number 194

 Percent 4.3

Other

 Number 725

 Percent 16.0

Used in estimation

 Number 3,797

 Percent 84.0

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-4. Response rates for the CPI-U, NY-Northern NJ-Long

Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 37,449 107,462 Eligible

Collected Number 5,110

 Number 36,195 89,844 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.7 83.6 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 34,792 87,929 Number 3,454

 Percent 92.9 81.8 Percent 67.6

Found vacant

 Number 288

 Percent 5.6

Other

 Number 1,368

 Percent 26.8

Used in estimation

 Number 3,742

 Percent 73.2

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-5. Response rates for the CPI-U, Phil.-WilmingtonTrenton, PA-NJ-KE-MD, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 9,041 24,635 Eligible

Collected Number 1,629

 Number 8,732 20,570 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.6 83.5 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 8,350 20,002 Number 1,143

 Percent 92.4 81.2 Percent 70.2

Found vacant

 Number 135

 Percent 8.3

Other

 Number 351

 Percent 21.5

Used in estimation

 Number 1,278

 Percent 78.5

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-6. Response rates for the CPI-U, San FranciscoOakland-San Jose, CA, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 8,418 26,117 Eligible

Collected Number 3,089

 Number 8,241 22,593 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.9 86.5 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 7,896 21,989 Number 2,317

 Percent 93.8 84.2 Percent 75.0

Found vacant

 Number 259

 Percent 8.4

Other

 Number 513

 Percent 16.6

Used in estimation

 Number 2,576

 Percent 83.4

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-7. Response rates for the CPI-U, WashingtonBaltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 9,058 27,251 Eligible

Collected Number 1,871

 Number 8,753 23,063 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.6 84.6 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 8,397 22,408 Number 1,506

 Percent 92.7 82.2 Percent 80.5

Found vacant

 Number 118

 Percent 6.3

Other

 Number 247

 Percent 13.2

Used in estimation

 Number 1,624

 Percent 86.8

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-8. Response rates for the CPI-U, Boston-BrocktonNashua, MA-NH-ME-CT, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 5,780 17,529 Eligible

Collected Number 1,603

 Number 5,551 14,363 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.0 81.9 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 5,329 13,904 Number 1,123

 Percent 92.2 79.3 Percent 70.1

Found vacant

 Number 125

 Percent 7.8

Other

 Number 355

 Percent 22.1

Used in estimation

 Number 1,248

 Percent 77.9

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-9. Response rates for the CPI-U, ClevelandAkron, OH, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,458 13,134 Eligible

Collected Number 1,378

 Number 4,335 11,431 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.2 87.0 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,158 11,149 Number 1,052

 Percent 93.3 84.9 Percent 76.3

Found vacant

 Number 160

 Percent 11.6

Other

 Number 166

 Percent 12.0

Used in estimation

 Number 1,212

 Percent 88.0

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-10. Response rates for the CPI-U, Miami-Fort

Lauderdale, FL, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,807 5,266 Eligible

Collected Number 1,065

 Number 1,788 5,049 Percent 100.0

 Percent 98.9 95.9 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,754 4,956 Number 828

 Percent 97.1 94.1 Percent 77.7

Found vacant

 Number 91

 Percent 8.5

Other

 Number 146

 Percent 13.7

Used in estimation

 Number 919

 Percent 86.3

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-11. Response rates for the CPI-U, St. Louis, 

MO-IL, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,863 5,487 Eligible

Collected Number 699

 Number 1,831 5,121 Percent 100.0

 Percent 98.3 93.3 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,793 5,040 Number 494

 Percent 96.2 91.9 Percent 70.7

Found vacant

 Number 82

 Percent 11.7

Other

 Number 123

 Percent 17.6

Used in estimation

 Number 576

 Percent 82.4

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-12. Response rates for the CPI-U, Dallas-Fort

Worth, TX, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 1,868 5,916 Eligible

Collected Number 1,281

 Number 1,851 5,647 Percent 100.0

 Percent 99.1 95.5 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 1,828 5,588 Number 986

 Percent 97.9 94.5 Percent 77.0

Found vacant

 Number 148

 Percent 11.6

Other

 Number 147

 Percent 11.5

Used in estimation

 Number 1,134

 Percent 88.5

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-13. Response rates for the CPI-U, Detroit-Ann 

Arbor-Flint, MI, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 5,629 16,716 Eligible

Collected Number 1,206

 Number 5,487 14,244 Percent 100.0

 Percent 97.5 85.2 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 5,287 13,823 Number 856

 Percent 93.9 82.7 Percent 71.0

Found vacant

 Number 162

 Percent 13.4

Other

 Number 188

 Percent 15.6

Used in estimation

 Number 1,018

 Percent 84.4

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-14. Response rates for the CPI-U, HoustonGalveston-Brazoria, TX, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,738 12,967 Eligible

Collected Number 1,179

 Number 4,577 11,208 Percent 100.0

 Percent 96.6 86.4 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 4,408 10,854 Number 822

 Percent 93.0 83.7 Percent 69.7

Found vacant

 Number 139

 Percent 11.8

Other

 Number 218

 Percent 18.5

Used in estimation

 Number 961

 Percent 81.5

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-15. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Pittsburgh, PA, 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 4,123 12,360 Eligible

Collected Number 781

 Number 3,921 10,220 Percent 100.0

 Percent 95.1 82.7 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,773 9,994 Number 504

 Percent 91.5 80.9 Percent 64.5

Found vacant

 Number 104

 Percent 13.3

Other

 Number 173

 Percent 22.2

Used in estimation

 Number 608

 Percent 77.8

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005
Table R-16. Response rates for the CPI-U, 

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ., 2004

Commodities Total 

and services Outlets Quotes Shelter All Units

Eligible 3,643 12,433 Eligible

Collected Number 655

 Number 3,583 10,830 Percent 100.0

 Percent 98.4 87.1 Collected

Used in estimation Data reported

 Number 3,433 10,445 Number 552

 Percent 94.2 84.0 Percent 84.3

Found vacant

 Number 72

 Percent 11.0

Other

 Number 31

 Percent 4.7

Used in estimation

 Number 624

 Percent 95.3

Consumer Price Index Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January, 2005