Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

21-1854-SAN
Wednesday, October 13, 2021

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

Consumer Price Index, San Diego Area – September 2021

Area prices were up 0.1 percent over the past two months, up 6.5 percent from a year ago

Prices in the San Diego area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), crept up 0.1 percent for the two months ending in September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the September increase was influenced by higher prices for apparel, shelter, and education and communication. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U increased 6.5 percent. Food prices increased 7.8 percent. Energy prices jumped 31.3 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 4.7 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices edged up 0.1 percent for the two months ending in September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home advanced 1.6 percent, led by higher prices for fruits and vegetables (3.3 percent) and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (2.6 percent). Prices for food away from home decreased 1.4 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 7.8 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 5.7 percent. Increases across food at home expenditure categories ranged from 5.5 to 7.5 percent, with the exception of a 1.2 percent decline in dairy and related products. Prices for food away from home jumped 10.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 0.8 percent for the two months ending in September. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (1.1 percent). Prices for natural gas service advanced 0.9 percent, while prices for electricity were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 31.3 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (39.4 percent). Prices paid for electricity jumped 20.2 percent, and prices for natural gas service jumped 14.1 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for apparel (5.9 percent), education and communication (2.0 percent), shelter (0.3 percent), and medical care (0.1 percent) were contrasted by lower prices for used cars and trucks (-5.4 percent), recreation (-0.8 percent), and alcoholic beverages (-0.6 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 4.7 percent. Components contributing to the increase included new and used motor vehicles (16.4 percent), apparel (11.1 percent), and shelter (3.8 percent).

The November 2021 Consumer Price Index for the San Diego area is scheduled to be released on December 10, 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact on September 2021 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in September was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed.

While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at https://www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm.

 


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments—department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The San Diego-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area includes San Diego County in California.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

San Diego-Carlsbad (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
Historical
data
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021
Sep.
2021
Sep.
2020
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021

Expenditure category

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0
323.906-324.1386.50.1-

All items (1967=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49EAA0
1,095.225-1,096.011---

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF
291.027-291.1827.60.1-

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF1
290.085-290.4427.80.1-

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF11
247.101244.732251.0505.71.62.6

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF111
290.478-291.5455.50.4-

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF112
261.634-268.4145.82.6-

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEFJ
190.072-188.341-1.2-0.9-

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF113
269.440-278.3177.23.3-

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF114
282.564-282.8697.50.1-

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF115
230.459-234.6296.31.8-

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEFV
348.278-343.40410.1-1.4-

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAF116
290.365-288.5345.9-0.6-

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAH
378.021-379.7104.40.4-

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAH1
428.567430.945430.0663.80.3-0.2

Rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEHA
419.876422.204424.4963.21.10.5

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEHC
451.014454.474455.1923.30.90.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEHC01
451.014454.474455.1923.30.90.2

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAH2
394.097-395.29412.90.3-

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAH21
380.052380.953381.37919.10.30.1

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEHF
375.765376.588376.51618.80.20.0

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEHF01
362.335362.335362.33520.20.00.0

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEHF02
297.654300.560300.30814.10.9-0.1

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAH3
195.256-197.9133.91.4-

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAA
162.687-172.31311.15.9-

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAT
266.031-259.83018.8-2.3-

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAT1
258.498-258.74919.40.1-

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESETA
128.707-126.40916.4-1.8-

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESETA01
244.913-247.4505.01.0-

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESETA02
329.038-311.29823.4-5.4-

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESETB
341.468345.232345.25639.41.10.0

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESETB01
341.391345.055345.14039.41.10.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESS47014
353.524357.342357.39740.41.10.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESS47015
297.839300.932300.96735.91.10.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESS47016
348.766352.432352.65135.41.10.1

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESETE
572.272-572.2728.80.0-

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAM
521.101-521.6110.10.1-

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAR
169.038-167.7402.4-0.8-

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAE
135.881-138.5602.72.0-

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESEEB
1,555.995-1,606.2503.13.2-

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAG
442.341-441.7134.3-0.1-

Commodity and service group

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0
323.906-324.1386.50.1-

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAC
225.414-226.17410.20.3-

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESACL11
190.748-191.84912.40.6-

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESANL11
222.422-226.20215.51.7-

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAD
156.888-155.4908.5-0.9-

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAS
409.856-409.5144.4-0.1-

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0L5
314.601-314.8207.00.1-

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0L2
282.162-281.9348.0-0.1-

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESACL1
195.239-196.19411.90.5-

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESAN
258.338-260.17910.70.7-

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESANL1
229.036-232.27914.31.4-

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESASL2RS
408.473-405.8975.3-0.6-

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESASL5
396.910-396.4185.0-0.1-

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0E
350.596353.361353.51931.30.80.0

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0LE
325.285-325.3625.20.0-

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS49ESA0L1E
332.716-332.7304.70.0-

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1977=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

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

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2021