Consumer Price Index, San Diego Area — September 2024

Prices in the San Diego area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.3 percent for the two months ending in September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the September increase was influenced by higher prices for 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 rose 2.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices advanced 5.7 percent. Energy prices declined 15.6 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.4 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices advanced 0.8 percent for the two months ending in September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home increased 0.9 percent, led by higher prices for fruits and vegetables (3.1 percent) and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (2.6 percent). Prices for food away from home rose 0.6 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 5.7 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 2.4 percent since a year ago, led by higher prices for fruits and vegetables (4.3 percent). Overall, prices rose for five of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home rose 10.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index fell 1.5 percent for the two months ending in September. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-2.1 percent). Prices for electricity and natural gas service were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices declined 15.6 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-18.4 percent). Prices paid for electricity fell 12.4 percent, and prices for natural gas service decreased 11.9 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.4 percent in the latest two-month period. Higher prices for education and communication (3.5 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for recreation (-1.6 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (-1.5 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.4 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (5.1 percent) and education and communication (4.2 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in new and used motor vehicles (-3.5 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.4 percent).

Table A. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
January	0.3	2.3	0.4	1.7	2.0	8.2	1.8	6.4	0.4	3.8
March	0.0	1.8	2.4	4.1	2.1	7.9	1.0	5.3	0.8	3.6
May	-0.4	0.3	0.7	5.3	1.1	8.3	0.9	5.2	0.5	3.2
July	1.4	2.1	2.1	6.0	1.2	7.3	0.3	4.3	0.6	3.5
September	-0.4	1.1	0.1	6.5	0.9	8.2	1.3	4.7	0.3	2.5
November	0.6	1.6	0.7	6.6	-0.7	6.7	-0.2	5.2

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the San Diego area is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2024.

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Consumer Price Index for San Diego is published bi-monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. 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 Core Based Statistical Area includes San Diego County in California.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

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	Indexes	Percent change from-
Historical data	Jul. 2024	Aug. 2024	Sep. 2024	Sep. 2023	Jul. 2024	Aug. 2024
Expenditure category
All items		375.072	-	376.221	2.5	0.3	-
All items (1967=100)		1,268.232	-	1,272.117	-	-	-
Food and beverages		330.805	-	333.569	5.3	0.8	-
Food		329.972	-	332.654	5.7	0.8	-
Food at home		290.669	289.771	293.419	2.4	0.9	1.3
Cereals and bakery products		394.104	385.549	385.503	2.8	-2.2	0.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		277.955	284.056	285.257	1.0	2.6	0.4
Dairy and related products		234.712	239.226	234.754	-1.2	0.0	-1.9
Fruits and vegetables		290.019	287.254	299.107	4.3	3.1	4.1
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		319.859	315.318	321.948	3.8	0.7	2.1
Other food at home		286.445	283.908	286.467	2.0	0.0	0.9
Food away from home		383.685	-	386.126	10.3	0.6	-
Alcoholic beverages		323.370	-	327.270	0.7	1.2	-
Housing		457.909	-	459.138	3.9	0.3	-
Shelter		525.179	522.978	526.294	5.1	0.2	0.6
Rent of primary residence(2)		522.273	523.000	528.064	6.2	1.1	1.0
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		557.021	555.465	558.133	5.0	0.2	0.5
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		557.021	555.465	558.133	5.0	0.2	0.5
Fuels and utilities		462.372	-	462.475	-5.9	0.0	-
Household energy		438.777	438.058	438.405	-11.9	-0.1	0.1
Energy services		434.435	434.583	434.473	-12.0	0.0	0.0
Electricity		431.711	431.711	431.711	-12.4	0.0	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service		290.807	291.285	290.931	-11.9	0.0	-0.1
Household furnishings and operations		215.624	-	217.854	-0.4	1.0	-
Apparel		177.667	-	182.764	4.5	2.9	-
Transportation		294.030	-	290.951	-3.8	-1.0	-
Private transportation		295.322	-	292.050	-3.5	-1.1	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		130.972	-	129.047	-3.5	-1.5	-
New vehicles(1)		258.594	-	257.738	-1.5	-0.3	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		299.105	-	296.532	-4.5	-0.9	-
Motor fuel		380.074	371.837	371.541	-18.7	-2.2	-0.1
Gasoline (all types)		379.958	372.018	371.924	-18.4	-2.1	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		392.805	384.327	384.270	-18.7	-2.2	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		332.705	325.983	325.952	-17.8	-2.0	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		390.941	383.738	383.488	-17.4	-1.9	-0.1
Medical care		569.408	-	572.179	0.4	0.5	-
Recreation(3)		193.252	-	190.107	-0.3	-1.6	-
Education and communication(3)		142.188	-	147.140	4.2	3.5	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		1,681.739	-	1,842.120	10.4	9.5	-
Other goods and services		522.177	-	525.634	4.4	0.7	-
Commodity and service group
All items		375.072	-	376.221	2.5	0.3	-
Commodities		243.891	-	244.408	-1.7	0.2	-
Commodities less food & beverages		200.404	-	199.982	-5.8	-0.2	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		246.949	-	245.514	-7.3	-0.6	-
Durables		154.418	-	154.779	-3.8	0.2	-
Services		490.739	-	492.451	4.5	0.3	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care		365.720	-	366.796	2.6	0.3	-
All items less shelter		314.288	-	315.494	0.5	0.4	-
Commodities less food		205.617	-	205.294	-5.5	-0.2	-
Nondurables		290.186	-	290.777	-0.9	0.2	-
Nondurables less food		254.147	-	252.976	-6.7	-0.5	-
Services less rent of shelter(2)		471.845	-	474.780	3.4	0.6	-
Services less medical care services		478.423	-	479.983	4.7	0.3	-
Energy		399.196	393.166	393.060	-15.6	-1.5	0.0
All items less energy		376.951	-	378.507	3.7	0.4	-
All items less food and energy		386.614	-	387.989	3.4	0.4	-
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.

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