Pittsburgh Area Consumer Price Index: Second Half 2009 (PDF)

Retail prices in the Pittsburgh area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), rose 0.3 percent from the second half of 2008 to the second half of 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that while advances in the food and beverages index led the way, most major categories of the Pittsburgh CPI-U had over-the-year increases in the second half of 2009. Prices were lower in only the transportation and housing categories. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Chart 1.  Over-the-year percent changes ended in the second half of 2009 for the major categories of the CPI-U for the Pittsburgh area, not seasonally adjusted

Chart Data

The food and beverages index rose 1.8 percent since the second half of 2008 due primarily to a 3.7-percent advance in food away from home prices. Both of these indexes have experienced uninterrupted 12-month increases since semiannual publication began in the first half of 1984. Higher prices for alcoholic beverages (2.6 percent) also contributed to the increase in the food and beverages index, while lower prices for food at home (-0.3 percent) moderated the overall advance.

The other goods and services index, which includes tobacco and smoking products, personal care products and services, and personal services such as legal, funeral, and laundry and dry cleaning services, was 7.4 percent higher than a year ago—the largest over-the-year advance since the second half of 2002.

Medical care prices rose 3.7 percent over the last 12 months. This index has experienced continuous 12-month increases since semiannual publication began in the first half of 1984.

Education and communication prices increased 2.9 percent from their year-ago levels. The recreation index advanced 2.0 percent since the second half of 2008. The apparel index rose 0.4 percent over the year.

The remaining indexes had lower prices from the second half of 2008 to the second half of 2009. The transportation index decreased 3.5 percent over the year. Lower gasoline prices, down 13.9 percent over the year, were almost entirely responsible for the overall decline. 

The housing index declined 0.6 percent from its year-ago level, due to a 12.5-percent decrease in prices for fuels and utilities. Utility (piped) gas service prices dropped 34.5 percent during this period–the largest 12-month decline since semiannual publication began in the first half of 1984. Moderating the decline in the fuels and utilities index were higher prices for electricity, which rose 2.0 percent over the year. Partially offsetting the decline in the housing index were higher prices for shelter, up 1.8 percent over the last 12 months as owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence and rent of primary residence rose 2.5 and 0.8 percent, respectively. Household furnishings and operations prices also advanced over the year, up 1.8 percent.

The energy index, which reflects pricing for gasoline and household fuels, dropped 15.7 percent over the year. Lower prices for utility (piped) gas service and gasoline dominated the over-the-year decline in energy prices.

The CPI-U for the Pittsburgh area stood at 213.774 on the 1982-84=100 reference base, which means that a market basket of goods and services which averaged $100.00 in the 1982-84 period would have cost $213.77 in the second half of 2009.

The Pittsburgh, Pa., Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties.

The relative importance of a component of the CPI is its expenditure or value weight expressed as a percentage of all items within an area. Relative importance ratios show approximately how the index population distributes expenditures when the value weights are collected and represent an estimate of how consumers would distribute their expenditures as prices change over time. Relative importance ratios cannot be used as estimates of current spending patterns or as indicators of changing consumer expenditures in the intervals between weight revisions because consumption patterns are influenced by factors—including income, variations in climate, family size, and availability of new and different kinds of goods and services—other than price change. (See table A.)

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes for semiannual averages and percent changes for selected periods, Pittsburgh, PA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	2nd Half 2008	1st Half 2009	2nd Half 2009	2nd Half 2008	1st Half 2009
All items		213.084	210.468	213.774	0.3	1.6
Food and beverages		214.231	217.638	218.137	1.8	0.2
Food		213.894	217.337	217.663	1.8	0.1
Food at home		213.104	215.154	212.376	-0.3	-1.3
Food away from home		216.610	222.817	224.558	3.7	0.8
Alcoholic beverages		217.498	220.412	223.192	2.6	1.3
Housing		215.109	212.925	213.860	-0.6	0.4
Shelter		230.522	229.555	234.647	1.8	2.2
Rent of primary residence (1)		198.812	199.340	200.417	0.8	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (1) (2) (3)		222.208	224.704	227.687	2.5	1.3
Fuels and utilities		262.020	243.642	229.169	-12.5	-5.9
Household energy		260.881	234.630	217.832	-16.5	-7.2
Gas (piped) and electricity (1)		257.616	237.858	216.791	-15.8	-8.9
Electricity (1)		169.095	173.399	172.434	2.0	-0.6
Utility (piped) gas service (1)		371.502	303.355	243.444	-34.5	-19.7
Household furnishings and operations		147.940	152.126	150.537	1.8	-1.0
Apparel		148.894	148.338	149.490	0.4	0.8
Transportation		170.707	155.372	164.739	-3.5	6.0
Private transportation		170.750	155.574	165.513	-3.1	6.4
Motor fuel		273.602	190.608	232.868	-14.9	22.2
Gasoline (all types)		274.044	192.153	235.969	-13.9	22.8
Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)		272.424	188.456	232.344	-14.7	23.3
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)		289.613	207.368	253.135	-12.6	22.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)		263.304	191.989	232.918	-11.5	21.3
Medical care		364.080	368.193	377.464	3.7	2.5
Recreation (6)		114.181	116.543	116.520	2.0	0.0
Education and communication (6)		134.083	135.103	137.994	2.9	2.1
Other goods and services		346.606	361.697	372.323	7.4	2.9
Commodity and service group
Commodities		185.868	181.046	185.540	-0.2	2.5
Commodities less food and beverages		169.172	160.206	166.698	-1.5	4.1
Nondurables less food and beverages		215.205	196.749	209.346	-2.7	6.4
Durables		120.491	120.895	121.375	0.7	0.4
Services		243.078	242.528	244.759	0.7	0.9
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care		205.198	202.323	205.357	0.1	1.5
All items less shelter		209.064	205.567	208.363	-0.3	1.4
Commodities less food		171.148	162.577	168.950	-1.3	3.9
Nondurables		215.052	207.663	214.114	-0.4	3.1
Nondurables less food		215.344	198.324	210.255	-2.4	6.0
Services less rent of shelter (3)		262.545	261.772	261.110	-0.5	-0.3
Services less medical care services		233.184	232.544	234.438	0.5	0.8
Energy		273.325	219.899	230.286	-15.7	4.7
All items less energy		209.350	211.196	213.956	2.2	1.3
All items less food and energy		209.341	210.869	214.141	2.3	1.6
Footnotes (1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series converted to a geometric means estimator in January, 1999. (2) This index series will undergo a change in composition in January 2010. The expenditure class will include weight from secondary residences and will be re-titled "Owners' equivalent rent of residences." The item stratum "Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence" excludes secondary residences. (3) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.