| Web site: www.bls.gov/ro3/ | PLS - 4534 For Release: Friday, May 15, 2009 |
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| Information: | Gerald Perrins (215) 597-3282 |
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| Media Contact: | Sheila Watkins (215) 861-5600 |
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WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: April 2009 (PDF)
Largest Decline in Food at Home Prices since January 2005
Prices for food at home fell in the Washington-Baltimore area in April, while energy prices rose and shelter prices were unchanged, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that despite the recent one-month advance, energy prices were down 18.8 percent over the year. Prices for food at home (2.0 percent) and shelter (2.4 percent) rose since last April. (See table 1.)
Due largely to lower prices for uncooked ground beef, ham, and carbonated drinks, food at home prices declined 1.9 percent since March—the largest one-month decrease in the food at home index since January 2005. Moderating the decline in the food at home index were higher prices for a number of items including fish and seafood, frozen fruits and vegetables, and snacks.
The Washington-Baltimore area food at home index stood at 135.515 on the December 1997=100 base, which means that grocery shoppers in the Washington-Baltimore area would have spent $13.55 last month for a market basket of food items that cost $10.00 in December 1997.
The energy index advanced 2.8 percent in April after falling 2.4 percent in March. The recent increase was led by a 4.9-percent rise in gasoline prices. The utility (piped) gas service index also rose over the month, up 12.2 percent—the largest one-month increase since October 2005. Over the last 12 months, the prices for gasoline and utility gas fell 39.3 and 12.7 percent, respectively. Moderating the recent advance in the energy index were lower prices for electricity, which decreased 0.6 percent since March but were 10.8 percent higher over the year.
The Washington-Baltimore energy index stood at 177.842 on the November 1996=100 base, which means that area energy users would have spent $17.78 for a group of energy items that cost $10.00 in November 1996.
The shelter index, which includes rent of primary residence, lodging away from home, owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence, and tenants’ and household insurance, was unchanged over the month following a 0.8-percent increase in March. The two published components, owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence and rent of primary residence, edged up 0.2 percent each since March. Since April 2008, the owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence index increased 3.1 percent and the rent of primary residence index rose 4.8 percent.
The Washington-Baltimore area shelter index stood at 156.131 on the December 1997=100 base, which means that area residents would have spent $15.61 on various types of shelter that cost $10.00 in December 1997.
The Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va., Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) includes the District of Columbia; Baltimore City and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, and Washington in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, King George, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the counties of Berkeley and Jefferson in West Virginia.
| Expenditure category | Indexes | Percent change from- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2009 | Mar. 2009 | Apr. 2009 | Apr. 2008 | Feb. 2009 | Mar. 2009 | |
All items (1) |
- | 138.620 | - | - | - | - |
Food and beverages (1) |
- | 140.264 | - | - | - | - |
Food (1) |
- | 141.722 | - | - | - | - |
Food at home |
137.620 | 138.098 | 135.515 | 2.0 | -1.5 | -1.9 |
Food away from home (2) |
- | 143.757 | - | - | - | - |
Alcoholic beverages (2) |
- | 120.020 | - | - | - | - |
Housing (1) |
- | 151.674 | - | - | - | - |
Shelter |
154.867 | 156.085 | 156.131 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| 167.135 | 167.773 | 168.139 | 4.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (3) |
153.892 | 155.398 | 155.658 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
Fuels and utilities |
- | 180.981 | - | - | - | - |
Household energy |
194.055 | 184.990 | 187.876 | 4.0 | -3.2 | 1.6 |
Gas (piped) and electricity (3) |
188.009 | 179.081 | 182.092 | 5.3 | -3.1 | 1.7 |
Electricity (3) |
189.743 | 186.944 | 185.888 | 10.8 | -2.0 | -0.6 |
Utility (piped) gas service (3) |
161.463 | 133.062 | 149.318 | -12.7 | -7.5 | 12.2 |
Household furnishings and operations |
- | 103.627 | - | - | - | - |
Apparel (1) |
- | 96.914 | - | - | - | - |
Transportation (1) |
- | 117.457 | - | - | - | - |
Private transportation |
- | 117.081 | - | - | - | - |
Motor fuel |
159.466 | 161.628 | 169.481 | -39.3 | 6.3 | 4.9 |
Gasoline (all types) |
159.290 | 161.539 | 169.413 | -39.3 | 6.4 | 4.9 |
Gasoline, unleaded regular (4) |
159.616 | 162.315 | 170.172 | -40.3 | 6.6 | 4.8 |
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) |
161.313 | 163.267 | 171.589 | -37.3 | 6.4 | 5.1 |
Gasoline,unleaded premium (4) |
163.440 | 163.902 | 171.296 | -36.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
Medical care (1) |
- | 142.003 | - | - | - | - |
Recreation |
- | 115.470 | - | - | - | - |
Education and communication |
- | 130.970 | - | - | - | - |
Other goods and services (1) |
- | 161.662 | - | - | - | - |
| Commodity and service group | ||||||
Commodities |
- | 119.274 | - | - | - | - |
Commodities less food and beverages |
- | 107.388 | - | - | - | - |
Nondurables less food and beverages |
- | 126.695 | - | - | - | - |
Durables |
- | 86.025 | - | - | - | - |
Services |
- | 151.372 | - | - | - | - |
| Special aggregate indexes | ||||||
All items less medical care (1) |
- | 138.387 | - | - | - | - |
All items less shelter |
- | 129.674 | - | - | - | - |
Commodities less food |
- | 108.064 | - | - | - | - |
Nondurables |
- | 133.178 | - | - | - | - |
Nondurables less food |
- | 126.277 | - | - | - | - |
Services less rent of shelter |
- | 146.337 | - | - | - | - |
Services less medical care services |
- | 152.160 | - | - | - | - |
Energy (1) |
177.267 | 172.947 | 177.842 | -18.8 | 0.3 | 2.8 |
All items less energy |
- | 135.533 | - | - | - | - |
All items less food and energy (1) |
- | 135.413 | - | - | - | - |
Footnotes |
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Last Modified Date: September 23, 2009