Consumer Price Index

Context:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as “a statistical measure of change, over time, of the prices of goods and services in major expenditure groups--such as food, housing, apparel, transportation, and medical care--typically purchased by urban consumers. Essentially, it compares the cost of a sample of goods and services in a specific month relative to the cost of the same "market basket" in an earlier reference period.

Make sure to read the cu.txt for more descriptive summaries on each data file and how to use the unique identifiers.

Content:

This dataset was collected June 27th, 2017 and may not be up-to-date.

The revised CPI introduced by the BLS in 1998 includes indexes for two populations; urban wage earners and clerical workers (CW), and all urban consumers (CU). This dataset covers all urban consumers (CU).

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a statistical measure of change, over time, of the prices of goods and services in major expenditure groups--such as food, housing, apparel, transportation, and medical care--typically purchased by urban consumers. Essentially, it compares the cost of a sample "market basket" of goods and services in a specific month relative to the cost of the same "market basket" in an earlier reference period. This reference period is designated as the base period.

As a result of the 1998 revision, both the CW and the CU utilize updated expenditure weights based upon data tabulated from three years (1982, 1983, and 1984) of the Consumer Expenditure Survey and incorporate a number of technical improvements, including an updated and revised item structure.

To construct the two indexes, prices for about 100,000 items and data on about 8,300 housing units are collected in a sample of 91 urban places. Comparison of indexes for individual CMSA's or cities show only the relative change over time in prices between locations. These indexes cannot be used
to measure interarea differences in price levels or living costs.

Summary Data Available: U.S. average indexes for both populations are available for about 305 consumer items and groups of items. In addition, over 100 of the indexes have been adjusted for seasonality. The indexes are monthly with some beginning in 1913. Semi-annual indexes have been calculated for about 100 items for comparison with semi-annual areas mentioned below. Semi-annual indexes are available from 1984 forward.

Area indexes for both populations are available for 26 urban places. For each area, indexes are published for about 42 items and groups. The indexes are published monthly for three areas, bimonthly for eleven areas, and semi-annually for 12 urban areas.

Regional indexes for both populations are available for four regions with about 55 items and groups per region. Beginning with January 1987, indexes are monthly, with some beginning as early as 1966. Semi-annual indexes have been calculated for about 42 items for comparison with semi-annual areas mentioned above. Semi-annual indexes have been calculated for about 42 items in the 27 urban places for comparison with semi-annual areas.

City-size indexes for both populations are available for three size classes with about 55 items and groups per class. Beginning with January 1987, indexes are monthly and most begin in 1977. Semi-annual indexes have been calculated for about 42 items for comparison with semi-annual areas mentioned below.

Region/city-size indexes for both populations are available cross classified by region and city-size class. For each of 13 cross calculations, about 42 items and groups are available. Beginning with January 1987, indexes are monthly and most begin in 1977. Semi-annual indexes have been calculated for about 42 items in the 26 urban places for comparison with semi-annual areas.

Frequency of Observations: U.S. city average indexes, some area indexes, and regional indexes, city-size indexes, and region/city-size indexes for both populations are monthly. Other area indexes for both populations are bimonthly or semi-annual.

Annual Averages: Annual averages are available for all unadjusted series in the CW and CU.

Base Periods: Most indexes have a base period of 1982-1984 = 100. Other indexes, mainly those which have been added to the CPI program with the 1998 revision, are based more recently. The base period value is 100.0, except for the "Purchasing Power" values (AAOR and SAOR) where the base period value is 1.000.

Data Characteristics: Indexes are stored to one decimal place, except for the "Purchasing Power" values which are stored to three decimal places.

References: BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, "Consumer Price Index", BLS Bulletin 2285, April 1988.

Acknowledgements:

This dataset was taken directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website at http://www.bls.gov/data/ and converted to CSV format.

Inspiration:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has done a great job of providing this source of information for the public to explore. You can use this information to compare the cost of living in urban areas around the United States. What are the top 10 most expensive places to live? Which cities have the most expensive snacks or college textbooks? Coffee? Beer?