About the data & sources

These charts track the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) — the standard measure of how much a fixed basket of goods and services costs urban consumers over time. Figures are not seasonally adjusted and update monthly, about two weeks after each month ends.

• U.S. city average — the national index across all urban areas.
• West region — the Census West region (the 13 western states, including California). Regional data covers fewer categories than the national index, so some West values may be absent.

• Core — all items except food and energy. Strips out the two most volatile pieces to show the underlying trend.
• Food — groceries plus dining out.
• Energy — home energy (electricity, natural gas) plus motor fuel.
• Gasoline — pump prices alone.

• YoY % — change versus the same month a year earlier. This is the inflation rate shown in the charts.
• MoM % — change versus the prior month.
• Index — the raw CPI level (1982–84 = 100); useful for comparing periods, not a percentage.