Northeast Region Consumer Price Index 2025 – USBLS

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast region increased 0.1 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The index for all items less food and energy also rose 0.1 percent in May. Food prices increased 0.3 percent over-the-month while energy prices remained unchanged in the same period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The Northeast all items CPI-U advanced 2.8 percent for the 12 months ending in May. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.6 percent and energy prices decreased 0.6 percent over the year.

Food

Food prices increased 0.3 percent in May. The index for food away from home was up 0.3 percent for the same period. The index for food at home was up 0.2 percent. Within the food at home category, food groups that had price increases over the month included rice, pasta, cornmeal and frozen and freeze dried prepared foods.

Food prices rose 2.6 percent over the year. The index for food away from home advanced 3.7 percent, while the index for food at home increased 1.9 percent. Much of the rise in the food at home index came from a 5.3-percent advance in prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.

Energy

The energy index remained unchanged over the month. The electricity index increased 1.0 percent while utility (piped) gas service prices declined 1.2 percent, and gasoline prices decreased 0.1 percent in the same period.

The energy index decreased 0.6 percent from May 2024 to May 2025. The utility (piped) gas service index advanced 24.3 percent, and the electricity index rose 9.8 percent. Gasoline declined 14.0 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in May. The index for shelter was up 0.3 percent as all its components rose, including owners’ equivalent rent of residences, up 0.2 percent. For the same period, education and communication prices increased 0.2 percent. Prices for recreation and apparel were down 1.4 percent and 1.0 percent respectively.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent over the year, led by a 4.7-percent increase in prices for shelter. Within the shelter category, the rent of primary residence index was up 5.5 percent, and the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index rose 4.6 percent. Other price increases for all items less food and energy encompassed the household furnishings and operations index and the other goods and services index, both up 2.9 percent, and education and communication index, up 2.3 percent.

Article and charts sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.