Consumer prices in the Northeast region rose 0.2 percent in July, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) showed that the index for all items less food and energy also increased by 0.2 percent during the month.
Food prices saw a 0.4 percent increase over the month, while energy prices declined by 0.2 percent. The report notes that these figures are not seasonally adjusted, which means that monthly changes may reflect seasonal factors.
Over the past year, the all items CPI-U for the Northeast advanced 3.2 percent as of July. The index excluding food and energy rose 3.4 percent year-over-year. Food prices climbed 2.7 percent, and energy prices were up 1.1 percent compared to last year.
In July, food away from home was up 0.5 percent and food at home increased by 0.4 percent over the month. Notable price increases within food at home included spices, seasonings, condiments, sauces, and carbonated drinks.
Looking at annual trends, food away from home increased by 3.9 percent while food at home rose by 1.9 percent since last July. A significant portion of this rise came from a 5.6-percent increase in meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.
The energy index fell slightly in July due to a decrease in electricity prices (down 1.2 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (down 0.7 percent), though gasoline prices edged up by 0.3 percent during the same period.
From July 2024 to July 2025, energy prices overall increased by 1.1 percent in the region; utility (piped) gas service jumped by 21.6 percent and electricity rose by 9 percent over the year, but gasoline dropped sharply by 10.8 percent.
The index for all items less food and energy also registered a monthly gain of 0.2 percent in July with shelter costs rising by 0.3 percent; owners’ equivalent rent matched this increase at 0.3 percent as well.
Other components such as household furnishings and operations grew by 0.8 percent while recreation was up by 0.4 percent for the month.
On an annual basis, items excluding food and energy were up by 3.4 percent—driven mainly by a shelter cost increase of 4.5 percent including owners’ equivalent rent also up by that amount—while education and communication as well as medical care indices saw rises of 2.5 and 2 percentage points respectively.
The next release of Consumer Price Index data for August is scheduled for September 11th at 8:30 a.m Eastern Time.
The CPI measures average price changes over time based on a fixed basket of goods and services representative of urban consumers’ spending habits across major categories like housing, transportation, apparel, healthcare, recreation, education/communication among others in regional markets including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Further details about historical data series or technical notes can be accessed through BLS data query tools or reference materials such as their Handbook of Methods.
