Consumer Price Index, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area — March 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area advanced 2.9 percent for the two months ending in March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Jerome Watters noted that the all items less food and energy index increased 2.2 percent. The energy index was up 16.3 percent, while the food index rose 0.4 percent over the two-month period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area all items CPI-U increased 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending in March. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.3 percent, and the energy index rose 11.7 percent. The food index was up 2.8 percent over the same period.

Food prices advanced 0.4 percent for the two months ending in March. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.5 percent, and the index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 0.4 percent for the same period. Within the food at home index, the category for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+4.2 percent) led the rise, followed by meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+0.9 percent). The index for other food at home (-0.7 percent) saw the largest decline over the two-month period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 2.8 percent. Prices for food at home rose 3.3 percent, and prices for food away from home advanced 2.2 percent. Four of the six major grocery store food group categories increased over the same period, led by meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+5.7 percent).

The energy index advanced 16.3 percent for the two months ending in March. The index for gasoline increased 37.0 percent over the same period.

From March 2025 to March 2026, energy prices rose 11.7 percent. Prices paid for gasoline were up 19.7 percent over the year.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent during the two-month period. Among the index's components, prices were higher for apparel (+11.0 percent), medical care services, and lodging away from home. In contrast, prices were lower for other goods and services (-5.3 percent) and used cars and trucks (-1.0 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.3 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included medical care services, public transportation, and apparel (+3.1 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for shelter (-0.6 percent) and used cars and trucks (-3.8 percent).

The May 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Consumer Price Index for Dallas-Fort Worth is published bi-monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, Core Based Statistical Area includes the counties of Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise in Texas.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

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