Consumer Price Index, Midwest region — March 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest Region advanced 0.9 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The energy index was up 9.2 percent, almost entirely due to an increase in gasoline prices. The all items less food and energy index rose 0.4 percent, while the index for food remained unchanged over the month. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Midwest Region all items CPI-U advanced 3.4 percent for the 12 months ending in March. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.9 percent over the year. Energy prices increased 11.3 percent, and food prices were up 2.4 percent.

Food

The food index was unchanged for the month of March. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) decreased 0.3 percent, and the food away from home index (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 0.4 percent for the same period. Within the food at home category, 5 of the 6 major grocery store food indexes decreased, with the index for dairy and related products (-2.1 percent) leading the declines. The index for other food at home increased 0.9 percent over the month.

Food prices advanced 2.4 percent over the year. Prices for food away from home rose 3.8 percent, and prices for food at home were up 1.4 percent. Within the food at home category, 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups increased over the 12-month period. The largest contributors to the rise came from the indexes for other food at home (+1.6 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+3.4 percent). The index for dairy and related products decreased 1.9 percent over the year.

Energy

The energy index advanced 9.2 percent over the month. The gasoline index rose 25.3 percent, the largest over-the-month increase since the series began in 1977. The index for electricity was unchanged, and the index for natural gas service decreased 11.8 percent for the same period.

From March 2025 to March 2026 energy prices rose 11.3 percent. The leading contribution to the over-the-year rise came from the gasoline index, which was up 15.4 percent. Prices for electricity advanced 6.4 percent, and prices for natural gas service rose 5.5 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.4 percent in March. Among the index's components, prices were higher for owners' equivalent rent of residences (+0.3 percent), public transportation, lodging away from home, and recreation (+0.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for household furnishings and operations (-0.5 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.9 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+3.9 percent), medical care services (+4.8 percent), and recreation (+4.3 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-2.8 percent).

The April 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on May 12, 2026.

Technical Note

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 the Midwest region is published 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.

The Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

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

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Table 1. Midwest region CPI-U by expenditure category for March 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Mar. 2026	Mar. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026
All items		301.591	303.490	306.366	3.4	1.6	0.9
All items (December 1977 = 100)		490.705	493.795	498.474	-	-	-
Food and beverages		327.112	330.065	330.058	2.3	0.9	0.0
Food		328.804	331.939	331.874	2.4	0.9	0.0
Food at home		297.340	301.197	300.276	1.4	1.0	-0.3
Cereals and bakery products		346.204	349.479	345.327	1.3	-0.3	-1.2
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		336.335	339.364	338.435	0.9	0.6	-0.3
Dairy and related products		252.132	251.547	246.381	-1.9	-2.3	-2.1
Fruits and vegetables		317.268	326.087	324.947	2.4	2.4	-0.3
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		223.435	229.832	227.835	3.4	2.0	-0.9
Other food at home		261.169	263.521	265.863	1.6	1.8	0.9
Food away from home		381.559	383.264	384.821	3.8	0.9	0.4
Alcoholic beverages		303.048	303.470	304.276	1.6	0.4	0.3
Housing		311.364	313.497	313.326	4.0	0.6	-0.1
Shelter		374.359	376.263	377.851	3.9	0.9	0.4
Rent of primary residence		379.506	380.343	380.836	3.5	0.4	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		384.568	385.830	387.109	3.9	0.7	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		384.429	385.695	386.975	3.9	0.7	0.3
Fuels and utilities		304.926	311.871	303.012	6.0	-0.6	-2.8
Household energy		250.336	256.823	246.883	6.4	-1.4	-3.9
Energy services		259.730	266.176	255.056	6.2	-1.8	-4.2
Electricity		262.658	262.882	262.957	6.4	0.1	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service		234.002	250.650	221.139	5.5	-5.5	-11.8
Household furnishings and operations		146.954	147.422	146.629	2.7	-0.2	-0.5
Apparel		123.238	128.447	129.617	3.6	5.2	0.9
Transportation		254.394	255.624	269.345	3.8	5.9	5.4
Private transportation		251.793	252.660	266.393	3.0	5.8	5.4
New and used motor vehicles(2)		124.659	124.288	124.705	-0.7	0.0	0.3
New vehicles		173.392	173.712	173.906	0.7	0.3	0.1
New cars(3)		168.209	168.576	168.982	0.9	0.5	0.2
Used cars and trucks		178.974	176.998	177.718	-2.8	-0.7	0.4
Motor fuel		242.884	248.985	312.083	15.7	28.5	25.3
Gasoline (all types)		242.232	248.101	310.954	15.4	28.4	25.3
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		233.500	239.337	302.018	15.8	29.3	26.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		298.632	304.903	369.787	13.7	23.8	21.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		292.644	297.782	352.617	12.6	20.5	18.4
Medical care		578.818	581.956	582.450	3.9	0.6	0.1
Medical care commodities		391.203	390.488	389.841	-0.1	-0.3	-0.2
Medical care services		641.684	646.121	647.000	4.8	0.8	0.1
Professional services		493.272	495.854	496.843	4.2	0.7	0.2
Recreation(2)		148.536	149.112	149.907	4.3	0.9	0.5
Education and communication(2)		144.537	143.390	143.404	-0.2	-0.8	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(5)		1,385.858	1,385.962	1,385.685	2.3	0.0	0.0
Other goods and services		573.648	574.119	578.199	2.3	0.8	0.7
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Table 2. Midwest region CPI-U by special aggregate index for March 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Mar. 2026	Mar. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026
All items		301.591	303.490	306.366	3.4	1.6	0.9
Food		328.804	331.939	331.874	2.4	0.9	0.0
Energy		248.928	255.290	278.745	11.3	12.0	9.2
All items less food and energy		308.025	309.307	310.637	2.9	0.8	0.4
All items less energy		310.319	311.857	312.989	2.9	0.9	0.4
All items less medical care		288.566	290.407	293.404	3.4	1.7	1.0
All items less shelter		277.903	279.814	283.173	3.2	1.9	1.2
Commodities		217.925	219.435	223.977	2.9	2.8	2.1
Commodities less food		173.375	174.318	180.010	3.1	3.8	3.3
Commodities less food & beverages		169.412	170.361	176.124	3.1	4.0	3.4
Durables		122.762	122.017	121.722	0.0	-0.8	-0.2
Nondurables		269.354	272.870	281.435	4.3	4.5	3.1
Nondurables less food		220.185	223.947	239.021	6.3	8.6	6.7
Nondurables less food & beverages		215.567	219.529	235.457	6.7	9.2	7.3
Services		387.531	389.820	390.815	3.8	0.8	0.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		411.078	413.853	414.166	3.7	0.8	0.1
Services less medical care services		368.719	370.847	371.854	3.6	0.9	0.3
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.