Consumer Price Index, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area — March 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area advanced 1.7 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 prices for all items less food and energy increased 1.2 percent. The energy index rose 25.4 percent in February and March, while food prices declined 0.7 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area all items CPI-U increased 4.2 percent for the 12 months ending in March. The index for all items less food and energy also advanced 4.2 percent and energy prices rose 13.2 percent over the year. Food prices were up 1.6 percent.

Food

The food index fell 0.7 percent for the two months ending in March. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) decreased 1.3 percent, with 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups declining. The index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 0.2 percent for the same period. Within the food at home category, fruits and vegetables (-2.6 percent), cereals and bakery products (-3.5 percent), and other food at home (-1.1 percent) contributed most to the decline over the 2-month period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.6 percent. Prices for food away from home advanced 3.2 percent, and prices for food at home increased 0.5 percent.

Energy

The energy index advanced 25.4 percent over the two-month period. The gasoline index increased 50.0 percent.

From March 2025 to March 2026, energy prices rose 13.2 percent. Over the year, gasoline prices increased by 19.9 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 1.2 percent during the two-month period. Among the index's components, prices were higher for lodging away from home, public transportation, and apparel (+5.0 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for medical care (-0.7 percent), rent of primary residence (-0.7 percent) and used cars and trucks (-1.4 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 4.2 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included owners' equivalent rent of residences (+3.8 percent), household furnishings and operations (+10.8 percent), medical care (+5.0 percent), and public transportation. In contrast, prices were lower for communication and used cars and trucks (-3.7 percent).

The May 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 10, 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 Denver 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 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, Core Based Statistical Area is comprised of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park counties in Colorado.

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

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Table 1. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, 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		339.525	-	345.416	4.2	1.7	-
All items (1967=100)		1,132.173	-	1,151.818	-	-	-
Food and beverages		320.327	-	318.338	2.0	-0.6	-
Food		328.426	-	326.251	1.6	-0.7	-
Food at home		288.143	285.780	284.322	0.5	-1.3	-0.5
Cereals and bakery products		361.480	349.721	348.868	1.3	-3.5	-0.2
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		298.256	299.013	296.518	-0.7	-0.6	-0.8
Dairy and related products		240.721	232.333	239.470	1.7	-0.5	3.1
Fruits and vegetables		321.517	320.932	313.133	-1.0	-2.6	-2.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		195.599	204.511	195.712	-2.0	0.1	-4.3
Other food at home		256.666	251.204	253.933	2.4	-1.1	1.1
Food away from home		386.231	-	387.057	3.2	0.2	-
Alcoholic beverages		249.719	-	249.721	7.2	0.0	-
Housing		347.378	-	352.695	4.7	1.5	-
Shelter		404.965	406.213	411.650	4.1	1.7	1.3
Rent of primary residence		414.165	414.717	411.436	0.5	-0.7	-0.8
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		409.719	410.252	410.017	3.8	0.1	-0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		409.719	410.252	410.017	3.8	0.1	-0.1
Household furnishings and operations		156.162	-	158.017	10.8	1.2	-
Apparel		117.841	-	123.746	6.5	5.0	-
Transportation		328.867	-	348.623	4.5	6.0	-
Private transportation		333.530	-	352.760	3.0	5.8	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		132.425	-	132.336	-1.0	-0.1	-
New vehicles(1)		258.900	-	258.964	0.4	0.0	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		353.248	-	348.456	-3.7	-1.4	-
Motor fuel		202.934	228.005	304.161	20.3	49.9	33.4
Gasoline (all types)		199.845	224.752	299.772	19.9	50.0	33.4
Unleaded regular(4)		189.537	214.641	290.191	20.4	53.1	35.2
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		207.974	230.900	299.683	19.0	44.1	29.8
Unleaded premium(4)		238.267	261.478	332.498	18.0	39.5	27.2
Medical care		785.692	-	780.537	5.0	-0.7	-
Recreation(3)		193.073	-	194.025	4.6	0.5	-
Education and communication(3)		129.685	-	129.616	-1.9	-0.1	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)		1,290.230	-	1,290.230	3.6	0.0	-
Other goods and services		489.128	-	496.930	4.2	1.6	-
(1) Index is on a January 1978=100 base. (2) Index is on a November 1982=100 base. (3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Table 2. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, 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		339.525	-	345.416	4.2	1.7	-
Food		328.426	-	326.251	1.6	-0.7	-
Energy		195.177	208.021	244.769	13.2	25.4	17.7
All items less food and energy		359.848	-	364.086	4.2	1.2	-
All items less energy		353.803	-	357.110	3.9	0.9	-
All items less medical care		319.164	-	325.372	4.1	1.9	-
All items less shelter		308.110	-	313.608	4.1	1.8	-
Commodities		213.081	-	218.386	3.0	2.5	-
Commodities less food		167.414	-	174.841	3.9	4.4	-
Commodities less food & beverages		164.197	-	171.792	3.8	4.6	-
Durables		129.826	-	129.687	1.2	-0.1	-
Nondurables		258.431	-	268.258	3.9	3.8	-
Nondurables less food		202.014	-	221.902	7.4	9.8	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		198.369	-	219.818	7.5	10.8	-
Services		452.743	-	458.882	4.7	1.4	-
Services less rent of shelter(1)		518.105	-	523.164	6.0	1.0	-
Services less medical care services		425.646	-	432.268	4.6	1.6	-
(1) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.