BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

01/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/15/2025 11:10

Consumer Price Index, Seattle area — December 2024

News Release Information

25-55-SAN
Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270
Related Links

CPI historical databases

Consumer Price Index, Seattle area - December 2024

Area prices were down 0.5 percent over the past two months, up 2.7 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Seattle area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.5 percent for the two months ending in December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the December decrease was influenced by lower prices for medical care and recreation. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 2.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices rose 2.6 percent. Energy prices increased 1.6 percent, largely the result of increases in the prices of natural gas service and electricity. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.8 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, December 2021-December 2024
Month All items All items less food and energy

Dec 2021

7.6 6.5

Feb 2022

8.1 7.0

Apr 2022

9.1 7.8

Jun 2022

10.1 8.8

Aug 2022

9.0 8.2

Oct 2022

8.9 7.7

Dec 2022

8.4 8.1

Feb 2023

8.0 7.7

Apr 2023

6.9 7.3

Jun 2023

4.6 5.3

Aug 2023

5.4 5.7

Oct 2023

4.8 5.5

Dec 2023

4.4 4.9

Feb 2024

4.3 5.2

Apr 2024

4.4 4.9

Jun 2024

3.8 4.4

Aug 2024

3.1 3.9

Oct 2024

3.0 3.8

Dec 2024

2.7 2.8
Food

Food prices rose 0.2 percent for the two months ending in December. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home fell 0.2 percent, led by lower prices for cereals and bakery products (-3.6 percent). Overall, prices fell in three of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home rose 0.7 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.6 percent. Prices for food at home increased 2.1 percent since a year ago, with higher prices in all six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home increased 3.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.8 percent for the two months ending in December. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-2.3 percent). Prices for natural gas service fell 4.3 percent, while prices for electricity were unchanged for the same period.

Energy prices increased 1.6 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for natural gas service (44.7 percent) and prices for electricity (9.3 percent). Prices for gasoline declined 6.2 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy declined 0.5 percent in the latest two-month period. Lower prices for medical care (-2.5 percent) and recreation (-1.6 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for alcoholic beverages (2.3 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (0.1 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.4 percent) and other goods and services (3.5 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price decreases in apparel (-6.7 percent) and education and communication (-1.1 percent).

Table A. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month 2-month 12-month

February

1.0 2.5 1.2 1.7 1.7 8.1 1.4 8.0 1.2 4.3

April

-0.6 1.3 1.1 3.4 2.1 9.1 1.0 6.9 1.2 4.4

June

0.2 0.9 2.2 5.5 3.2 10.1 1.0 4.6 0.4 3.8

August

1.4 1.6 1.1 5.2 0.0 9.0 0.8 5.4 0.1 3.1

October

-0.1 2.1 1.1 6.5 1.0 8.9 0.4 4.8 0.3 3.0

December

-0.4 1.4 0.6 7.6 0.1 8.4 -0.3 4.4 -0.5 2.7

The February 2025 Consumer Price Index for the Seattle area is scheduled to be released on March 12, 2025.

Notice Regarding Ceasing Publication of Utility Indexes

With the publication of January 2025 data in February 2025, several indexes and average price series will be discontinued.

The following CPI indexes will continue to be published at the national level, but will be discontinued for all metropolitan areas, census divisions, and regional size classes:

  • Electricity
  • Utility (piped) gas (often referred to as natural gas)
  • Energy services
  • Fuels and utilities
  • Household energy

The following CPI average price series will continue to be published at the national level, but will be discontinued for all metropolitan areas, census divisions, and regional size classes:

  • Electricity per KWH
  • Utility (piped) gas per therm

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 Seattle 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. metropolitan area covered in this release is comprised of King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties in the State of Washington.

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

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

Indexes Percent change from-
Historical
data
Oct.
2024
Nov.
2024
Dec.
2024
Dec.
2023
Oct.
2024
Nov.
2024

Expenditure category

All items

356.212 - 354.348 2.7 -0.5 -

All items (1967=100)

1,085.873 - 1,080.190 - - -

Food and beverages

367.439 - 368.692 3.0 0.3 -

Food

370.050 - 370.629 2.6 0.2 -

Food at home

328.586 325.320 328.081 2.1 -0.2 0.8

Cereals and bakery products

413.889 394.246 398.816 0.4 -3.6 1.2

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

299.384 292.137 296.749 3.7 -0.9 1.6

Dairy and related products

291.407 298.417 298.631 2.0 2.5 0.1

Fruits and vegetables

503.193 509.590 509.079 1.4 1.2 -0.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

411.447 412.144 409.989 1.5 -0.4 -0.5

Other food at home

252.799 248.964 253.314 2.5 0.2 1.7

Food away from home

436.580 - 439.493 3.4 0.7 -

Alcoholic beverages

330.397 - 338.082 7.4 2.3 -

Housing

431.710 - 430.978 4.4 -0.2 -

Shelter

498.783 500.255 498.385 4.4 -0.1 -0.4

Rent of primary residence(2)

501.383 502.942 504.102 4.5 0.5 0.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)(3)

526.593 528.864 529.826 5.6 0.6 0.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

526.593 528.864 529.826 5.6 0.6 0.2

Fuels and utilities

346.574 - 344.307 10.2 -0.7 -

Household energy

312.005 312.281 308.541 14.6 -1.1 -1.2

Energy services(2)

368.351 369.169 364.715 15.6 -1.0 -1.2

Electricity(2)

397.513 397.513 397.513 9.3 0.0 0.0

Utility (piped) gas service(2)

221.929 224.059 212.461 44.7 -4.3 -5.2

Household furnishings and operations

226.629 - 225.067 -0.6 -0.7 -

Apparel

127.671 - 122.825 -6.7 -3.8 -

Transportation

301.066 - 299.661 1.2 -0.5 -

Private transportation

314.891 - 313.813 -0.4 -0.3 -

New and used motor vehicles(4)

125.163 - 125.285 0.4 0.1 -

New vehicles(1)

224.447 - 224.677 0.1 0.1 -

Used cars and trucks(1)

403.716 - 406.764 -5.2 0.8 -

Motor fuel

464.780 459.277 454.220 -6.6 -2.3 -1.1

Gasoline (all types)

473.967 468.370 463.141 -6.2 -2.3 -1.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

510.991 504.725 498.990 -6.5 -2.3 -1.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

379.292 375.890 371.724 -5.4 -2.0 -1.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

447.280 442.652 438.032 -5.0 -2.1 -1.0

Medical care

486.697 - 474.652 1.2 -2.5 -

Recreation(6)

124.557 - 122.557 0.3 -1.6 -

Education and communication(6)

147.191 - 146.143 -1.1 -0.7 -

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

- - 1,928.459 - - -

Other goods and services

537.005 - 535.357 3.5 -0.3 -

Commodity and service group

All items

356.212 - 354.348 2.7 -0.5 -

Commodities

241.264 - 239.006 -1.9 -0.9 -

Commodities less food & beverages

184.617 - 181.492 -4.6 -1.7 -

Nondurables less food & beverages

223.434 - 219.236 -3.1 -1.9 -

Durables

147.533 - 145.272 -5.9 -1.5 -

Services

463.106 - 461.558 5.0 -0.3 -

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

350.626 - 349.327 2.8 -0.4 -

All items less shelter

300.850 - 298.307 1.5 -0.8 -

Commodities less food

189.955 - 187.106 -4.1 -1.5 -

Nondurables

292.186 - 290.338 0.3 -0.6 -

Nondurables less food

232.133 - 228.730 -2.1 -1.5 -

Services less rent of shelter(3)

430.810 - 427.732 5.8 -0.7 -

Services less medical care services

456.548 - 455.966 5.3 -0.1 -

Energy

399.100 396.574 392.039 1.6 -1.8 -1.1

All items less energy

357.633 - 356.003 2.8 -0.5 -

All items less food and energy

355.530 - 353.633 2.8 -0.5 -

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1977=100 base.
(2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(3) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.

- Data not available
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.