Consumer Price Index, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater — March 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater rose 0.5 percent from January to March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the index for all items less food and energy increased 0.5 percent over the two-month span. The index for energy rose 2.4 percent from January to March. The index for food decreased 0.7 percent over the same period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The Tampa area all items CPI-U advanced 2.1 percent for the 12 months ending March. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.0 percent over the last 12 months. The food index increased 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending March. The energy index rose 2.9 percent over the last year.

The food index declined 0.7 percent from January to March. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) decreased 1.7 percent over the two-month period. Prices fell in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups, including dairy and related products (-5.7 percent) and other food at home (-1.9 percent). The food away from home index (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 1.1 percent over the two-month span.

The index for food rose 2.7 percent over the last 12 months. The food away from home index increased 6.7 percent over the past year. In comparison, the index for food at home declined 0.2 percent over this 12-month span.

The energy index increased 2.4 percent from January to March. The gasoline index rose 31.3 percent over the two-month pricing period.

The energy index increased 2.9 percent over the past 12 months. The gasoline index rose 19.9 percent over this 12-month span.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent from January to March. Among the notable indexes to increase over the two-month pricing period include shelter (+0.6 percent), apparel (+5.6 percent), and recreation (+2.3 percent). Indexes with notable declines over the bi-monthly period include household furnishing and operations (-1.2 percent) and education and communication (-1.8 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.0 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 2.2 percent over this 12-month span. The index for owners' equivalent rent increased 2.2 percent over the past year and the index for rent increased 3.1 percent.

The Consumer Price Index for April 2026 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET). The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Consumer Price Index for May 2026 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

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 Tampa 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Core Based Statistical Area includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties in Florida.

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

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