The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga., metropolitan area rose 10.7% in the 12 months ending in October according to new information released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Because BLS publishes the full CPI index only every two
months for the Atlanta area, there is no comparable 12-month increase available
for the year ending in September. For the 12 months ending in August, the all-items
index rose 11.7%.
Nationally, consumer prices rose 0.4% over the month and
7.7% for the 12 months ending in October.
Food at home
Consumers in the Atlanta area saw no net increase in their
costs for food at home in October after seeing a 1.0% increase in September. October
was the first month since last November that consumers had seen no increase in
their monthly grocery bill. For the 12 months ending in October, food at home
costs rose 14.0%, below the 15.5% increase posted for the year ending in September.
Shelter
Costs for shelter in the Atlanta area rose 0.7% in October
after increasing 1.0% the previous month. For the 12 months ending in October,
the index rose 13.2%.
In October, rents increased 0.5% over the month. Since last
October, rents in the Atlanta area have risen 12.2%.
Owners’ equivalent rent of residences advanced 0.8% in October,
smaller than the 1.3% rise recorded in September. Over the past 12 months,
owners’ equivalent rent has grown by 14.0%, the same annual increase recorded
in September.
Gasoline
Gasoline prices continued to decline in October although at
a slower pace. Over the month, gasoline prices in the Atlanta area dropped 1.5%
after declining 13.6% and 8.1% in August and September, respectively.
For the 12 months ending in October, gasoline prices rose 3.4%,
as the Georgia governor continued his moratorium on the state’s fuel tax. The
annual increase was the smallest recorded since January 2021 and follows 19
consecutive months of annual increases in the double digits.
Atlanta compared to the U.S.
Nationwide in October, costs for food at home increased 0.5% over the month and
rose 12.4% over the year.
Looking at national data, rent increased 0.8% in October and increased 7.5%
for the 12 months ending in October.
Owners’ equivalent rent of residences increased 0.7% over
the month for the nation and rose 6.9% over the past year.
Gasoline prices moved up 3.1% in October nationwide resulting in a 17.5% rise since last October.
