FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:                                      TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN
Cheryl Abbot, Regional Economist                              THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED
(214) 767-6970                                                UNTIL: 7:30 A.M. (CT),
http://www.bls.gov/ro6/home.htm                               Wednesday, July 16, 2008



                                JUNE 2008 CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES
                              FOR ENERGY, FOOD AT HOME, AND SHELTER
                                    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TEXAS

     Energy prices rose 7.4 percent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during June, the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  Regional Commissioner 
Stanley W. Suchman noted that higher gasoline costs accounted for more than one-half of the 
total energy increase.  Prices for food at home and shelter also rose during the month, up 
1.8 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.  These data are based on the Consumer Price Index 
for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

     Higher motor fuel prices were the biggest factor in the monthly energy gain, although 
increases in the household energy index also contributed.  Following a 9.8-percent gain in 
May, the gasoline index rose 7.6 percent in June to a level 32.5 percent above a year ago.  
The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area stood 
at $3.962 in June.  Electricity costs were up 5.2 percent during the month with higher 
summer electric rates playing a role in the gain.  While the June 2008 monthly increase was 
smaller than recent years, it followed a larger than normal May increase of 7.4 percent.  
Over the year, electricity costs were up 9.4 percent.  Costs for utility (piped) gas service 
climbed 18.6 percent in June to a level 26.5 percent above a year ago.  Total energy costs 
were up 23.1 percent during the last 12 months.

     Prices for food rose 1.8 percent in June after slipping 0.2 percent in May.  Higher 
prices were registered for a variety of foods, but particularly for snacks, bread, apples, 
beef, pork, breakfast cereal, and seafood.  A monthly decline in egg prices did little to 
offset the other gains and the overall cost of grocery items rose 7.1 percent during the 
last 12 months.  The Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) for food at home stood at 198.832 on the 
1982-84=100 reference base, meaning that a typical basket of grocery items priced at $100.00 
in 1982-84 would have cost Dallas-Fort Worth area consumers $198.83 last month.

     The shelter index moved up 0.2 percent in June after increasing 0.5 percent in May.  
The indexes for both renters’ costs (rent of primary residence) and homeowners’ costs 
(owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence) rose at a faster 0.5-percent pace during the 
month, but these increases were partially countered by lower charges for shelter away from 
home (hotels and motels).  Over the year, renters’ costs advanced 3.6 percent and 
homeowners’ costs rose 2.9 percent.  An annual decline in hotel and motel rates slowed the 
total 12-month shelter gain to 2.1 percent.

     The Dallas-Fort Worth Consolidated Metropolitan Area (CMSA) includes Collin, Dallas, 
Denton, Ellis, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant 
Counties.  Local area CPI indexes are by-products of the national CPI program.  Because each 
local area index is a small subset of the national index, the sample size is smaller and 
therefore subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the 
national index.  In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences.  As a 
result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their 
long-term trends are quite similar.


Next Release Date:  The Dallas-Fort Worth July CPI for All Items will be released on August 
14, 2008.

 

Last Modified Date: July 16, 2008