Consumer Price Index, St. Louis area – February 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the St. Louis area advanced 0.8 percent for the two months ending in February 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Jerome Watters noted that the index for all items less food and energy increased 0.9 percent, and the index for energy rose 1.6 percent. The index for food was up 0.3 percent over the two-month period. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The St. Louis area all items CPI-U advanced 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending in February. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.3 percent over the year. Food prices also rose 2.3 percent, and energy prices advanced 3.1 percent.

Food

Food prices were up 0.3 percent for the two months ending in February. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 0.4 percent and prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) rose 0.2 percent for the same period. Within the index for food at home, prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+2.6 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+4.5 percent) rose over the two-month period. Prices for fruits and vegetables (-3.9 percent) led the declines in the index.

Food prices rose 2.3 percent over the year. Prices for food away from home advanced 3.8 percent, and prices for food at home increased 1.3 percent. Within the food at home index, prices for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials and other food at home led the increases, rising 7.4 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively.

Energy

The energy index advanced 1.6 percent for the two months ending in February. The gasoline index rose 0.2 percent over the two-month period.

From February 2025 to February 2026, energy prices increased 3.1 percent. Over the same period, gasoline prices decreased 6.9 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.9 percent during the two-month period. Among the index's components, prices were higher for shelter (+0.9 percent), apparel (+6.0 percent), and household furnishings and operations (+3.2 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-4.0 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.3 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included owners' equivalent rent of residences (+3.1 percent), household furnishings and operations (+8.6 percent), and education and communication (+6.0 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-2.5 percent).

The Consumer Price Index for April 2026 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 12, 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 St. Louis 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 St. Louis, MO-IL, Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release includes Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties in Illinois; and Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis, and Warren counties and St. Louis City in Missouri.

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

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Table 1. St. Louis, MO-IL, CPI-U by expenditure category for February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		291.208	-	293.679	2.4	0.8	-
All items (1967=100)		864.935	-	872.276	-	-	-
Food and beverages		342.719	-	343.706	2.2	0.3	-
Food		343.890	-	344.769	2.3	0.3	-
Food at home		301.702	302.433	302.225	1.3	0.2	-0.1
Cereals and bakery products		267.999	263.782	263.389	-0.3	-1.7	-0.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		294.363	294.914	301.943	0.1	2.6	2.4
Dairy and related products		190.641	189.679	189.173	1.4	-0.8	-0.3
Fruits and vegetables		452.262	440.778	434.596	-2.0	-3.9	-1.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		233.638	248.192	244.263	7.4	4.5	-1.6
Other food at home		317.336	318.356	316.817	1.4	-0.2	-0.5
Food away from home		416.873	-	418.410	3.8	0.4	-
Alcoholic beverages		294.746	-	297.432	-0.7	0.9	-
Housing		293.885	-	297.852	4.4	1.3	-
Shelter		350.023	355.466	353.239	2.6	0.9	-0.6
Rent of primary residence		320.873	325.012	322.661	1.7	0.6	-0.7
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		368.911	373.736	371.708	3.1	0.8	-0.5
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		368.911	373.736	371.708	3.1	0.8	-0.5
Household furnishings and operations		148.319	-	153.128	8.6	3.2	-
Apparel		144.622	-	153.277	7.9	6.0	-
Transportation		244.314	-	241.695	-3.3	-1.1	-
Private transportation		249.326	-	246.252	-3.9	-1.2	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		117.282	-	114.329	-3.3	-2.5	-
New vehicles(1)		261.919	-	262.608	0.3	0.3	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		401.812	-	385.786	-2.5	-4.0	-
Motor fuel		261.821	254.965	262.065	-6.6	0.1	2.8
Gasoline (all types)		256.033	249.472	256.458	-6.9	0.2	2.8
Unleaded regular(4)		244.689	238.311	245.082	-7.2	0.2	2.8
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		319.899	312.094	319.814	-5.7	0.0	2.5
Unleaded premium(4)		281.769	275.644	282.439	-4.6	0.2	2.5
Medical care		533.609	-	539.145	1.1	1.0	-
Recreation(3)		137.903	-	139.252	0.6	1.0	-
Education and communication(3)		152.672	-	154.853	6.0	1.4	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)		1,465.805	-	1,476.042	4.2	0.7	-
Other goods and services		400.341	-	403.561	1.3	0.8	-
(1) Index is on a March 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 1. St. Louis, MO-IL, CPI-U by expenditure category for February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		291.208	-	293.679	2.4	0.8	-
All items (1967=100)		864.935	-	872.276	-	-	-
Food and beverages		342.719	-	343.706	2.2	0.3	-
Food		343.890	-	344.769	2.3	0.3	-
Food at home		301.702	302.433	302.225	1.3	0.2	-0.1
Cereals and bakery products		267.999	263.782	263.389	-0.3	-1.7	-0.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		294.363	294.914	301.943	0.1	2.6	2.4
Dairy and related products		190.641	189.679	189.173	1.4	-0.8	-0.3
Fruits and vegetables		452.262	440.778	434.596	-2.0	-3.9	-1.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		233.638	248.192	244.263	7.4	4.5	-1.6
Other food at home		317.336	318.356	316.817	1.4	-0.2	-0.5
Food away from home		416.873	-	418.410	3.8	0.4	-
Alcoholic beverages		294.746	-	297.432	-0.7	0.9	-
Housing		293.885	-	297.852	4.4	1.3	-
Shelter		350.023	355.466	353.239	2.6	0.9	-0.6
Rent of primary residence		320.873	325.012	322.661	1.7	0.6	-0.7
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		368.911	373.736	371.708	3.1	0.8	-0.5
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		368.911	373.736	371.708	3.1	0.8	-0.5
Household furnishings and operations		148.319	-	153.128	8.6	3.2	-
Apparel		144.622	-	153.277	7.9	6.0	-
Transportation		244.314	-	241.695	-3.3	-1.1	-
Private transportation		249.326	-	246.252	-3.9	-1.2	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		117.282	-	114.329	-3.3	-2.5	-
New vehicles(1)		261.919	-	262.608	0.3	0.3	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		401.812	-	385.786	-2.5	-4.0	-
Motor fuel		261.821	254.965	262.065	-6.6	0.1	2.8
Gasoline (all types)		256.033	249.472	256.458	-6.9	0.2	2.8
Unleaded regular(4)		244.689	238.311	245.082	-7.2	0.2	2.8
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		319.899	312.094	319.814	-5.7	0.0	2.5
Unleaded premium(4)		281.769	275.644	282.439	-4.6	0.2	2.5
Medical care		533.609	-	539.145	1.1	1.0	-
Recreation(3)		137.903	-	139.252	0.6	1.0	-
Education and communication(3)		152.672	-	154.853	6.0	1.4	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)		1,465.805	-	1,476.042	4.2	0.7	-
Other goods and services		400.341	-	403.561	1.3	0.8	-
(1) Index is on a March 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.