Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area — August 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim increased 0.5 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that prices for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent. The food index rose 0.5 percent, and the energy index increased 1.7 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The Los Angeles area all items CPI-U advanced 3.6 percent for the 12 months ending in August. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.8 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.8 percent. Energy prices rose 17.6 percent.

Food

Food prices increased 0.5 percent for the month of August. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.9 percent, with higher prices in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were unchanged for the same period.

Food prices rose 2.8 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 3.0 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home rose 2.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 1.7 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 3.0 percent.

Energy prices rose 17.6 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 26.6 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in August. Among the index's components, prices were higher for education and communication (+2.3 percent) and shelter (+0.4 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for other goods and services (-2.3 percent) and recreation (-0.6 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.8 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+3.8 percent) and education and communication (+2.2 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for household furnishings and operations (-2.4 percent) and recreation (-2.2 percent).

Table A. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2022		2023		2024		2025		2026
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	1.1	7.5	1.9	5.8	1.0	2.5	0.9	3.3	0.9	3.0
February	0.3	7.4	-0.3	5.1	0.5	3.4	0.3	3.1	0.2	2.9
March	1.5	8.5	0.1	3.7	0.7	4.0	0.7	3.0	1.1	3.4
April	0.5	7.9	0.7	3.8	0.6	3.9	0.6	3.0	0.8	3.7
May	0.8	8.0	0.1	3.2	0.1	3.9	0.1	3.0	0.0	3.6
June	1.1	8.6	0.5	2.5	-0.2	3.2	0.0	3.2	-0.3	3.3
July	-0.2	7.7	0.0	2.7	0.2	3.4	0.2	3.2	0.3	3.4
August	0.1	7.6	0.7	3.3	0.1	2.9	0.3	3.3	0.5	3.6
September	0.5	7.8	0.3	3.2	0.2	2.8	0.4	3.5
October	0.6	7.5	-0.1	2.4	0.0	3.0	-	-
November	-0.8	6.0	-0.4	2.8	-0.2	3.2	-	3.6
December	-0.6	4.9	0.0	3.5	0.2	3.4	-0.3	3.0
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations

The September 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area is scheduled to be released on October 14, 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 Los Angeles is published 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.

A full all-items data series history for the original index value and for 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month percent changes can be accessed via BLS data query tools. A direct link to the all-items series is provided in Table 1 of this release under historical data.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Core Based Statistical Area includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.

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. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U by expenditure category for August 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026	Aug. 2025	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026
All items		354.325	355.311	356.993	3.6	0.8	0.5
All items (1967=100)		1,046.833	1,049.745	1,054.715
Food and beverages		357.439	359.337	361.110	2.7	1.0	0.5
Food		360.489	362.571	364.441	2.8	1.1	0.5
Food at home		336.343	338.555	341.659	3.0	1.6	0.9
Cereals and bakery products		361.316	353.022	370.614	3.6	2.6	5.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		369.833	365.531	368.294	-2.8	-0.4	0.8
Dairy and related products		296.827	301.409	304.906	-0.2	2.7	1.2
Fruits and vegetables		442.460	451.995	438.564	3.1	-0.9	-3.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		323.625	324.611	326.202	4.9	0.8	0.5
Other food at home		273.951	280.870	287.512	8.5	5.0	2.4
Food away from home		382.858	384.679	384.691	2.4	0.5	0.0
Alcoholic beverages		289.458	288.042	288.042	0.9	-0.5	0.0
Housing		407.820	411.417	412.748	3.4	1.2	0.3
Shelter		470.103	473.415	475.519	3.8	1.2	0.4
Rent of primary residence		499.739	500.922	501.811	3.3	0.4	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		489.782	493.445	495.183	4.1	1.1	0.4
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		489.754	493.417	495.155	4.1	1.1	0.4
Household furnishings and operations		129.114	129.029	128.391	-2.4	-0.6	-0.5
Apparel		123.813	123.168	126.556	0.5	2.2	2.8
Transportation		304.124	299.982	303.255	9.8	-0.3	1.1
Private transportation		306.323	303.539	305.686	9.1	-0.2	0.7
New and used motor vehicles(3)		109.558	109.862	109.645	0.0	0.1	-0.2
New vehicles(1)		193.811	193.835	194.216	1.0	0.2	0.2
Used cars and trucks(1)		349.486	351.221	351.897	-3.9	0.7	0.2
Motor fuel		434.856	420.210	433.014	26.7	-0.4	3.0
Gasoline (all types)		423.433	409.143	421.600	26.6	-0.4	3.0
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		424.362	409.854	422.594	27.0	-0.4	3.1
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		404.005	390.418	401.963	25.7	-0.5	3.0
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		405.501	392.472	403.528	25.1	-0.5	2.8
Medical care		620.542	615.906	614.801	0.6	-0.9	-0.2
Recreation(3)		123.124	123.958	123.256	-2.2	0.1	-0.6
Education and communication(3)		158.235	159.754	163.371	2.2	3.2	2.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)		104.609	104.928	106.693	3.2	2.0	1.7
Other goods and services		590.330	586.743	573.054	1.5	-2.9	-2.3
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 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. (6) Indexes on a December 2024=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Table 2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CPI-U by special aggregate index for August 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026	Aug. 2026	Aug. 2025	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026
All items		354.325	355.311	356.993	3.6	0.8	0.5
Food		360.489	362.571	364.441	2.8	1.1	0.5
Energy		446.900	446.019	453.673	17.6	1.5	1.7
All items less food and energy		349.565	350.482	351.747	2.8	0.6	0.4
All items less energy		351.048	352.143	353.499	2.7	0.7	0.4
All items less medical care		342.695	343.910	345.703	3.9	0.9	0.5
All items less shelter		302.775	302.756	304.248	3.5	0.5	0.5
Commodities		228.690	228.596	230.329	4.0	0.7	0.8
Commodities less food		171.426	170.480	172.117	5.2	0.4	1.0
Commodities less food & beverages		165.975	165.054	166.702	5.3	0.4	1.0
Durables		98.116	98.812	98.624	-0.2	0.5	-0.2
Nondurables		301.738	301.033	304.053	5.2	0.8	1.0
Nondurables less food & beverages		243.465	240.171	244.408	9.2	0.4	1.8
Nondurables less food		249.797	246.547	250.634	8.7	0.3	1.7
Services		466.602	468.617	470.197	3.4	0.8	0.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		474.460	474.625	475.472	2.9	0.2	0.2
Services less medical care services		451.132	453.717	455.351	3.6	0.9	0.4
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.