Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area — February 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim advanced 0.2 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in February. The food index rose 0.4 percent, and the energy index increased 3.0 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 increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending in February. The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.1 percent over the year. Food prices rose 3.1 percent. Energy prices increased 0.2 percent.

Food

Food prices advanced 0.4 percent for the month of February. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.6 percent, with higher prices in 3 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 0.2 percent for the same period.

Food prices rose 3.1 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 2.9 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home rose 3.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 3.0 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 4.7 percent.

Energy prices increased 0.2 percent over the year. Gasoline prices fell 2.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in February. Among the index's components, prices were higher for medical care (+1.4 percent) and shelter (+0.7 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for recreation (-4.3 percent) and education and communication (-1.1 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.1 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (+3.7 percent) and shelter (+3.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-3.9 percent) and education and communication (-1.3 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
April	0.5	7.9	0.7	3.8	0.6	3.9	0.6	3.0
May	0.8	8.0	0.1	3.2	0.1	3.9	0.1	3.0
June	1.1	8.6	0.5	2.5	-0.2	3.2	0.0	3.2
July	-0.2	7.7	0.0	2.7	0.2	3.4	0.2	3.2
August	0.1	7.6	0.7	3.3	0.1	2.9	0.3	3.3
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 March 2026 Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area is scheduled to be released on April 10, 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 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		344.602	347.690	348.361	2.9	1.1	0.2
All items (1967=100)		1,018.108	1,027.230	1,029.213
Food and beverages		353.743	356.526	357.645	3.1	1.1	0.3
Food		356.415	359.298	360.819	3.1	1.2	0.4
Food at home		333.151	337.921	339.865	2.9	2.0	0.6
Cereals and bakery products		349.440	353.836	355.639	3.2	1.8	0.5
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		370.469	373.968	370.040	-2.7	-0.1	-1.1
Dairy and related products		306.007	298.679	292.787	-5.1	-4.3	-2.0
Fruits and vegetables		435.654	438.381	443.562	7.7	1.8	1.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		315.907	337.470	334.475	5.8	5.9	-0.9
Other food at home		270.835	275.020	283.943	5.9	4.8	3.2
Food away from home		377.649	377.690	378.545	3.1	0.2	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		292.563	293.499	287.493	2.2	-1.7	-2.0
Housing		399.615	401.674	404.146	3.3	1.1	0.6
Shelter		460.022	462.372	465.384	3.5	1.2	0.7
Rent of primary residence		489.174	492.544	493.909	3.3	1.0	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		480.026	482.423	485.272	3.6	1.1	0.6
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		479.998	482.396	485.244	3.6	1.1	0.6
Household furnishings and operations		129.173	129.441	130.062	0.5	0.7	0.5
Apparel		121.479	126.563	127.522	2.0	5.0	0.8
Transportation		277.694	280.765	280.576	3.1	1.0	-0.1
Private transportation		282.183	280.416	283.490	2.4	0.5	1.1
New and used motor vehicles(3)		108.990	108.337	107.875	-1.0	-1.0	-0.4
New vehicles(1)		192.399	193.122	193.305	0.5	0.5	0.1
Used cars and trucks(1)		350.970	339.625	335.740	-3.9	-4.3	-1.1
Motor fuel		342.546	332.346	347.839	-2.2	1.5	4.7
Gasoline (all types)		333.661	323.732	338.924	-2.3	1.6	4.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		333.327	323.344	338.676	-2.3	1.6	4.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		320.331	310.633	325.393	-2.1	1.6	4.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		323.156	313.779	327.925	-2.0	1.5	4.5
Medical care		612.775	611.714	620.441	3.7	1.3	1.4
Recreation(3)		124.761	129.824	124.254	-0.5	-0.4	-4.3
Education and communication(3)		158.275	158.377	156.594	-1.3	-1.1	-1.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		2,430.021	2,431.437	2,431.437	3.9	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		554.436	573.292	570.463	6.4	2.9	-0.5
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.
- 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 February 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Feb. 2025	Dec. 2025	Jan. 2026
All items		344.602	347.690	348.361	2.9	1.1	0.2
Food		356.415	359.298	360.819	3.1	1.2	0.4
Energy		383.238	376.988	388.145	0.2	1.3	3.0
All items less food and energy		342.324	346.089	345.916	3.1	1.0	0.0
All items less energy		344.296	347.923	348.011	3.1	1.1	0.0
All items less medical care		332.911	336.163	336.501	2.9	1.1	0.1
All items less shelter		293.255	296.644	296.306	2.5	1.0	-0.1
Commodities		220.941	221.765	223.491	1.5	1.2	0.8
Commodities less food		162.420	162.416	164.180	0.3	1.1	1.1
Commodities less food & beverages		156.844	156.819	158.729	0.2	1.2	1.2
Durables		97.757	97.447	97.399	-1.2	-0.4	0.0
Nondurables		289.175	290.786	293.684	2.3	1.6	1.0
Nondurables less food & beverages		222.176	222.602	227.247	1.1	2.3	2.1
Nondurables less food		229.426	229.885	234.055	1.3	2.0	1.8
Services		455.246	460.459	460.074	3.6	1.1	-0.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		460.945	470.442	465.119	3.9	0.9	-1.1
Services less medical care services		440.023	445.372	444.413	3.6	1.0	-0.2
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.