test

The over-the-year change in Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) through July-December 2015 in the Portland-Salem, OR-WA was 1.1 percent, faster than the U.S. increase of 0.3 percent during the same period.

The Consumer Price Index for Shelter had a higher increase (6.0%) in the Portland-Salem  area than the U.S. city average (3.2%). Shelter is about one-third of the CPI - All Items; therefore housing costs are probably behind the faster rising CPI in the Portland-Salem area.

In contrast, the Portland-Salem area had a significant drop in prices for food. The food index fell from 3.6 percent through January-June 2015 to 0.7 percent through July-December 2015. The food index for the U.S. city average had a relatively moderate decline from 2.3 percent through January-June 2015 to 1.4 percent through July-December 2015.

The over-the-year change in the gasoline index for both Portland-Salem MSA and the U.S. city average decreased sharply to 24.2 percent and 24.6 percent, respectively through July-December 2015.