Cost of Living In America

COST OF LIVING IN AMERICA CONSUMER PRICE INDEX June 2008 vs. June 2009 mint com Detroit Seattle -0.4% -1.5% Boston -1.5% New York Chicago -0.6% -2.2% +0.2% San Francisco Cleveland Philadelphia -2.3% -2.0% Los Angeles -2.2% Atlanta Dallas Washington DC -0.2% -4.0% -1.5% Houston -0.6% Miami -1.6% What is the CPI? How is it calculated? Exclusions Real Estate vs. Housing The Consumer Price Each month, data collectors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics call or visit thousands of retail stores, service establishments, rental units, and doctors' offices, across the United States, to obtain information on the prices of the thousands of items used to track and measure price changes in the CPI. These data collec- tors record the prices of about 80,000 items each month, representing a scientifically selected sample of the prices paid by consumers for goods and services purchased. Index is a measure of * Stocks The CPI includes expen- the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consum- ers for a market basket of consumer goods and services in a sample of predetermined metro- politan areas. diture areas related to * Bonds housing such as rent, utilities and furnishings, but excludes mortgage * Real Estate and real payments estate values, which are considered long term * Life Insurance * Investments investments. Inclusions 10 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30 MITINMINAT Education & Communication Other Goods & Food & Beverage Housing Apparel Transportation Medical Care Recreation Services Energy EXPENDITURE CATEGORY Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index 6 CHANGE