The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area fell by 0.3 percent from September to November, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee stated that “the index for all items less food and energy declined 0.2 percent over the two-month span.” The report also noted a 1.0 percent decrease in both the food and energy indexes during this period.
Due to a lapse in appropriations, BLS did not collect survey data for October 2025 and was unable to retroactively gather these data. However, for some indexes where nonsurvey data sources are used, BLS was able to obtain most of the necessary information for October.
Over the past year ending in November, the overall CPI-U for Tampa increased by 3.0 percent. The index excluding food and energy rose by 2.7 percent during this time frame, while the food index climbed 4.2 percent and the energy index went up by 5.2 percent.
Between September and November, grocery store prices—reflected in the food at home index—fell by 1.9 percent, with notable declines in cereals and bakery products (-5.0 percent) as well as other food at home (-2.1 percent). Meanwhile, prices for eating out (food away from home) edged up by 0.2 percent over those two months.
For the twelve months ending in November, restaurant and similar purchases increased by 6.1 percent while grocery store prices rose by 2.6 percent across all major categories.
The gasoline index dropped by 2.5 percent between September and November but showed a decline of only 3.8 percent over the last year despite an overall increase in energy costs.
Shelter costs decreased by 1.2 percent from September to November, partly due to lower lodging away from home prices; however, recreation expenses rose by 2.3 percent during this period.
Year-over-year shelter costs were up by 2.7 percent as of November, with both owners’ equivalent rent and rent indexes rising at a rate of 3.2 percent.
The next release of CPI data for December is scheduled for January 13, 2026, with January’s figures set to be published on February 11, 2026.
The Consumer Price Index measures average price changes over time using a fixed basket of goods and services but local indexes such as Tampa’s are more volatile than national averages due to smaller sample sizes and lack of seasonal adjustment.
