Midwest price index up 2.9 percent for last 12 months

The January Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region was up 2.9 percent from January 2009, according to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Higher prices for transportation and housing, driven by higher energy prices, were the biggest factors in the increase, Regional Commissioner Stanley Suchman said in a BLS news release. Energy prices - including motor fuel and household fuels - were up 5.1 percent compared to December and 17.9 percent compared to a year earlier.

The transportation index for the region increased 1.5 percent for the month and 13.3 percent for the year. For the month, the increase was attributed to a 1.3 percent rise in used cars, while the main source of the yearly increase was a 44.2 percent increase in motor fuel costs.

The Midwest housing index for the region increased 0.5 percent for the month, led by increases in electricity and gas services. The housing index was unchanged year over year.

The Midwest Index stood at 205.56 for the month. The index is compared to base prices from 1982–1984; a group of items costing $100 during that period, for example, would cost $205.56 today. The Midwest region comprises Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.