The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area decreased by 0.3 percent from September to November, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Victoria G. Lee, Regional Commissioner, stated that the index for all items excluding food and energy fell by 0.2 percent during this period. The indexes for both food and energy also dropped by 1.0 percent each.
The BLS noted that no survey data was collected for October 2025 due to a lapse in appropriations, making it impossible to retroactively gather these figures. However, nonsurvey data sources were used where possible to fill some gaps.
Over the year ending in November, the CPI-U for Tampa rose by 3.0 percent. The index for all items less food and energy increased by 2.7 percent over the same period. Food prices went up by 4.2 percent year-over-year, while energy prices saw a 5.2 percent rise.
From September to November, grocery store prices declined with the food at home index dropping 1.9 percent and notable decreases seen in cereals and bakery products as well as other food categories at home. Conversely, eating out costs rose slightly by 0.2 percent over two months.
Looking at annual changes, eating out became more expensive with a 6.1 percent increase in the food away from home index over twelve months, while grocery store prices grew more modestly at 2.6 percent across all major categories.
Energy costs decreased by 1.0 percent between September and November; gasoline prices fell by 2.5 percent during this time frame but declined further when measured year-over-year.
Shelter costs contributed to a drop in the overall index excluding food and energy, falling by 1.2 percent from September to November partly because of lower lodging away from home expenses; however, recreation costs rose during this span.
Annually, shelter costs increased by 2.7 percent with both owners’ equivalent rent and rent indices rising by 3.2 percent each.
Future releases are scheduled: December’s CPI will be published on January 13, 2026, followed by January’s data on February 11, 2026.
The Consumer Price Index measures average price changes over time for a set basket of goods and services and is published bi-monthly for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater using smaller sample sizes than national or regional reports; therefore local results may show greater volatility and are not seasonally adjusted.
The local area covered includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties in Florida.
“Victoria G. Lee noted that the index for all items less food and energy declined 0.2 percent over the two-month span.”
