Price change by category, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026
| Category | Change |
|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | +90.0% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | +72.7% |
| Food away from home | +50.9% |
| Rent of primary residence | +50.7% |
| Electricity | +44.7% |
| All items (headline CPI-U) | +39.1% |
| Food at home | +35.0% |
| Medical care | +26.6% |
| Recreation | +24.0% |
| Apparel | +9.5% |
| Education and communication | +7.9% |
BLS CPI-U, US city average, not seasonally adjusted, August of each year. National averages; local prices differ.
Three example households (illustrative weights)
These spending amounts are our assumptions, not BLS expenditure data.* A real household will differ. Use the Inflation By Your Own Basket tool with your own numbers.
| Household | Personal rate | All items |
|---|---|---|
| Renter, no car | +46.2% | +39.1% |
| Commuter with a car | +52.7% | +39.1% |
| Family, heavy groceries | +42.4% | +39.1% |
Renter, no car: Rent of primary residence $1,500, Food at home $400, Food away from home $150, Electricity $100, Medical care $150
Commuter with a car: Food at home $500, Gasoline (all types) $250, Motor vehicle insurance $150, Rent of primary residence $1,200, Electricity $150
Family, heavy groceries: Food at home $900, Food away from home $250, Apparel $120, Medical care $250, Rent of primary residence $1,500
How the personal rate is worked out
For each category, multiply the monthly spend by the August 2026 index divided by the August 2016 index. Add those up, divide by total spend, and subtract 1. Worked example for the renter: rent $1,500 x 1.507 + food at home $400 x 1.350 + food away $150 x 1.509 + electricity $100 x 1.447 + medical $150 x 1.266, all divided by $2,300, gives about 1.462, or +46.2%. This is the same method the basket tool uses.
Download the data
CSV: category index values, August 2016 to August 2026 (11 categories, BLS series IDs included). Free to use with a link back to The Third Pocket.
Common questions
Why does the commuter come out highest? Gasoline and car insurance are the two biggest risers, and that household spends on both. Gasoline is volatile, so a single month's swing moves the result. From August 2025 to August 2026 gasoline rose 27.4% while car insurance fell 5.1%.
Is this my inflation rate? No. It is a calculation for three made-up baskets. Your own spending decides your number.
Why August to August? It compares the same month, so seasonal swings do not distort the ten-year gap. It is a snapshot of two months, not the path in between.
Is this financial advice? No. It describes published price data.
Asterisk note
*Personal rates use example spending amounts chosen by The Third Pocket for illustration. They are not survey data and not a forecast. Educational only, not financial advice.
Sources
BLS CPI-U, US city average, not seasonally adjusted, August 2016 to August 2026: bls.gov/cpi
BLS series and item names: cu.item list
Values were recomputed from the BLS Public Data API on October 8, 2026 and match the figures in our basket tool.
Limits
August-to-August snapshots. National averages, not your local prices. Example households are made-up weights. Not seasonally adjusted. Educational explanation, not tax, legal or investment advice.