The ten-year change by category
| Category | Aug 2016 | Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | 189.375 | 359.738 | +90.0% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 491.047 | 848.231 | +72.7% |
| Food away from home | 263.649 | 397.868 | +50.9% |
| Rent of primary residence | 297.916 | 448.997 | +50.7% |
| Electricity | 214.222 | 310.057 | +44.7% |
| All items (headline) | 240.849 | 334.980 | +39.1% |
| Food at home | 238.088 | 321.500 | +35.0% |
| Medical care | 468.379 | 593.003 | +26.6% |
| Recreation | 117.119 | 145.186 | +24.0% |
| Apparel | 124.871 | 136.752 | +9.5% |
| Education and communication | 139.311 | 150.304 | +7.9% |
BLS CPI-U, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted. Change = Aug 2026 index / Aug 2016 index - 1. The full table and the downloadable data are on the basket page.
Why the headline is an average
The headline CPI-U is built from a national spending mix, with each category weighted by how much a typical urban household spends on it. If you spend more than that mix on gasoline or rent, your own rate runs higher. If you spend more on things that rose less, such as apparel or recreation, it runs lower. Nobody buys the exact average basket.
Worked example: a commuter with a car*
This household is made up. It spends $2,250 a month on five items. Each line is multiplied by the category ratio (Aug 2026 index / Aug 2016 index) from the table above.
| Item | Monthly spend 2016 | Same items 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food at home | $500 | $675 | +35.0% |
| Gasoline | $250 | $475 | +90.0% |
| Car insurance | $150 | $259 | +72.7% |
| Rent | $1,200 | $1,809 | +50.7% |
| Electricity | $150 | $217 | +44.7% |
| Total | $2,250 | $3,435 | +52.7% |
The method: multiply each category's spend by its index ratio, add the results, divide by the starting total, and subtract 1. $3,435 / $2,250 - 1 = 52.7%. The headline for the same ten years was 39.1%, so this household saw about 13.6 percentage points more than the average.* The amounts are examples chosen by The Third Pocket. They are not survey data and not your spending.
What to do with this
Compare your own pay change since 2016 with your own number, not the headline. Write down what you spend on a few big items, find each category in the table, and run the same steps. The free Inflation By Your Own Basket tool does this for you in the browser. Nothing you type leaves the page.
Common questions
Is this my inflation rate? No. The household above is made up. Your rate depends on your own spending.
Why compare August to August? It uses the same month in both years, so seasonal swings do not distort the gap.
Why did car insurance rise so much? The data show it, and this page does not explain the cause. Over the latest 12 months it fell 5.1% (848.231 vs 894.075).
Does a higher category rise mean the headline is wrong? No. The headline measures an average. Both numbers are correct for what they measure.
Asterisk note
*The commuter example uses spending amounts chosen by The Third Pocket. It is illustrative, not survey data. National category figures do not describe any one household. Educational only, not financial advice.
Related
Which household basket got hit hardest, August 2016 to August 2026?
What is $1 million in 2016 worth today?
Inflation By Your Own Basket
Are wages keeping up with inflation in 2026?
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index. Series used: CUUR0000SA0 (all items), CUUR0000SAF11 (food at home), CUUR0000SEFV (food away from home), CUUR0000SEHA (rent of primary residence), CUUR0000SEHF01 (electricity), CUUR0000SETB01 (gasoline), CUUR0000SETE (motor vehicle insurance), CUUR0000SAM (medical care), CUUR0000SAA (apparel), CUUR0000SAR (recreation), CUUR0000SAE (education and communication). August values from the BLS public data API.
Data file: TTP basket data, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026 (CSV).