Bay Area Consumer Prices On the Rise

Prices for consumer goods and services in the San Francisco Bay Area rose 2.6 percent in the last 12 months ending in August, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics officials said. Prices for housing contributed the increase, with housing costs rising 5.3 percent, BLS officials said.

Contributing to the increase in housing costs were an 8.1 percent increase in the cost of fuels and utilities, including a 9.5 percent increase in gas service, according to BLS officials. The cost to rent a primary residence rose 5.8 percent, BLS officials said. Prices were held down by an 8.4 percent drop in energy prices, mainly due to a drop of 16.6 percent in gas prices, according to BLS officials.

The data reflects average prices in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Solano counties.

Prices in the western region of the U.S. rose 1.3 percent and national prices rose 0.2 percent, BLS officials said. Data in the report may be affected by seasonal influences, according to BLS officials.

--Bay City News