October 14, 2026
All of the data discussed in this report come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) database. The BLS no longer publishes CPI estimates specifically for Oregon or its metropolitan areas, so this report references data from the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington).[i]
Energy Prices Renew Inflation Pressures in the Pacific Region
Inflation picked up again in the Pacific region in September, interrupting a brief period of price relief for consumers. After declining 0.16 percent between May and July, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.87 percent from July to September. Prices were 3.5 percent higher than a year earlier, up from a 3.1 percent annual increase in July but still below the national rate of 3.7 percent.
Renewed energy price pressures were a defining feature of September’s inflation increase. Energy prices in the Pacific region rose 16.9 percent over the preceding year, compared with 13.1 percent in July, while transportation inflation accelerated from 6.0 to 7.7 percent. The increase comes amid broader disruptions to global energy supplies, which have pushed fuel costs higher nationwide. Nationally, energy prices increased 20.4 percent over the preceding year, outpacing the Pacific region. Rising fuel costs present another challenge for households already managing elevated living expenses.
However, price pressures remain uneven across spending categories. Annual food inflation in the Pacific region eased from 4.2 percent in July to 3.1 percent in September, while housing inflation remained below the national average. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, stood at 2.5 percent, down from approximately 3.4 percent a year earlier. This suggests that underlying price pressures have moderated over the past year, even as renewed energy inflation pushes the overall index higher. Nevertheless, slower inflation in some categories does nothing to reverse the cumulative rise in household costs since 2020, i.e. prices are still rising, not falling.
The CPI-U for the Pacific region rose 0.87 percent over the 2 months from July 2026 to September 2026. Over the 12 months ending in September, prices rose 3.5 percent, below the 3.7 percent increase in the U.S. city average.
Key Takeaways:
- Over the 12 months ending in September 2026, the CPI for the Pacific region rose 5 percent, below the national average of 3.7 percent.
- The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Pacific regionincreased 0.87 percent over the two months from July 2026 to September 2026, reversing the 0.16 percent decline recorded during the previous two-month period.
- Since 2020, a typical household has incurred additional cumulative spending of $10,000 more for food, over $22,000 for housing, almost $19,000 for transportation, and approaching $4,000 more for medical care.
Sectoral Price Changes[ii]
The inflationary environment has resulted in an estimated $67,800 in cumulative additional spending for the average household in the Pacific region from January 2021 through September 2026, relative to 2020 spending levels. Housing and transportation account for approximately 61 percent of this increase.
From September 2025 to September 2026, the largest price increases were seen in:
- Energy (16.9%), Transportation (7.7%), and Commodities and Recreation (3.9% each).
- The index forDurables declined slightly (0.6%) on a year-over-year basis, while Education increased5%, reversing the declines observed earlier in 2026.
The Pacific region saw above-average annual price growth compared with the national average in:
- Food (3.1% vs. 2.5%)
- Education (2.5% vs. 2.3%)
- Recreation (3.9% vs. 2.8%)
- Services (3.3% vs. 3.2%)
From September 2025 to September 2026, price growth in the Pacific region was slower than the national average across several categories—Energy (16.9% vs. 20.4%), Apparel (2.1% vs. 3.4%), and Commodities (3.9% vs. 4.6%). Housing and Transportation also experienced slower price growth than nationally, at 2.8% versus 3.3% and 7.7% versus 7.9%, respectively.
[i] Starting with the release of January 2025 data in February 2025, the BLS discontinued several indexes and average price series. Among them, the index for fuels and utilities is no longer available at the regional level, including for the Pacific region.
[ii] The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index data for the Pacific region; therefore, this report utilizes non-seasonally adjusted figures for regional analysis.
