Inflation in Colorado – March 2025 Update

April 10, 2025

Denver Metro Prices Tick Upwards

Prices in the Denver metro area rose at a faster pace than the nation  over the last two months, growing by 0.22% compared to the U.S. average of 0.17%. This has inverted the annual trend of national price growth outpacing Colorado; over the past 12 months, prices on average have increased by 2.4% across the country and by just 1.9% in the Denver metro. Between February and March of this year, prices across the nation fell by 0.1%, the first time prices have not increased since May-June of 2024 when prices held steady.

The imposition of tariffs, and the subsequent pause, has jolted the international economy and sown uncertainty as to the future of global trade. Despite the positive news on consumer price growth, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled that rates will likely remain unchanged as they wait to see how new tariff policies impact the economy.

In the months of February and March of this year, the price of food (-0.1%), transportation (-0.1%), and recreation (-1.3%) decreased, while the cost of housing (0.53%), medical care (0.94%), and education & communication (5.34%) increased. Of the 23 metropolitan area CPI series tracked by BLS, Denver’s total price growth since the end of 2021 ranks 14th.

Inflation in metro Denver over the last 12 months was 1.87%, while the national average growth was 2.41% (BLS CPI Survey).

Price Changes in Metro Denver over the Previous Year