See how much more you’re paying in NJ today than a year ago

💲 Statistics continue to show year-over-year price increases for the basics

💲 The pace of price increases appears to be slowing

💲 Month to month, prices are down in the area

The year-over-year price increases continue to pile on for New Jersey consumers.

New figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics find that consumer prices fell slightly in November compared to a month prior, but they're still noticeably higher from a year ago.

In the New York-Newark-Jersey City region, which encompasses 12 New Jersey counties, prices across all categories were up 3% in November compared to the same time last year.

The price of "food at home," meaning the items you buy at the supermarket, is up 1.2% from a year ago, according to BLS. That's a pleasant number to see, considering last year's annual "food at home" price increase was 10.4%.

The price of "food away from home," aka your meals at restaurants, is 5.6% higher than the same time last year.

Alcoholic beverages also registered a year-over-year price increase, along with the categories of shelter, private transportation, and recreation, among others.

The latest report also shows a number of year-over-year declines. Gasoline prices are down close to 8%, the statistics show. Apparel prices, which fell by more than 10% in a month, are down 2.8% compared to a year ago.

"Medical care actually is down 4.5% in the area, and that is something that we're not seeing nationally," said Bruce Bergman, economist with the northeast office of BLS.

According to Bergman, there's a very strong seasonal component to the Consumer Price Index. Month-to-month price changes tend to be more consumer-friendly in the months of November and December.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom