Orange County Register

Southern California consumers continue to get some help on the inflation front as local prices dropped 1% over the last year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

From August to September, prices in the Orange County-Los Angeles-Riverside area rose 0.3%.

Nationwide, inflation was down 1.3% over the last 12 months and edged up 0.2% from August to September.

SoCal consumers got the biggest help from gasoline prices. Although fuel prices are beginning to increase — unleaded gas was up 2.4% from August to September — they are down 17.4% from September 2008.

Unleaded gas is $3.005 a gallon in Orange County today, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge, down from $3.137 a month ago.  A year ago, local consumers were paying $3.367.  The record high was June 19, 2008 at $4.598.

Apparel was the only major SoCal inflation category to see an increase in prices, up 0.5% from August to September and 0.3% over the last year.

All other major price categories fell in the last 12 months:

• Food and beverages: -1.3%
• Housing: -0.4%
• Transportation: -4.9%
• Household furnishings: -1.4%
• Household gas and electricity: -6.1%

Read the national September consumer price report HERE.

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