Inflation throughout the Riverside metropolitan area edged up half a percentage point over the previous two months, tracking with national trends, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The agency’s bimonthly report, based on metrics for western Riverside County and the cities of Ontario and San Bernardino, indicated that the Inland Empire’s Consumer Price Index was up .5%.
BLS officials said food expenses accounted for one of the main drivers of price hikes during December and January. The overall food component rose .8%, while general prices for “food-at-home,” or groceries, jumped 1.5%.
Similarly, outlays under the “shelter” component, which refers to property rents, saw a 1.3% increase, and healthcare costs rose even higher at 1.9%, data showed.
The energy component, including gasoline and electricity costs, reflected one of the few decreases in the regional CPI, falling 5.3% over the previous two months.
The year-over-year picture contrasted with bimonthly inflationary trends. From January 2025 to January 2026, the regional CPI showed a 3.2% rise, accounting for a range of upward pressures, most notably in shelter. That component was up 3.7% over the 12-month period.
Food prices were 1.8% higher and energy costs up 1.5% over that yearlong period, according to figures.
Trending lower year-to-year were outlays for educational needs and communications services, such as internet and mobile phone plans, dropping an aggregate 4.2%, according to the federal government.
The report showed inflation was up .2% nationwide for January, and 2.4% on an annualized basis. Those numbers were largely unchanged from the end of summer, preceding the government shutdown.
The current rate of inflation reflects the price trajectory impacting most sectors of the economy.
Accelerating consumer price hikes have been blamed variously on wars overseas, loose monetary policy and excessive federal spending, decaying the dollar’s purchasing power.
The national debt is now $38.5 trillion, according to the congressional Joint Economic Committee’s “Debt Dashboard.” Some projections indicate the debt load will almost double in 10 years or less, according to published reports.
Estimated annualized interest rate payments on the country’s debt passed the $1 trillion mark in November 2023, according to Bloomberg News. That same month, Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the U.S. credit rating from “stable” to “negative.” However, last May, the service changed the rating to stable again.
The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee increased its benchmark, or target, lending rate in spring 2022 to soak up excess liquidity, though the FOMC stopped hikes in fall 2023, and last year initiated gradual cuts, bringing the rate down to roughly 3.75% on the belief that inflation has been tamed.
The committee suspended rate cuts during its most recent meeting last month.