A big jump in gasoline prices pushed Denver’s annual inflation rate back above 4% in September, according to a Wednesday update from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The , which is released bimonthly, rose from an annual rate of 3.9% in July to 4% in September.
That is higher than the 3.7% annual inflation rate measured for the U.S. but below the 5% pace seen in Denver in May.
Inflation worsened last month to 3.7% in sign that prices remain elevated as midterm elections near
Transportation costs overall climbed 9%, driven mostly by the 29% spike in gasoline prices. Used car prices were down 1.4%.
Gasoline prices fell between late 2023 and early 2026, with February recording an 11.5% annual drop.
However, they reversed course in March after Middle East tensions curtailed oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Clothing prices are also up 8.5% on the year, including a 3.7% increase over the past two months.
Steep tariffs on Chinese apparel have cut imports from that country by nearly half. Higher petroleum prices have made it more expensive to produce clothes with synthetic fabrics and to ship items.
Food prices are up 3.1% in Denver, with grocery store prices up 2.7% and the cost of dining out up 3.8%.
Fruits and vegetables recorded an 8.1% increase over the past year, the largest of any food subcategory, with tomatoes and lettuce seeing some of the steepest gains.
Home sales dropping the most in Douglas, Larimer, Denver and Adams counties
A severe cold snap in Florida earlier in the year devastated citrus, berry and vegetable crops, while tariffs on Mexican tomatoes and regional weather disruptions added further pressure.
Higher fuel prices have made it more expensive to ship refrigerated products long distances, and California growers have battled erratic weather and a damaging virus that hit iceberg lettuce fields.
have also worsened chronic labor shortages across the agricultural sector.
One workaround for consumers is to buy canned and frozen vegetables and fruits, which are seeing smaller price increases.
Inflation for alcoholic beverages is running at 5.8%, driven by aluminum tariffs that have made cans more expensive and tariffs and levies on imported wine and liquor.
One area where consumers are seeing some relief is in the cost of meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Prices there are down 0.3%, according to the BLS.
Rent increases are also running at a low 0.9%, which could help bring overall inflation down once petroleum shipments start flowing more freely again.
