Regional Price Parities

Category: Prices and costs

Overview: Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes that measure the price level differences between places for one time period.

Unit of Analysis:  Expenditure Class

Coverage: Food, apparel, recreation, transportation, housing, education, medical, and other goods and services as well as for rents

Geographic Detail: State, metro, county

Timeframe:  2005-2009

Form: Pre-defined tables

Frequency: The release of 2006-11 RPPs is planned for summer 2012.

Access:  Excel data tables

Key Data Element: Spatial price index (US = 100)

Potential Uses for Regional Analysis: Compare price levels across different geographic areas in general and for specific groups of goods and services. Adjust regional measures of income and output for price level differences.

For Additional Information:

• “Regional Price Parities by Expenditure Class for 2005-2009 in the May 2011 issue of the Survey of Current Business
• Program Email: rpp@bea.gov
• Contacts:
  • Eric Figueroa (eric.figueroa@bea.gov); phone: (202) 606-9328
  • Troy Martin (troy.martin@bea.gov); phone: (202) 606-9207