INLAND EMPIRE – (INT) - Price growth cooled more than expected in February, a welcome sign for markets that have been spooked by the specter of persistent inflation, though evolving U.S. trade policies complicate the outlook.

The consumer price index rose 2.8% in February from the year before, less than forecast and slower than the 3% annual rate in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

Inflation climbed 0.2% from January to February, down from January's 0.4% monthly rate and beating expectations of 0.3%. The decline was led by a sharp decrease in airfares, which fell 4%, and new vehicle prices, down a modest 0.1%.

Housing costs saw the smallest 12-month increase since December 2021, rising 4.2%. Egg prices were up 58% from a year earlier but have already begun falling this month.

With the year-over-year inflation rate at 2.8% in February, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its updated report on changes in inflation by localities.

WalletHub compared 23 major MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas). The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area had the nation’s third-worst inflation problem. WalletHub compared the Consumer Price Index for the latest month for which BLS data is available to two months prior and one year prior to get a snapshot of how inflation has changed in the short and long term.

Story Date: March 13, 2025