Southern California inflation rate nearly doubles 2012-16 pace

Southern California’s official inflation rate remains at nearly double the pace of the last five years of consumer-price increases.
The Consumer Price Index for the five-county region rose at a 2.7 percent annual rate in March, same as February. Minus January 2016’s 3.1 percent jump, this is the highest local inflation rate since November 2011. Between 2012 and 2016, the SoCal inflation rate averaged 1.45 percent.
Among the items driving the SoCal CPI higher in March:Gasoline ro