Official measure
The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U measures average price changes for the goods and services bought by urban consumers. This page uses the U.S. city average, all-items index, not seasonally adjusted.
Read the official methodologyInflation by region
US inflation in August 2026: prices up 3.4% year over year
Use the latest official US reading to test what an income goal needs in USD to preserve buying power.
BLS CPI-U (CUUR0000SA0) for August 2026: 3.4% year over year. Snapshot refreshed September 14, 2026. Use this as a starting assumption for U.S. purchasing-power planning, then adjust it for your own decision.
August 2026 CPI-U, U.S. city average, all-items, NSA
3.4%
year over year
- Region
- US
- Currency
- USD
Read the number correctly
What this regional reading covers.
Release rhythm
BLS publishes CPI data monthly for the preceding reference month and announces release dates in advance on its official calendar.
Planning context
CPI-U is a broad national purchasing-power benchmark. Your own mix of housing, food, transport, and other costs can move differently from the national basket.
Buying power
What the same goal needs today.
At a constant 3.4% annual rate, these are equivalent USD income goals after 1, 3, and 5 years.
Swipe or scroll horizontally to compare every year.
| Goal set … | 1 year ago | 3 years ago | 5 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| $75,000 | $77,550 | $82,913 | $88,647 |
| $100,000 | $103,400 | $110,551 | $118,196 |
| $150,000 | $155,100 | $165,826 | $177,294 |
Compounding uses the latest year-over-year rate as a constant assumption. Actual inflation changes over time, so these are planning estimates, not predictions.
Next step
Use the rate.
Inflation calculator
Inflation-adjusted income goal calculator
Calculate how much your income goal needs to rise to keep the same buying power after inflation, then track the goal in Goal Cue.
Open at 3.4% inflation
Raise calculator
Salary inflation calculator
Check whether a raise beats inflation, how much salary is needed to keep buying power, and what that means for your yearly income goal.
Open at 3.4% inflation
Freelance pace
Freelance income goal calculator
Calculate where freelance, creator, contractor, or 1099 income should be by now and what weekly pace is needed to hit the annual goal.
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Cost of living
Cost of living income calculator
See the income you'd need in a more or less expensive place to keep your current lifestyle — and whether a job offer there measures up.
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Need context? Read inflation-adjusted income goals or raise vs inflation.
What is the latest United States inflation rate?
BLS CPI-U (CUUR0000SA0) reported 3.4% year-over-year inflation for August 2026. Goal Cue refreshed this official snapshot on September 14, 2026.
Which inflation measure does this United States page use?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U measures average price changes for the goods and services bought by urban consumers. This page uses the U.S. city average, all-items index, not seasonally adjusted.
Is this inflation rate a forecast?
No. It is the latest published official CPI-U, U.S. city average, all-items, NSA reading. The worked examples hold 3.4% constant to illustrate purchasing power; they are planning estimates, not a prediction of future inflation.
Keep the adjusted goal on pace.
Goal Cue turns the target into expected progress, actual earnings, and what to earn next.
Download Goal CuePreview your pace free. Ongoing tracking requires Goal Cue Plus.