Table 8. Region of residence: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1998 All Item consumer Northeast Midwest South West units _______________________________________________ Number of consumer units (in thousands)...... 107,182 20,886 25,348 37,339 23,609 Income before taxes a/ ...................... $41,622 $45,333 $40,920 $38,397 $44,036 Income after taxes a/ ....................... 38,358 42,015 37,627 35,776 39,921 Age of the reference person.................. 47.6 48.7 48.1 47.5 46.3 Average number in consumer unit: Persons..................................... 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 Children under 18........................... .7 .6 .7 .7 .7 Persons 65 and over......................... .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 Earners..................................... 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 Vehicles.................................... 2.0 1.7 2.2 1.9 2.0 Percent distribution: Male........................................ 58 58 60 56 59 Female...................................... 42 42 40 44 41 Homeowner................................... 64 61 69 67 58 With mortgage.............................. 39 35 40 39 39 Without mortgage........................... 26 25 29 28 19 Renter...................................... 36 39 31 33 42 Black....................................... 12 11 9 19 5 White and other............................. 88 89 91 81 95 Elementary (1-8)............................ 7 6 5 8 7 High school (9-12).......................... 39 39 43 41 31 College..................................... 54 54 53 51 61 Never attended and other.................... b/ b/ b/ b/ 1 At least one vehicle owned or leased........ 87 79 89 89 88 Average annual expenditures.................. $35,535 $37,535 $34,513 $32,958 $38,938 Food........................................ 4,810 5,146 4,737 4,450 5,159 Food at home............................. 2,780 2,917 2,725 2,592 3,016 Cereals and bakery products............ 425 461 431 386 448 Cereals and cereal products.......... 146 158 150 128 162 Bakery products...................... 278 303 281 258 286 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs......... 723 785 687 710 729 Beef................................. 218 234 226 207 215 Pork................................. 146 146 149 153 131 Other meats.......................... 92 105 99 83 87 Poultry.............................. 137 155 112 137 146 Fish and seafood..................... 98 113 73 97 112 Eggs................................. 32 33 27 32 38 Dairy products............................ 301 324 301 273 327 Fresh milk and cream................. 120 121 121 112 132 Other dairy products................. 181 203 180 161 196 Fruits and vegetables.................. 472 514 445 425 539 Fresh fruits......................... 149 161 145 126 180 Fresh vegetables..................... 145 161 129 131 171 Processed fruits..................... 101 113 96 92 111 Processed vegetables................. 76 80 75 75 77 Other food at home..................... 858 833 862 798 973 Sugar and other sweets............... 109 109 115 95 125 Fats and oils........................ 77 77 75 75 82 Miscellaneous foods.................. 388 362 387 365 450 Nonalcoholic beverages............... 231 226 234 222 247 Food prepared by consumer unit on out-of-town trips....................... 53 58 51 42 70 Food away from home...................... 2,030 2,229 2,011 1,859 2,144 Alcoholic beverages......................... 309 368 284 249 378 Housing..................................... 11,713 13,173 11,035 10,321 13,354 Shelter.................................. 6,680 8,042 6,043 5,392 8,198 Owned dwellings........................ 4,245 5,105 4,108 3,387 4,989 Mortgage interest and charges........ 2,455 2,616 2,168 2,051 3,259 Property taxes....................... 1,015 1,662 1,090 687 884 Maintenance, repairs, insurance,other expenses............................ 775 828 851 649 845 Rented dwellings....................... 1,978 2,356 1,517 1,638 2,675 Other lodging.......................... 458 581 417 368 534 Utilities, fuels, and public services...... 2,405 2,460 2,401 2,519 2,179 Natural gas............................ 284 373 401 171 258 Electricity............................ 921 831 854 1,143 723 Fuel oil and other fuels............... 85 225 70 48 36 Telephone services..................... 830 814 801 858 828 Water and other public services........ 285 217 274 299 334 Household operations..................... 546 504 496 551 627 Personal services...................... 260 254 273 251 264 Other household expenses............... 286 250 224 300 364 Housekeeping supplies...................... 482 446 475 488 514 Laundry and cleaning supplies.......... 118 105 128 110 130 Other household products............... 232 197 204 272 232 Postage and stationery................. 132 143 143 106 151 Household furnishings and equipment...... 1,601 1,721 1,620 1,371 1,837 Household textiles..................... 105 105 96 85 148 Furniture.............................. 377 411 351 317 471 Floor coverings........................ 144 157 233 103 101 Major appliances....................... 164 189 149 172 145 Small appliances, miscellaneous housewares............................ 80 81 73 78 91 Miscellaneous household equipment...... 729 778 717 616 881 Apparel and services........................ 1,674 1,848 1,624 1,623 1,652 Men and boys............................. 399 462 414 352 399 Men, 16 and over....................... 314 367 333 265 323 Boys, 2 to 15.......................... 85 95 81 87 76 Women and girls.......................... 651 686 638 655 628 Women, 16 and over..................... 548 580 528 559 523 Girls, 2 to 15......................... 103 107 110 96 105 Children under 2......................... 73 57 59 88 79 Footwear................................. 281 299 298 268 266 Other apparel products and services...... 270 345 215 258 281 Transportation.............................. 6,616 6,540 6,290 6,612 7,039 Vehicle purchases (net outlay)........... 2,964 2,816 2,774 3,242 2,860 Cars and trucks, new................... 1,383 1,475 1,107 1,518 1,385 Cars and trucks, used.................. 1,532 1,323 1,618 1,656 1,430 Other vehicles......................... 49 c/ 18 49 69 45 Gasoline and motor oil................... 1,017 896 1,034 1,035 1,077 Other vehicle expenses................... 2,206 2,216 2,149 2,024 2,545 Vehicle finance charges................ 319 247 318 368 308 Maintenance and repairs................ 641 574 615 629 746 Vehicle insurance...................... 739 822 680 683 816 Vehicle rental, leases, licenses, other charges.................................. 507 572 535 345 675 Public transportation.................... 429 612 333 311 557 Health care................................. 1,903 1,773 2,008 1,985 1,774 Health insurance......................... 913 909 946 940 839 Medical services......................... 542 464 550 570 559 Drugs.................................... 346 299 383 386 284 Medical supplies......................... 102 102 130 89 92 Entertainment............................... 1,746 1,772 1,850 1,521 1,964 Fees and admissions...................... 449 516 427 365 545 Television, radios, sound equipment...... 535 603 513 492 565 Pets, toys, and playground equipment..... 329 328 377 295 334 Other entertainment supplies, equipment,and services.................. 433 325 533 370 520 Personal care products and services......... 401 395 368 402 441 Reading..................................... 161 201 170 125 173 Education................................... 580 815 598 409 622 Tobacco products and smoking supplies....... 273 301 315 274 202 Miscellaneous............................... 860 887 855 723 1,059 Cash contributions.......................... 1,109 888 1,089 1,113 1,322 Personal insurance and pensions............. 3,381 3,427 3,291 3,152 3,798 Life and other personal insurance........ 398 445 397 416 330 Pensions and Social Security............. 2,982 2,982 2,894 2,736 3,468 Sources of income and personal taxes: a/ Money income before taxes................ 41,622 45,333 40,920 38,397 44,036 Wages and salaries....................... 32,889 36,419 32,663 30,359 33,987 Self-employment income................... 2,239 2,301 1,953 1,816 3,075 Social Security, private and government retirement................... 4,618 4,739 4,610 4,768 4,318 Interest, dividends, rental income, other property income................... 871 838 733 676 1,311 Unemployment and workers'' compensation, veterans'' benefits..................... 193 255 139 144 266 Public assistance, supplemental security, income, food stamps..................... 330 342 356 252 411 Regular contributions for support........ 260 239 224 253 320 Other income............................. 221 200 242 129 349 Personal taxes.............................. 3,264 3,319 3,294 2,622 4,115 Federal income taxes..................... 2,472 2,352 2,357 2,128 3,172 State and local income taxes............. 630 689 790 366 809 Other taxes.............................. 162 278 147 129 134 Income after taxes.......................... 38,358 42,015 37,627 35,776 39,921 Net change in total assets and liabilities... -1,919 -2,490 -2,982 395 -3,929 Net change in total assets............... 6,116 5,700 4,370 5,397 9,494 Net change in total liabilities.......... 8,035 8,191 7,352 5,003 13,424 Other financial information: Other money receipts....................... 463 398 535 441 477 Mortgage principal paid on owned property................................ -1,160 -1,200 -1,157 -1,134 -1,167 Estimated market value of owned home..... 80,523 91,991 73,048 65,099 102,796 Estimated monthly rental value of owned home.............................. 570 642 536 503 650 Gifts of goods and services................. 1,068 1,269 1,002 880 1,258 Food..................................... 84 122 72 52 115 Housing.................................. 314 361 261 274 393 Housekeeping supplies.................. 41 41 41 35 52 Household textiles..................... 16 21 16 14 16 Appliances and miscellaneous housewares............................... 30 37 28 26 30 Major appliances..................... 7 11 8 4 7 Small appliances and miscellaneous housewares........................... 22 26 20 22 22 Miscellaneous household equipment...... 71 86 59 60 86 Other housing.......................... 156 177 117 138 210 Apparel and services..................... 225 262 209 218 218 Males, 2 and over...................... 60 66 58 55 63 Females, 2 and over.................... 80 107 75 70 75 Children under 2....................... 32 25 28 40 33 Other apparel products and services.... 52 63 47 53 47 Jewelry and watches.................. 25 28 13 29 29 All other apparel products and services............................ 27 35 34 24 18 Transportation........................... 49 48 49 35 74 Health care.............................. 38 23 48 29 53 Entertainment............................ 85 97 90 80 78 Toys, games, hobbies, and tricycles.... 30 36 36 25 26 Other entertainment.................... 55 60 53 55 53 Education................................ 154 209 166 109 165 All other gifts.......................... 119 147 108 83 162 _________________________________________________ a/ Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary. b/ Value less than 0.5. c/ Data are likely to have large sampling errors.