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December 2020 Report 1090

Consumer expenditures report 2019

Consumer expenditures report 2019 image

This Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) annual report highlights spending patterns for 2019 from the CE, including a brief discussion of expenditure changes for the year. It includes tables and charts featuring integrated data from the Diary and Interview survey portions of the CE. (For details about CE, see technical notes.)

The incomes and expenditures shown throughout are expressed as nominal values, representing spending in U.S. dollars as reported by surveyed consumers.1 The tables in this report show average annual expenditures, income, and characteristics for consumer units classified by income before taxes by quintile, decile, and range; age of the reference person; size of the consumer unit; composition of the consumer unit; number of earners; housing tenure (homeowner or renter); type of area (urban or rural); region of residence; occupation; highest education level of any consumer unit member; race; Hispanic or Latino origin; and generation of the reference person.2

Average annual expenditures increased 3.0 percent between 2018 and 2019 (from $61,224 to $63,036, respectively), compared with a 1.9-percent increase from 2017 to 2018. At the same time, income before taxes increased by 5.4 percent between 2018 and 2019 (from $78,635 to $82,852, respectively), compared with a 6.9-percent increase from 2017 to 2018.

Prices rose by 1.8 percent from 2018 to 2019, as measured by the average annual change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, base period 1982–1984=100), compared with the 3.0-percent increase in spending. From 2017 to 2018, prices increased by 2.4 percent, compared with the 1.9-percent increase in spending.

Developments in 2019

Average annual expenditures increased from 2018 to 2019 for eight of the 14 major aggregated categories of expenditures. Spending increased in food, housing, apparel and services, transportation, healthcare, personal care products and services, education, and cash contributions. (See table A.) Average spending declined for alcoholic beverages, entertainment, reading, tobacco products and smoking supplies, miscellaneous expenses, and personal insurance and pensions. Transportation experienced the largest increase at 10.1 percent, while reading experienced the largest decline at 14.8 percent. Other notable expenditure changes were a 9.5-percent decline in miscellaneous expenditures, a 7.8-percent decline in tobacco products and supplies, and a 5.7-percent increase in cash contributions. For the remaining categories, spending changes were modest.

 Table A. Average annual expenditures by major category of all consumer units and percent changes, 2016–19
Item2016201720182019Percent change
2016–172017–182018–19

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

129,549130,001131,439132,242[1][1][1]

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$74,664$73,573$78,635$82,852-1.56.95.4

Age of reference person

50.950.951.151.6[1][1][1]

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.52.52.52.5[1][1][1]

Children under 18

.6.6.6.6[1][1][1]

Adults 65 and older

.4.4.4.4[1][1][1]

Earners

1.31.31.31.3[1][1][1]

Vehicles

1.91.91.91.9[1][1][1]

Percent homeowner

62636364[1][1][1]

Average annual expenditures

$57,311$60,060$61,224$63,0364.81.93.0

Food

7,2037,7297,9238,1697.32.53.1

Food at home

4,0494,3634,4644,6437.82.34.0

Cereals and bakery products

5245645695837.6.92.5

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

8909449619806.11.82.0

Dairy products

4104504494559.8-.21.3

Fruits and vegetables

7838378588766.92.52.1

Other food at home

1,4421,5681,6271,7498.73.87.5

Food away from home

3,1543,3653,4593,5266.72.81.9

Alcoholic beverages

48455858357915.34.5-.7

Housing

18,88619,88420,09120,6795.31.02.9

Shelter

11,12811,89511,74712,1906.9-1.23.8

Owned dwellings

6,2956,9476,6786,79710.4-3.91.8

Rented dwellings

4,0354,1674,2494,4323.32.04.3

Other lodging

798782821961-2.05.017.1

Utilities, fuels, and public services

3,8843,8364,0494,055-1.25.6.1

Household operations

1,3841,4121,5221,5702.07.83.2

Housekeeping supplies

66075574776614.4-1.12.5

Household furnishings and equipment

1,8291,9872,0252,0988.61.93.6

Apparel and services

1,8031,8331,8661,8831.71.8.9

Transportation

9,0499,5769,76110,7425.81.910.1

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

3,6344,0543,9754,39411.6-1.910.5

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

1,9091,9682,1092,0943.17.2-.7

Other vehicle expenses

2,8842,8422,8593,474-1.5.621.5

Public and other transportation

62371281878114.314.9-4.5

Healthcare

4,6124,9284,9685,1936.9.84.5

Entertainment

2,9133,2033,2263,09010.0.7-4.2

Personal care products and services

7077627687867.8.82.3

Reading

11811010892-6.8-1.8-14.8

Education

1,3291,4911,4071,44312.2-5.62.6

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

337332347320-1.54.5-7.8

Miscellaneous

9591,0109938995.3-1.7-9.5

Cash contributions

2,0811,8731,8881,995-10.0.85.7

Personal insurance and pensions

6,8316,7717,2967,165-.97.8-1.8

Life and other personal insurance

32241846552029.811.211.8

Pensions and Social Security

6,5096,3536,8316,645-2.47.5-2.7

Footnotes

[1] Data are not applicable.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, September 2020.

Except for apparel and services (0.9 percent), the rise in expenditures for those items that increased (food, housing, healthcare, personal care products and services, and education) ranged between 2.0 percent and 5.0 percent; expenditures for both alcoholic beverages and personal insurance and pensions declined less than 2.0 percent.

Expenditure shares

Expenditure shares are important in the short run, to provide a snapshot of the typical allocation of family spending and in the long run, to reflect the changes in the economic standard of living. For example, smaller shares spent on food and other life necessities mean more is available to spend on entertainment, education, cash contributions, or other items that are not strictly necessary. The shares of selected expenditure categories from 2016–19 are in chart 1. The eight largest categories (by dollars spent) accounted for 93.5 percent of total spending in 2019, with the housing share alone accounting for one-third (32.8 percent) of total spending. The six smallest categories (by dollars spent) are combined into the "All other" category, which includes: alcoholic beverages, personal care and products, reading, education, tobacco products and smoking supplies, and miscellaneous expenditures.

Table B shows the expenditure shares of all 14 major categories from 2016 to 2019. A comparison between results from 2019 and 2018 shows that spending shares among the main categories increased for four categories, decreased for seven categories, and were unchanged for three.

Table B. Percent distribution of total annual expenditures by major category for all consumer units, 2016–19 
Spending category2016201720182019

Average annual expenditures

100.0100.0100.0100.0

Food

12.612.912.913.0

Food at home

7.17.37.37.4

Food away from home

5.55.65.65.6

Alcoholic beverages

.8.91.0.9

Housing

33.033.132.832.8

Shelter

19.419.819.219.3

Utilities, fuels, and public services

6.86.46.66.4

Household operations

2.42.42.52.5

Housekeeping supplies

1.21.31.21.2

Household furnishings and equipment

3.23.33.33.3

Apparel and services

3.13.13.03.0

Transportation

15.815.915.917.0

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

6.36.76.57.0

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

3.33.33.43.3

Other vehicle expenses

5.04.74.75.5

Public and other transportation

1.11.21.31.2

Healthcare

8.08.28.18.2

Entertainment

5.15.35.34.9

Personal care products and services

1.21.31.31.2

Reading

.2.2.2.1

Education

2.32.52.32.3

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

.6.6.6.5

Miscellaneous

1.71.71.61.4

Cash contributions

3.63.13.13.2

Personal insurance and pensions

11.911.311.911.4

Life and other personal insurance

.6.7.8.8

Pensions and Social Security

11.410.611.210.5

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, September 2020.

The largest change in expenditure shares was an increase of 1.1 percentage points in transportation to 17 percent in 2019, driven by double-digit growth in expenditures for vehicle purchases (net outlay) and other vehicle expenses. The largest decrease was a 0.5 percentage point decline in personal insurance and pensions, followed by decreases of 0.4 percentage point in entertainment, and 0.2 percentage point in the miscellaneous category. In contrast, shares for food, healthcare, and cash contributions increased by 0.1 percentage point.

Expenditures on housing

Although housing expenditures increased by 2.9 percent from 2018 to 2019 (table A), the share of housing expenditures remained the same at 32.8 percent of total spending (table B). The homeownership rate increased by 1 percentage point to 64 percent in 2019, recovering to 2012–13 levels (chart 2). The homeownership rate prior to 2012 was higher than the current level; peaking in 2004, it fell through 2015–16, and rose in each subsequent year except 2018, when homeownership rates remained stable.

Expenditures on gasoline

Consumer spending on gasoline of all types decreased by 0.9 percent from 2018 to 2019, marking the first decrease since 2016. In contrast, spending on gasoline from 2017 to 2018 increased 7.4 percent. The CPI-U for gasoline, a measure of gasoline price change, also declined by 3.5 percent from 2018 to 2019. The magnitude of change in gasoline expenditures and CPI-gasoline in 2019 was lower than that in 2018. Continuing the pattern observed from 2008 to 2018, the changes in gasoline expenditures and CPI-U gasoline moved almost in the same direction in 2019, though the magnitudes of change were different. (See chart 3.)

Expenditures by income quintiles

For every income quintile, expenditures have increased each year from 2015 to 2019. (See chart 4.) Spending by consumer units in the lowest income quintile increased by 8.6 percent, which was the largest increase in spending for any income quintile. The growth of income before taxes for the lowest income quintile was 6.6 percent. Except in the lowest income quintile, spending increases were less than 3.0 percent for all other income quintiles, while their income increases ranged from 3.2 percent to 6.7 percent.

Transportation, housing, and cash contributions were the only major expenditure categories for which all income quintiles spent more in 2019 than in 2018 (table C). Transportation spending increases ranged from 4.2 percent for the highest income quintile to 23.2 percent for the lowest income quintile. The percentage growth in transportation expenditures was also notable for the third income quintile (14.1 percent) and the fourth income quintile (14.4 percent).

Housing expenditure increases ranged from 1.2 percent for the third income quintile to 9.3 percent for the lowest income quintile. Increases in cash contributions ranged from 0.1 percent for the third income quintile to 17.1 percent for the fourth income quintile.

Table C. Dollar change and percent change in average annual expenditures on major categories by income quintiles, 2018–19. 
ItemLowestSecondThirdFourthHighest
DollarPercentDollarPercentDollarPercentDollarPercentDollarPercent

Income before taxes

$7446.6$1,5314.9$1,8733.4$2,9123.2$13,6956.7

Average annual expenditures

2,2738.65041.31,3162.52,0423.02,7902.3

Food

2917.1190.35477.9-273-2.96394.8

Food at home

813.0521.43418.41172.33024.4

Food away from home

21015.0-33-1.52077.2-390-9.13365.2

Housing

9789.35123.62151.23941.88012.3

Apparel and services

699.2-34-2.7110.71426.8-109-3.0

Transportation

86323.23995.91,21414.11,62214.47794.2

Healthcare

38015.4-47-1.2571.21702.95507.0

Entertainment

-260-19.0-338-15.5-274-10.8-106-3.02964.5

Cash contributions

162.5484.310.131817.11523.4

Personal insurance and pensions

-97-13.5-48-2.3-314-6.3290.3-251-1.2

All other expenditures

331.6-7-0.3-141-4.3-254-5.9-67-0.8

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, September 2020.

From 2018 to 2019, the lowest income quintile had the largest increase in average annual expenditures among all income quintiles, mostly driven by increased spending on housing, transportation, healthcare, and food (table C). Double-digit percentage declines in expenditures occurred in entertainment for the first (19 percent), second (15.5 percent), and third (10.8 percent) income quintiles; and in personal insurance and pensions (13.5 percent) for the lowest income quintile. Other notable increases were in healthcare (15.4 percent) and in food away from home (15 percent) for the lowest income quintile.

Expenditures on food by income quintile and generation

Food expenditures increased for 4 of the 5 income quintiles in 2019 without showing any patterns across income quintiles, neither in-line with the increased income before taxes nor with the increased average annual expenditures. (See table C.) The largest rate of spending growth in food was 7.9 percent for the third income quintile, followed by 7.1 percent by the lowest income quintile, and 4.8 percent by the highest income quintile. The second income quintile experienced marginal growth in food spending (0.3 percent). Food spending declined by 2.9 percent for the fourth income quintile.

When examining the components, expenditures on food at home increased for all income quintiles, while spending on food away from home increased in three of the five income quintiles. The declines in spending on food away from home were 9.1 percent by the fourth income quintile and 1.5 percent by the second income quintile. The largest increase in food away from home was 15 percent for the lowest income quintile, followed by 7.2 percent in the third income quintile, and 5.2 percent by the highest income quintile.

Spending on food at home and food away from home show distinctive patterns across the generations, according to the 2019 CE data. Based on the birth year of the reference person, the CE data are categorized into distinct generational groups: post-Millennials (1997 or later); Millennials (1981–1996); Generation X (1965–1980); Baby boomers (1946–1964); and GI and Silent generations (1945 or earlier).3 Starting in 2019, the CE program adjusted generations of birth years by merging the GI and Silent generations into one age group (born 1945 or earlier), and separating the Millennial and post-Millennial generations into two groups (those born 1981 through 1996 and those born 1997 or later). These changes reflect the decreasing number of persons born in the first period and the increasing number of persons born in the last period.

Similar to 2018, consumer units with younger reference persons showed a higher proportion of total food spending on food away from home, while consumer units with older reference persons had higher proportions on spending for food at home in 2019. In fact, the decrease in share by generation is noteworthy in 2019: The post-Millennials devoted a much larger share (52 percent) of their total food spending to food away from home than did the GI and Silent generations (36 percent) in 2019. (See chart 5.) Some of the difference may be due directly to life-cycle effects. For example, in 2019, members of the GI and Silent generations were well in the retirement age range, and retirees may have more time to prepare meals at home than those still working. In addition, someone from one of these generations may have an age-related health constraint that limits their access to restaurants. Nevertheless, other factors, such as income and family size, differ by generation, and undoubtedly influence the allocation of the food budget as well. For further discussion of these differences, see Fun facts about Millennials: comparing expenditure patterns from the latest through the greatest generation and Consumer expenditures vary by age.

Notes

1 Unlike real-dollar expenditures, nominal dollar expenditures are not adjusted for price change over time, but reflect prices at the time of purchase. The terms “nominal” and “real” are identical to the terms “current” and “constant,” which are also used to describe expenditures, incomes, or other items denominated in dollar terms.

2 A consumer unit consists of either: (1) all members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other legal arrangements; (2) a person living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house or in permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent; or (3) two or more persons living together who use their income to make joint expenditure decisions.

The reference person is the first member mentioned by the respondent when asked to, "start with the name of the person or one of the persons who owns or rents the home." It is with respect to this person that the relationship of the other consumer unit members is determined.

3 Please refer to this link for more details https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/09/03/the-whys-and-hows-of-generations-research/. Further, as the oldest members of the Millennial generation are well into adulthood, a new classification of “post-Millennials,” also known as “Generation Z,” has appeared to describe those who were born after 1996. Details on this cohort are available at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/. The CE data in this report merge the GI and Silent generations, and distinguish Millennials and post-Millennials. The GI generation is also called the Greatest generation.

Statistical Tables

 Table 1. Quintiles of income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Lowest 20 percent Second 20 percent Third 20 percent Fourth 20 percent Highest 20 percent

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 26,367 26,387 26,578 26,375 26,536

Lower limit

[1] [1] $22,488 $43,432 $72,234 $120,729

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $12,029 $32,768 $56,773 $93,390 $218,670

Age of reference person

51.6 56.5 54.9 49.4 47.7 49.2

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.6 2.2 2.5 2.8 3.2

Children under 18

.6 .3 .5 .6 .7 .8

Adults 65 and older

.4 .5 .6 .4 .3 .2

Earners

1.3 .4 .9 1.3 1.8 2.1

Vehicles

1.9 1.0 1.6 1.9 2.3 2.8

Percent homeowner

64 43 55 62 73 86

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $28,672 $40,472 $53,045 $71,173 $121,571

Food

8,169 4,400 5,859 7,505 9,080 13,987

Food at home

4,643 2,790 3,672 4,422 5,198 7,129

Cereals and bakery products

583 373 466 549 660 867

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 592 816 952 1,100 1,440

Dairy products

455 275 352 435 499 713

Fruits and vegetables

876 513 702 841 970 1,355

Other food at home

1,749 1,036 1,336 1,645 1,968 2,754

Food away from home

3,526 1,610 2,187 3,084 3,882 6,858

Alcoholic beverages

579 209 331 441 658 1,255

Housing

20,679 11,531 14,805 18,075 22,611 36,302

Shelter

12,190 7,013 8,699 10,546 13,085 21,564

Owned dwellings

6,797 2,448 3,452 4,929 7,730 15,390

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,224 4,839 5,058 4,479 3,558

Other lodging

961 341 409 558 876 2,615

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 2,511 3,423 3,890 4,613 5,828

Household operations

1,570 634 938 1,196 1,672 3,400

Housekeeping supplies

766 430 587 699 850 1,260

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 942 1,157 1,744 2,391 4,250

Apparel and services

1,883 818 1,246 1,530 2,245 3,571

Transportation

10,742 4,581 7,160 9,850 12,910 19,166

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 1,746 2,692 4,006 5,336 8,168

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 998 1,601 2,079 2,593 3,193

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 1,511 2,486 3,255 4,179 5,926

Public and other transportation

781 327 381 509 802 1,879

Healthcare

5,193 2,855 3,950 4,694 6,036 8,415

Entertainment

3,090 1,109 1,845 2,268 3,388 6,828

Personal care products and services

786 363 552 707 897 1,411

Reading

92 61 62 90 94 153

Education

1,443 767 491 687 1,189 4,072

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 299 327 368 397 209

Miscellaneous

899 411 682 869 846 1,683

Cash contributions

1,995 649 1,157 1,328 2,175 4,657

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 619 2,006 4,633 8,647 19,861

Life and other personal insurance

520 147 279 365 546 1,257

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 471 1,727 4,268 8,101 18,604

Footnotes

[1] Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 2. Deciles of income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Lowest 10 percent Second 10 percent Third 10 percent Fourth 10 percent Fifth 10 percent Sixth 10 percent Seventh 10 percent Eighth 10 percent Ninth 10 percent Highest 10 percent

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 13,221 13,146 13,216 13,171 13,293 13,285 13,240 13,135 13,192 13,344

Lower limit

[1] [1] $12,926 $22,488 $32,662 $43,432 $56,470 $72,233 $92,021 $120,727 $169,726

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $6,268 $17,823 $27,642 $37,910 $49,578 $63,972 $81,821 $105,052 $141,980 $294,483

Age of reference person

51.6 51.7 61.4 57.4 52.5 50.5 48.3 47.9 47.5 48.7 49.8

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.5 1.7 2.0 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.8 2.9 3.1 3.2

Children under 18

.6 .3 .3 .4 .6 .5 .6 .7 .7 .8 .8

Adults 65 and older

.4 .3 .6 .6 .5 .5 .4 .3 .3 .2 .2

Earners

1.3 .4 .5 .7 1.0 1.2 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.1

Vehicles

1.9 .9 1.1 1.5 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.8 2.9

Percent homeowner

64 35 51 56 54 60 64 71 74 82 89

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $25,856 $31,499 $37,131 $43,822 $49,367 $56,720 $66,435 $75,945 $96,913 $145,967

Food

8,169 3,938 4,861 5,169 6,550 7,100 7,909 8,733 9,428 12,080 15,881

Food at home

4,643 2,513 3,065 3,261 4,084 4,255 4,588 4,961 5,435 6,627 7,628

Cereals and bakery products

583 342 405 400 532 485 612 609 712 810 924

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 535 650 748 884 931 973 1,107 1,094 1,390 1,490

Dairy products

455 251 299 319 385 408 462 468 529 662 764

Fruits and vegetables

876 458 567 622 782 833 849 900 1,041 1,235 1,475

Other food at home

1,749 927 1,145 1,172 1,501 1,598 1,692 1,877 2,059 2,531 2,976

Food away from home

3,526 1,424 1,795 1,909 2,466 2,845 3,321 3,772 3,992 5,453 8,253

Alcoholic beverages

579 189 228 258 404 420 462 646 671 1,014 1,495

Housing

20,679 10,587 12,478 14,043 15,569 17,165 18,985 21,613 23,617 29,271 43,257

Shelter

12,190 6,661 7,366 8,347 9,053 10,051 11,040 12,553 13,621 17,223 25,855

Owned dwellings

6,797 2,069 2,829 3,361 3,543 4,531 5,327 7,270 8,193 11,949 18,792

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,155 4,293 4,621 5,058 4,983 5,133 4,517 4,440 3,836 3,284

Other lodging

961 438 244 365 453 537 580 765 987 1,438 3,779

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 2,277 2,747 3,295 3,552 3,747 4,033 4,447 4,781 5,420 6,231

Household operations

1,570 519 750 832 1,044 1,161 1,232 1,577 1,767 2,431 4,358

Housekeeping supplies

766 408 452 563 611 666 732 853 848 1,093 1,426

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 723 1,162 1,006 1,309 1,540 1,948 2,183 2,601 3,103 5,386

Apparel and services

1,883 846 791 1,101 1,390 1,355 1,705 1,976 2,513 2,759 4,376

Transportation

10,742 4,195 4,970 6,169 8,155 9,318 10,381 11,741 14,089 16,920 21,386

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 1,525 1,969 2,262 3,123 3,983 4,030 4,866 5,810 7,355 8,971

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 983 1,012 1,403 1,800 1,900 2,259 2,481 2,706 3,138 3,246

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 1,335 1,687 2,157 2,817 2,975 3,535 3,761 4,600 5,303 6,542

Public and other transportation

781 351 303 347 416 460 558 633 972 1,123 2,627

Healthcare

5,193 2,163 3,551 3,789 4,110 4,514 4,874 5,902 6,173 7,131 9,684

Entertainment

3,090 1,046 1,172 1,848 1,842 2,011 2,524 3,127 3,651 4,934 8,706

Personal care products and services

786 333 393 517 587 653 761 891 903 1,189 1,630

Reading

92 54 67 75 49 91 90 106 81 142 165

Education

1,443 825 709 575 407 625 749 1,022 1,357 2,583 5,543

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 290 308 313 342 346 390 394 400 267 152

Miscellaneous

899 341 482 624 740 703 1,035 848 843 1,359 2,003

Cash contributions

1,995 542 756 1,086 1,228 1,157 1,499 1,982 2,370 3,000 6,294

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 507 731 1,564 2,448 3,910 5,356 7,453 9,851 14,264 25,394

Life and other personal insurance

520 108 187 267 291 342 388 555 538 880 1,629

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 399 544 1,297 2,157 3,569 4,968 6,898 9,313 13,384 23,765

Footnotes

[1] Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 3. Income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $29,999 $30,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $69,999 $70,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $149,999 $150,000 to $199,999 $200,000 and more

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 15,848 19,856 12,991 11,208 17,470 19,119 18,225 8,266 9,260

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $7,574 $22,189 $34,772 $44,831 $59,328 $83,558 $121,433 $171,061 $343,498

Age of reference person

51.6 53.0 60.1 53.9 51.1 48.9 47.8 47.9 48.8 50.2

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.5 1.9 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.2

Children under 18

.6 .3 .4 .5 .5 .6 .7 .7 .8 .8

Adults 65 and older

.4 .4 .6 .6 .5 .4 .3 .2 .2 .3

Earners

1.3 .4 .6 .9 1.1 1.4 1.7 2.0 2.1 2.1

Vehicles

1.9 .9 1.3 1.6 1.7 2.0 2.2 2.6 2.8 3.0

Percent homeowner

64 36 54 57 55 63 71 77 86 91

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $26,194 $34,201 $40,942 $47,299 $54,212 $66,801 $84,994 $109,020 $160,318

Food

8,169 3,917 4,992 5,791 7,193 7,369 8,672 10,633 12,764 17,102

Food at home

4,643 2,528 3,185 3,636 4,329 4,318 4,983 5,908 6,917 7,954

Cereals and bakery products

583 346 409 438 545 547 621 746 885 937

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 542 682 858 919 933 1,071 1,215 1,400 1,558

Dairy products

455 255 307 346 419 421 490 580 676 798

Fruits and vegetables

876 458 603 668 859 818 903 1,118 1,312 1,552

Other food at home

1,749 927 1,184 1,326 1,586 1,599 1,897 2,250 2,645 3,110

Food away from home

3,526 1,389 1,806 2,155 2,865 3,051 3,689 4,725 5,847 9,148

Alcoholic beverages

579 184 229 372 410 427 616 872 1,042 1,618

Housing

20,679 10,685 13,372 14,851 16,752 18,274 21,619 26,123 32,596 47,329

Shelter

12,190 6,671 7,942 8,637 9,794 10,649 12,549 15,256 19,126 28,574

Owned dwellings

6,797 2,120 3,130 3,451 3,961 5,192 7,208 9,841 13,786 20,747

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,155 4,512 4,764 5,336 4,864 4,584 4,263 3,435 3,259

Other lodging

961 396 300 422 496 592 757 1,152 1,906 4,567

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 2,313 3,007 3,500 3,666 3,954 4,475 5,047 5,656 6,478

Household operations

1,570 527 827 923 1,158 1,213 1,627 1,981 2,799 4,998

Housekeeping supplies

766 410 507 568 687 697 794 982 1,283 1,381

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 764 1,090 1,224 1,447 1,761 2,173 2,858 3,732 5,899

Apparel and services

1,883 862 912 1,193 1,400 1,586 1,899 2,565 3,437 4,806

Transportation

10,742 4,239 5,500 7,459 8,359 10,377 12,252 15,050 19,055 22,255

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 1,607 2,091 2,728 3,088 4,379 5,176 6,191 8,761 8,996

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 970 1,170 1,699 1,864 2,153 2,496 2,927 3,181 3,283

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 1,319 1,905 2,697 2,904 3,333 3,898 4,910 5,691 6,876

Public and other transportation

781 344 334 335 503 512 682 1,023 1,421 3,101

Healthcare

5,193 2,318 3,689 4,038 4,518 4,673 5,791 6,685 7,592 10,414

Entertainment

3,090 1,047 1,494 1,783 1,945 2,401 3,121 4,150 5,639 9,852

Personal care products and services

786 340 428 584 647 718 841 1,052 1,234 1,796

Reading

92 53 78 54 96 77 94 118 117 181

Education

1,443 822 578 567 552 671 1,010 1,862 3,212 6,614

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 291 308 338 344 376 409 320 201 155

Miscellaneous

899 353 597 614 813 877 855 991 1,542 2,335

Cash contributions

1,995 577 904 1,195 1,124 1,389 2,033 2,657 3,208 7,618

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 507 1,120 2,102 3,144 4,998 7,588 11,913 17,381 28,241

Life and other personal insurance

520 118 237 271 294 396 530 673 986 1,928

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 389 883 1,831 2,850 4,602 7,058 11,240 16,395 26,313

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 4. Age of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Under 25 years 25–34 years 35–44 years 45–54 years 55–64 years 65 years and older 65–74 years 75 years and older

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 7,328 21,232 22,330 22,282 24,565 34,505 19,720 14,785

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $38,120 $76,187 $103,272 $107,094 $99,606 $55,656 $65,943 $41,937

Age of reference person

51.6 21.7 29.8 39.5 49.7 59.5 74.6 69.2 81.8

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.9 2.7 3.4 2.9 2.2 1.7 1.9 1.6

Children under 18

.6 .3 .9 1.4 .7 .2 .1 .1 [1]

Adults 65 and older

.4 [1] [1] [1] .1 .1 1.4 1.4 1.3

Earners

1.3 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.4 .5 .7 .3

Vehicles

1.9 1.2 1.7 2.0 2.3 2.2 1.7 1.9 1.5

Percent homeowner

64 17 41 60 69 75 79 78 81

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $39,293 $57,128 $74,890 $77,356 $69,494 $50,220 $55,087 $43,623

Food

8,169 5,835 7,370 9,760 10,076 8,579 6,599 7,305 5,597

Food at home

4,643 2,743 3,836 5,458 5,659 5,094 4,063 4,411 3,566

Cereals and bakery products

583 380 451 694 712 640 516 545 474

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 570 824 1,151 1,208 1,063 852 943 722

Dairy products

455 270 348 545 551 496 414 442 374

Fruits and vegetables

876 529 740 998 1,060 922 809 874 716

Other food at home

1,749 993 1,473 2,069 2,129 1,973 1,472 1,607 1,280

Food away from home

3,526 3,092 3,534 4,302 4,416 3,486 2,536 2,894 2,031

Alcoholic beverages

579 327 525 544 722 714 501 614 341

Housing

20,679 12,741 20,499 24,683 23,876 21,192 17,472 18,709 15,806

Shelter

12,190 8,436 12,898 14,656 14,151 12,094 9,760 10,486 8,791

Owned dwellings

6,797 1,225 4,575 8,083 9,113 7,900 6,235 6,991 5,227

Rented dwellings

4,432 6,713 7,813 5,627 3,875 2,861 2,571 2,344 2,872

Other lodging

961 498 510 945 1,162 1,333 954 1,150 691

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 2,233 3,418 4,475 4,840 4,400 3,810 4,037 3,508

Household operations

1,570 630 1,718 2,390 1,524 1,232 1,418 1,333 1,532

Housekeeping supplies

766 303 532 776 913 905 821 900 708

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 1,140 1,934 2,387 2,448 2,562 1,663 1,954 1,267

Apparel and services

1,883 1,407 1,878 2,488 2,380 1,828 1,305 1,497 1,035

Transportation

10,742 8,305 10,296 13,685 13,351 11,380 7,492 8,640 5,960

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 3,742 4,130 6,120 5,438 4,550 2,792 3,139 2,329

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 1,579 2,136 2,610 2,648 2,239 1,383 1,635 1,047

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 2,360 3,326 4,103 4,357 3,722 2,649 3,030 2,140

Public and other transportation

781 623 704 852 908 869 668 836 443

Healthcare

5,193 1,510 3,162 4,822 5,345 5,958 6,833 6,772 6,914

Entertainment

3,090 1,389 2,395 3,661 3,856 3,981 2,381 2,700 1,946

Personal care products and services

786 479 608 907 1,002 835 715 737 685

Reading

92 46 44 91 83 97 138 124 159

Education

1,443 2,993 1,197 1,235 2,698 1,782 349 433 237

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 186 341 359 374 399 219 285 130

Miscellaneous

899 312 672 944 1,095 1,174 811 860 745

Cash contributions

1,995 428 880 2,146 2,125 2,372 2,564 2,586 2,536

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 3,335 7,261 9,564 10,374 9,203 2,843 3,826 1,532

Life and other personal insurance

520 103 223 476 673 795 523 618 397

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 3,232 7,037 9,088 9,701 8,408 2,320 3,208 1,136

Footnotes

[1] Value is too small to display.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 5. Size of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units One person Two or more people
Total Two people Three people Four people Five or more people

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 39,892 92,351 43,558 19,224 17,011 12,557

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $39,661 $101,508 $89,202 $110,152 $117,916 $108,736

Age of reference person

51.6 55.7 49.8 55.5 46.6 43.9 42.8

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.0 3.1 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.7

Children under 18

.6 [1] .8 .1 .7 1.5 2.7

Adults 65 and older

.4 .4 .4 .7 .2 .1 .2

Earners

1.3 .6 1.6 1.2 1.8 2.0 2.3

Vehicles

1.9 1.1 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.5

Percent homeowner

64 49 70 72 66 73 65

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $38,266 $73,707 $66,861 $74,134 $85,139 $81,361

Food

8,169 4,659 9,668 8,422 9,754 11,108 11,953

Food at home

4,643 2,593 5,518 4,691 5,477 6,449 7,230

Cereals and bakery products

583 318 696 563 685 861 956

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 510 1,181 976 1,130 1,356 1,754

Dairy products

455 253 541 456 534 643 711

Fruits and vegetables

876 492 1,040 888 1,030 1,244 1,311

Other food at home

1,749 1,020 2,059 1,807 2,098 2,344 2,499

Food away from home

3,526 2,066 4,150 3,731 4,277 4,659 4,722

Alcoholic beverages

579 430 643 799 504 560 421

Housing

20,679 14,622 23,292 21,338 23,486 26,281 25,732

Shelter

12,190 9,412 13,390 12,481 13,614 14,684 14,448

Owned dwellings

6,797 3,827 8,080 7,270 8,014 9,750 8,730

Rented dwellings

4,432 5,056 4,162 3,837 4,620 3,886 4,961

Other lodging

961 529 1,148 1,374 980 1,048 758

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 2,590 4,688 4,248 4,653 5,174 5,606

Household operations

1,570 883 1,867 1,375 2,088 2,782 1,995

Housekeeping supplies

766 437 906 886 803 924 1,118

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 1,301 2,441 2,348 2,328 2,718 2,564

Apparel and services

1,883 1,066 2,232 1,741 2,223 3,018 2,887

Transportation

10,742 5,683 12,928 11,095 13,091 16,202 14,600

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 2,098 5,385 4,397 5,306 7,528 6,033

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 1,106 2,521 2,090 2,540 3,065 3,249

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 2,014 4,105 3,670 4,292 4,702 4,521

Public and other transportation

781 466 917 938 954 908 797

Healthcare

5,193 3,343 5,992 6,324 5,594 6,030 5,397

Entertainment

3,090 1,693 3,690 3,681 3,402 3,944 3,815

Personal care products and services

786 484 916 883 840 1,035 988

Reading

92 77 99 120 72 90 78

Education

1,443 693 1,767 1,276 2,485 2,148 1,859

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 228 360 339 378 364 399

Miscellaneous

899 706 982 954 1,045 982 984

Cash contributions

1,995 1,466 2,224 2,412 1,695 2,114 2,528

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 3,115 8,914 7,477 9,562 11,265 9,722

Life and other personal insurance

520 203 656 671 706 664 519

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 2,912 8,258 6,806 8,857 10,600 9,203

Footnotes

[1] Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

 Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Married couple consumer units One parent, at least one child under 18 Single person and other consumer units
Total Married couple only Married couple with children Other married couple consumer units
Total Oldest child under 6 Oldest child 6 to 17 Oldest child 18 or older

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 64,640 28,814 30,392 5,572 14,930 9,890 5,434 6,423 61,179

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $117,048 $102,290 $132,212 $151,081 $125,624 $131,527 $110,485 $46,173 $50,573

Age of reference person

51.6 51.4 59.1 44.2 33.5 41.4 54.4 50.8 39.8 53.0

Average number in consumer unit:

People

2.5 3.2 2.0 4.0 3.4 4.2 3.9 5.1 3.0 1.6

Children under 18

.6 .8 [1] 1.5 1.4 2.2 .6 1.4 1.7 .2

Adults 65 and older

.4 .5 .8 .1 [1] [2] .3 .7 [2] .4

Earners

1.3 1.7 1.2 2.0 1.7 1.8 2.5 2.4 1.1 .9

Vehicles

1.9 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.0 2.4 3.0 2.8 1.2 1.4

Percent homeowner

64 79 83 76 68 73 85 78 35 51

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $81,898 $74,353 $89,900 $80,311 $91,267 $93,206 $77,802 $48,615 $44,564

Food

8,169 10,547 9,117 11,957 9,549 12,395 12,638 10,821 7,239 5,719

Food at home

4,643 6,054 5,156 6,857 5,431 7,033 7,385 6,696 4,208 3,174

Cereals and bakery products

583 760 618 878 659 926 926 904 583 393

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 1,284 1,066 1,459 1,049 1,489 1,642 1,549 889 664

Dairy products

455 599 503 691 559 726 712 635 384 307

Fruits and vegetables

876 1,158 998 1,307 1,060 1,370 1,348 1,238 708 593

Other food at home

1,749 2,253 1,970 2,522 2,104 2,521 2,757 2,371 1,645 1,217

Food away from home

3,526 4,493 3,962 5,101 4,119 5,362 5,253 4,124 3,031 2,545

Alcoholic beverages

579 697 837 610 455 588 730 401 323 482

Housing

20,679 25,431 23,066 27,599 29,899 27,943 25,784 25,835 17,340 16,002

Shelter

12,190 14,479 13,275 15,668 16,509 16,341 14,180 14,204 10,332 9,968

Owned dwellings

6,797 9,709 8,781 10,565 10,234 10,796 10,402 9,841 3,448 4,072

Rented dwellings

4,432 3,339 2,698 3,913 5,386 4,346 2,428 3,532 6,469 5,372

Other lodging

961 1,430 1,796 1,191 888 1,198 1,349 830 414 523

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,979 4,566 5,213 4,010 5,236 5,855 5,859 3,613 3,125

Household operations

1,570 2,159 1,527 2,852 5,825 2,577 1,594 1,634 1,358 969

Housekeeping supplies

766 1,023 1,012 1,017 759 1,002 1,184 1,116 615 506

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 2,791 2,686 2,848 2,796 2,786 2,971 3,023 1,423 1,434

Apparel and services

1,883 2,377 1,789 2,952 2,409 3,253 2,795 2,460 2,143 1,324

Transportation

10,742 14,107 12,164 16,126 12,800 15,384 19,119 13,124 8,491 7,424

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 5,857 4,827 7,132 5,362 6,690 8,797 4,191 3,378 2,954

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 2,727 2,241 3,081 2,504 3,039 3,469 3,328 1,848 1,451

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 4,473 4,017 4,845 3,904 4,684 5,619 4,816 2,834 2,485

Public and other transportation

781 1,049 1,080 1,067 1,030 971 1,233 788 430 534

Healthcare

5,193 6,985 7,605 6,375 5,727 6,189 7,022 7,081 2,634 3,567

Entertainment

3,090 4,222 4,265 4,385 3,321 5,097 3,903 3,049 2,087 1,995

Personal care products and services

786 989 950 1,029 742 1,053 1,156 984 771 571

Reading

92 114 138 89 64 105 78 120 42 74

Education

1,443 2,004 1,433 2,650 1,055 2,974 3,060 1,426 1,019 895

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 316 298 305 174 332 337 478 249 331

Miscellaneous

899 1,046 1,055 1,053 641 1,084 1,239 943 1,341 697

Cash contributions

1,995 2,740 3,100 2,564 1,715 2,791 2,700 1,808 856 1,328

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 10,323 8,535 12,206 11,760 12,080 12,648 9,271 4,079 4,152

Life and other personal insurance

520 802 851 788 569 719 1,015 617 225 252

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 9,521 7,683 11,418 11,191 11,361 11,633 8,654 3,854 3,900

Footnotes

[1] No data reported.

[2] Value is too small to display.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 7. Number of earners in consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Single consumers Consumer units of two or more people
No earner One earner No earner One earner Two earners Three or more earners

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 17,458 22,433 12,973 24,489 43,078 11,812

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $21,207 $54,023 $36,677 $78,107 $124,323 $138,024

Age of reference person

51.6 69.9 44.6 68.1 50.3 44.3 48.7

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.0 1.0 2.2 3.0 3.0 4.4

Children under 18

.6 [1] [1] .2 1.0 .9 1.0

Adults 65 and older

.4 .7 .1 1.4 .4 .2 .2

Earners

1.3 [1] 1.0 [1] 1.0 2.0 3.3

Vehicles

1.9 1.0 1.2 2.0 1.9 2.4 3.0

Percent homeowner

64 58 43 78 63 69 77

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $30,451 $44,220 $49,557 $63,867 $81,662 $92,029

Food

8,169 3,971 5,141 7,150 8,775 10,311 12,137

Food at home

4,643 2,544 2,627 4,507 5,255 5,591 6,971

Cereals and bakery products

583 334 307 599 673 685 896

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 512 508 973 1,124 1,186 1,524

Dairy products

455 261 247 460 508 550 674

Fruits and vegetables

876 480 500 863 1,010 1,040 1,305

Other food at home

1,749 957 1,064 1,612 1,939 2,130 2,572

Food away from home

3,526 1,427 2,514 2,643 3,521 4,720 5,166

Alcoholic beverages

579 246 558 549 444 777 713

Housing

20,679 12,793 16,017 17,216 21,209 25,471 26,370

Shelter

12,190 7,930 10,565 9,123 12,185 14,944 14,908

Owned dwellings

6,797 3,622 3,987 5,746 6,698 8,965 10,281

Rented dwellings

4,432 3,870 5,979 2,317 4,551 4,668 3,535

Other lodging

961 438 600 1,060 936 1,311 1,092

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 2,596 2,586 4,052 4,331 4,760 5,862

Household operations

1,570 1,025 771 1,295 1,583 2,273 1,602

Housekeeping supplies

766 463 418 877 898 869 1,088

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 778 1,677 1,870 2,212 2,625 2,910

Apparel and services

1,883 798 1,255 1,377 2,095 2,541 2,364

Transportation

10,742 3,735 7,195 8,179 10,572 14,280 18,097

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 1,326 2,699 3,163 4,093 6,113 7,852

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 678 1,439 1,607 2,149 2,714 3,591

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 1,375 2,509 2,738 3,444 4,490 5,571

Public and other transportation

781 356 548 672 885 963 1,083

Healthcare

5,193 4,078 2,775 7,251 5,344 5,821 6,576

Entertainment

3,090 1,439 1,883 2,403 3,132 4,274 4,227

Personal care products and services

786 426 528 741 825 978 1,078

Reading

92 94 66 150 88 90 94

Education

1,443 352 958 453 1,319 1,959 3,442

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 203 247 301 364 356 430

Miscellaneous

899 599 787 733 965 1,030 1,119

Cash contributions

1,995 1,410 1,510 2,185 2,528 2,064 2,220

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 307 5,300 869 6,205 11,712 13,161

Life and other personal insurance

520 186 216 532 610 696 746

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 121 5,084 338 5,596 11,016 12,416

Footnotes

[1] Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 8. Housing tenure: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Homeowner Renter
Total Homeowner with mortgage Homeowner without mortgage

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 84,291 49,241 35,049 47,951

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $100,352 $119,508 $73,439 $52,089

Age of reference person

51.6 55.9 50.1 64.1 43.8

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 2.6 2.9 2.1 2.2

Children under 18

.6 .6 .8 .3 .6

Adults 65 and older

.4 .5 .3 .8 .2

Earners

1.3 1.4 1.7 .9 1.2

Vehicles

1.9 2.3 2.4 2.2 1.2

Percent homeowner

64 100 100 100 [1]

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $72,388 $82,421 $57,898 $46,614

Food

8,169 9,180 9,937 7,915 6,399

Food at home

4,643 5,216 5,468 4,783 3,641

Cereals and bakery products

583 654 684 601 459

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 1,100 1,133 1,044 771

Dairy products

455 517 546 468 346

Fruits and vegetables

876 979 1,020 907 697

Other food at home

1,749 1,966 2,085 1,763 1,368

Food away from home

3,526 3,964 4,469 3,133 2,759

Alcoholic beverages

579 683 775 528 398

Housing

20,679 22,314 26,418 16,522 17,809

Shelter

12,190 11,999 15,186 7,520 12,527

Owned dwellings

6,797 10,587 13,736 6,163 136

Rented dwellings

4,432 138 134 143 11,979

Other lodging

961 1,274 1,316 1,214 412

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,805 5,152 4,319 2,736

Household operations

1,570 1,939 2,220 1,544 921

Housekeeping supplies

766 945 955 928 451

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 2,625 2,905 2,211 1,174

Apparel and services

1,883 2,052 2,290 1,675 1,587

Transportation

10,742 12,581 14,414 10,002 7,510

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 5,340 6,082 4,298 2,730

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 2,368 2,714 1,881 1,613

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 3,976 4,672 2,993 2,592

Public and other transportation

781 898 945 830 575

Healthcare

5,193 6,450 6,404 6,525 2,983

Entertainment

3,090 3,873 4,379 3,081 1,715

Personal care products and services

786 909 1,006 760 572

Reading

92 113 108 125 55

Education

1,443 1,549 1,959 970 1,257

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 300 317 277 355

Miscellaneous

899 1,023 1,174 802 682

Cash contributions

1,995 2,598 2,292 3,029 935

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 8,762 10,949 5,689 4,358

Life and other personal insurance

520 707 816 554 190

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 8,055 10,133 5,135 4,167

Footnotes

[1] Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 9. Region of residence: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Northeast Midwest South West

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 23,243 28,140 50,977 29,882

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $88,486 $78,586 $79,348 $88,463

Age of reference person

51.6 53.1 52.0 51.0 50.9

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.6

Children under 18

.6 .5 .6 .6 .6

Adults 65 and older

.4 .4 .4 .4 .4

Earners

1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4

Vehicles

1.9 1.6 2.1 1.9 2.0

Percent homeowner

64 61 69 65 59

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $68,795 $59,909 $58,622 $69,029

Food

8,169 8,966 7,682 7,616 8,947

Food at home

4,643 5,192 4,478 4,316 4,930

Cereals and bakery products

583 700 555 534 602

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 1,153 960 924 963

Dairy products

455 522 435 405 505

Fruits and vegetables

876 1,007 804 798 975

Other food at home

1,749 1,809 1,723 1,655 1,883

Food away from home

3,526 3,774 3,204 3,300 4,017

Alcoholic beverages

579 660 575 512 634

Housing

20,679 23,525 18,678 18,781 23,590

Shelter

12,190 14,643 10,457 10,466 14,857

Owned dwellings

6,797 8,093 6,418 6,004 7,500

Rented dwellings

4,432 5,467 2,990 3,611 6,383

Other lodging

961 1,083 1,048 851 974

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,239 3,950 4,115 3,909

Household operations

1,570 1,612 1,518 1,440 1,808

Housekeeping supplies

766 781 803 767 715

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 2,250 1,951 1,993 2,299

Apparel and services

1,883 2,282 1,756 1,722 1,968

Transportation

10,742 10,495 10,512 10,665 11,284

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 4,079 4,545 4,579 4,180

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 1,779 1,980 2,100 2,437

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 3,607 3,354 3,368 3,665

Public and other transportation

781 1,029 634 618 1,003

Healthcare

5,193 5,209 5,643 4,982 5,116

Entertainment

3,090 3,176 3,115 2,845 3,416

Personal care products and services

786 871 717 752 845

Reading

92 90 110 79 100

Education

1,443 2,637 1,024 1,111 1,476

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 309 372 353 223

Miscellaneous

899 1,127 790 790 1,011

Cash contributions

1,995 1,638 1,776 1,852 2,724

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 7,809 7,158 6,563 7,697

Life and other personal insurance

520 614 524 511 458

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 7,196 6,634 6,052 7,239

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 10. Occupation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Self-employed workers Wage and salary earners Retired All other, including not reporting
Total wage and salary earners Managers and professionals Technical, sales and clerical workers Service workers Construction workers and mechanics Operators, fabricators, and laborers

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 8,326 80,630 33,153 20,641 15,896 4,024 6,915 27,917 15,370

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $134,345 $98,796 $137,660 $75,394 $65,516 $76,247 $71,950 $42,252 $45,060

Age of reference person

51.6 50.8 44.3 45.2 42.9 44.7 41.6 45.6 74.3 48.5

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.9 1.7 2.7

Children under 18

.6 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .8 .8 .1 .8

Adults 65 and older

.4 .3 .2 .1 .2 .2 .1 .2 1.3 .2

Earners

1.3 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.9 .2 .6

Vehicles

1.9 2.2 2.0 2.2 1.9 1.7 2.1 2.3 1.7 1.5

Percent homeowner

64 71 61 70 54 50 57 63 80 46

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $86,662 $69,099 $86,702 $60,179 $53,462 $57,906 $54,107 $47,259 $46,939

Food

8,169 11,015 8,693 10,032 8,111 7,447 8,591 6,938 6,492 6,827

Food at home

4,643 5,589 4,802 5,297 4,500 4,370 5,096 4,127 4,057 4,315

Cereals and bakery products

583 688 594 650 549 556 612 536 526 569

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 1,278 996 1,027 951 956 1,130 974 867 931

Dairy products

455 520 463 533 437 391 462 371 416 444

Fruits and vegetables

876 1,108 903 1,005 847 822 952 736 774 790

Other food at home

1,749 1,995 1,847 2,082 1,717 1,645 1,941 1,511 1,474 1,581

Food away from home

3,526 5,426 3,890 4,735 3,611 3,077 3,494 2,810 2,435 2,513

Alcoholic beverages

579 877 647 877 550 423 586 393 480 249

Housing

20,679 26,116 22,304 27,325 19,427 18,638 18,497 17,560 16,635 16,536

Shelter

12,190 15,396 13,376 16,512 11,749 11,186 10,664 9,810 9,149 9,757

Owned dwellings

6,797 9,141 7,398 10,157 5,697 5,081 5,496 5,676 5,791 4,206

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,388 5,001 4,838 5,370 5,474 4,792 3,716 2,523 4,937

Other lodging

961 1,867 978 1,518 682 631 376 418 835 614

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,872 4,159 4,566 3,811 3,832 3,881 4,158 3,766 3,593

Household operations

1,570 2,006 1,719 2,454 1,316 1,136 1,317 979 1,401 855

Housekeeping supplies

766 1,078 744 896 691 634 652 501 777 686

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 2,764 2,306 2,897 1,861 1,849 1,983 2,112 1,542 1,646

Apparel and services

1,883 2,578 2,050 2,478 1,967 1,651 1,589 1,502 1,342 1,590

Transportation

10,742 12,022 12,367 14,726 11,262 9,767 10,790 11,270 7,255 7,860

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 3,923 5,236 6,483 4,699 3,779 4,302 4,755 2,779 3,161

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 2,502 2,379 2,491 2,227 2,148 2,768 2,600 1,359 1,714

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 4,306 3,917 4,523 3,676 3,225 3,478 3,587 2,496 2,474

Public and other transportation

781 1,291 835 1,229 660 615 243 328 621 510

Healthcare

5,193 6,858 4,795 6,099 4,180 3,604 3,569 3,844 6,670 3,699

Entertainment

3,090 4,868 3,321 4,547 2,780 2,213 2,485 2,159 2,297 2,333

Personal care products and services

786 1,008 836 1,062 744 663 655 541 700 563

Reading

92 123 80 108 70 55 56 50 139 57

Education

1,443 2,477 1,667 2,329 1,423 1,213 904 724 371 1,653

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 283 336 216 370 376 633 539 200 474

Miscellaneous

899 1,501 937 1,249 826 541 770 800 740 663

Cash contributions

1,995 3,046 1,921 2,783 1,407 1,083 1,803 1,321 2,341 1,186

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 13,889 9,145 12,872 7,064 5,789 6,978 6,466 1,597 3,247

Life and other personal insurance

520 874 520 757 411 331 251 298 500 364

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 13,015 8,625 12,114 6,653 5,459 6,727 6,168 1,097 2,884

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 11. Highest education level of any member: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Less than college graduate College graduate
Total Less than high school graduate High school graduate High school graduate with some college Associate's degree Total Bachelor's degree Master's, professional, doctoral degree

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 73,574 7,558 25,129 26,041 14,845 58,668 33,841 24,828

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $52,027 $31,970 $42,599 $56,109 $71,039 $121,507 $104,922 $144,112

Age of reference person

51.6 52.4 56.3 54.6 50.1 50.8 50.5 49.3 52.1

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.6

Children under 18

.6 .6 .7 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

Adults 65 and older

.4 .4 .4 .5 .4 .4 .4 .3 .4

Earners

1.3 1.1 .8 1.0 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5

Vehicles

1.9 1.8 1.1 1.6 1.8 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2

Percent homeowner

64 56 45 56 55 65 73 69 79

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $46,344 $30,276 $40,029 $49,559 $59,579 $83,856 $73,832 $97,588

Food

8,169 6,553 4,879 5,762 7,005 7,946 10,143 9,517 11,021

Food at home

4,643 3,981 3,721 3,534 4,131 4,599 5,448 5,067 5,988

Cereals and bakery products

583 507 492 471 515 563 675 631 738

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 897 837 849 903 997 1,082 987 1,218

Dairy products

455 376 329 339 392 436 550 510 607

Fruits and vegetables

876 714 697 642 730 816 1,073 972 1,216

Other food at home

1,749 1,487 1,366 1,234 1,590 1,787 2,068 1,967 2,209

Food away from home

3,526 2,572 1,158 2,227 2,874 3,347 4,695 4,450 5,032

Alcoholic beverages

579 338 169 284 367 466 874 808 966

Housing

20,679 15,625 11,618 14,214 16,306 18,864 27,003 23,683 31,536

Shelter

12,190 8,872 6,992 8,109 9,311 10,350 16,352 14,307 19,140

Owned dwellings

6,797 4,083 2,223 3,540 4,281 5,599 10,201 8,453 12,584

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,375 4,637 4,209 4,577 4,169 4,502 4,727 4,197

Other lodging

961 414 132 359 452 582 1,648 1,127 2,358

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 3,646 2,817 3,446 3,747 4,229 4,568 4,252 5,000

Household operations

1,570 936 550 853 981 1,195 2,364 1,825 3,100

Housekeeping supplies

766 622 471 509 629 880 939 842 1,077

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 1,549 788 1,298 1,638 2,211 2,779 2,458 3,219

Apparel and services

1,883 1,362 999 1,163 1,366 1,882 2,521 2,324 2,794

Transportation

10,742 8,905 4,909 7,557 9,431 12,301 13,044 12,315 14,039

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 3,781 1,703 3,117 3,896 5,761 5,162 5,043 5,326

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 1,894 1,333 1,689 1,992 2,355 2,345 2,320 2,380

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 2,873 1,659 2,454 3,153 3,710 4,226 3,970 4,577

Public and other transportation

781 358 213 298 390 475 1,310 983 1,757

Healthcare

5,193 3,971 2,533 3,785 4,044 4,892 6,724 6,001 7,711

Entertainment

3,090 2,118 1,147 1,639 2,430 2,868 4,295 3,442 5,480

Personal care products and services

786 591 323 462 613 911 1,028 917 1,182

Reading

92 67 35 75 66 72 123 104 150

Education

1,443 563 303 259 912 599 2,546 1,839 3,512

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 433 341 496 423 392 178 212 131

Miscellaneous

899 675 387 448 700 1,161 1,179 961 1,477

Cash contributions

1,995 1,045 508 854 1,207 1,358 3,187 2,406 4,252

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 4,098 2,124 3,031 4,690 5,868 11,011 9,304 13,337

Life and other personal insurance

520 318 168 269 313 486 772 570 1,049

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 3,780 1,955 2,763 4,377 5,382 10,239 8,735 12,289

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 12. Race of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units White and all other races, and Asian Black or African-American
Total White and all other races [1] Asian

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 114,554 108,246 6,308 17,688

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $86,743 $85,417 $109,492 $57,649

Age of reference person

51.6 52.1 52.4 45.8 48.3

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 2.5 2.4 2.8 2.4

Children under 18

.6 .6 .6 .7 .7

Adults 65 and older

.4 .4 .4 .3 .3

Earners

1.3 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.2

Vehicles

1.9 2.0 2.0 1.6 1.4

Percent homeowner

64 67 68 54 43

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $65,446 $64,981 $73,433 $47,230

Food

8,169 8,492 8,425 9,620 5,983

Food at home

4,643 4,803 4,789 5,040 3,553

Cereals and bakery products

583 605 602 648 435

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 987 980 1,109 935

Dairy products

455 481 485 412 275

Fruits and vegetables

876 905 885 1,242 678

Other food at home

1,749 1,825 1,836 1,629 1,230

Food away from home

3,526 3,689 3,636 4,581 2,429

Alcoholic beverages

579 633 647 400 213

Housing

20,679 21,215 21,012 24,694 17,176

Shelter

12,190 12,468 12,225 16,637 10,390

Owned dwellings

6,797 7,217 7,132 8,682 4,079

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,207 4,053 6,837 5,889

Other lodging

961 1,045 1,040 1,118 422

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,101 4,126 3,664 3,760

Household operations

1,570 1,638 1,616 2,019 1,128

Housekeeping supplies

766 797 808 602 553

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 2,211 2,237 1,772 1,345

Apparel and services

1,883 1,870 1,864 1,968 1,971

Transportation

10,742 11,087 11,070 11,378 8,509

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 4,593 4,625 4,059 3,100

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 2,141 2,146 2,042 1,794

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 3,536 3,544 3,400 3,070

Public and other transportation

781 817 755 1,877 546

Healthcare

5,193 5,476 5,521 4,700 3,354

Entertainment

3,090 3,322 3,335 3,101 1,548

Personal care products and services

786 795 798 738 727

Reading

92 98 99 77 52

Education

1,443 1,533 1,442 3,085 862

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 333 345 133 232

Miscellaneous

899 950 951 924 568

Cash contributions

1,995 2,127 2,123 2,207 1,139

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 7,515 7,347 10,407 4,894

Life and other personal insurance

520 529 521 666 461

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 6,987 6,826 9,740 4,433

Footnotes

[1] All other races includes Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and approximately 2 percent reporting more than one race.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 13. Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino
Total White and all other races Black or African American

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 17,921 114,321 96,992 17,328

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes

$82,852 $64,577 $85,717 $90,734 $57,632

Age of reference person

51.6 45.4 52.5 53.3 48.2

Average number in consumer unit:

People

2.5 3.2 2.3 2.3 2.4

Children under 18

.6 1.0 .5 .5 .7

Adults 65 and older

.4 .2 .4 .5 .3

Earners

1.3 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.2

Vehicles

1.9 1.7 2.0 2.1 1.4

Percent homeowner

64 48 66 70 43

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $54,734 $64,350 $67,370 $47,213

Food

8,169 8,136 8,172 8,547 5,969

Food at home

4,643 4,818 4,614 4,801 3,504

Cereals and bakery products

583 604 580 605 431

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 1,118 957 962 928

Dairy products

455 470 452 483 270

Fruits and vegetables

876 988 857 889 672

Other food at home

1,749 1,637 1,767 1,862 1,204

Food away from home

3,526 3,318 3,559 3,746 2,465

Alcoholic beverages

579 360 616 684 212

Housing

20,679 19,202 20,915 21,591 17,088

Shelter

12,190 11,734 12,262 12,611 10,308

Owned dwellings

6,797 5,051 7,071 7,606 4,079

Rented dwellings

4,432 6,338 4,133 3,834 5,802

Other lodging

961 345 1,058 1,170 428

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,052 4,055 4,108 3,762

Household operations

1,570 1,108 1,642 1,734 1,128

Housekeeping supplies

766 634 788 827 552

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 1,673 2,168 2,312 1,337

Apparel and services

1,883 1,938 1,874 1,851 2,006

Transportation

10,742 10,721 10,746 11,144 8,517

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 4,267 4,414 4,646 3,111

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 2,438 2,040 2,083 1,798

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 3,407 3,485 3,558 3,073

Public and other transportation

781 609 807 856 534

Healthcare

5,193 3,485 5,462 5,837 3,349

Entertainment

3,090 1,937 3,278 3,576 1,554

Personal care products and services

786 752 791 801 734

Reading

92 46 100 108 51

Education

1,443 826 1,540 1,660 870

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 167 344 364 234

Miscellaneous

899 656 937 1,001 577

Cash contributions

1,995 907 2,166 2,348 1,146

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 5,600 7,410 7,857 4,906

Life and other personal insurance

520 280 557 574 465

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 5,320 6,853 7,284 4,441

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 14. Generation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Birth year of 1997 or later Birth year from 1981 to 1996 Birth year from 1965 to 1980 Birth year from 1946 to 1964 Birth year of 1945 or earlier

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 3,698 33,033 35,498 43,148 16,865

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $27,779 $79,514 $106,173 $86,251 $43,680

Age of reference person

51.6 20.2 30.7 46.2 63.1 80.8

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 1.8 2.8 3.1 2.1 1.6

Children under 18

.6 .3 1.0 1.0 .2 [1]

Adults 65 and older

.4 [1] [1] [1] .6 1.4

Earners

1.3 1.2 1.6 1.8 1.1 .3

Vehicles

1.9 1.0 1.7 2.2 2.1 1.5

Percent homeowner

64 12 43 66 76 81

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $34,092 $59,866 $76,788 $63,956 $44,412

Food

8,169 5,288 7,740 10,073 8,180 5,625

Food at home

4,643 2,516 4,114 5,616 4,862 3,591

Cereals and bakery products

583 313 499 719 606 471

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 562 891 1,177 1,024 731

Dairy products

455 249 383 556 476 382

Fruits and vegetables

876 508 781 1,041 909 723

Other food at home

1,749 884 1,560 2,123 1,848 1,285

Food away from home

3,526 2,772 3,626 4,457 3,318 2,034

Alcoholic beverages

579 201 528 641 688 360

Housing

20,679 10,040 20,958 24,353 20,185 16,041

Shelter

12,190 6,493 13,027 14,456 11,450 8,926

Owned dwellings

6,797 682 5,036 8,837 7,550 5,370

Rented dwellings

4,432 5,144 7,392 4,538 2,653 2,803

Other lodging

961 666 599 1,081 1,248 752

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 1,772 3,538 4,751 4,264 3,570

Household operations

1,570 355 1,883 1,798 1,267 1,518

Housekeeping supplies

766 308 546 887 897 729

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 1,114 1,965 2,462 2,307 1,298

Apparel and services

1,883 1,048 2,030 2,437 1,723 1,015

Transportation

10,742 8,106 11,052 13,346 10,363 6,205

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 4,378 4,669 5,509 4,038 2,419

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 1,307 2,196 2,664 2,010 1,082

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 1,793 3,459 4,285 3,454 2,219

Public and other transportation

781 628 728 888 861 485

Healthcare

5,193 1,078 3,428 5,133 6,273 6,932

Entertainment

3,090 1,141 2,556 3,856 3,469 2,000

Personal care products and services

786 433 666 971 804 675

Reading

92 39 [2] 55 87 105 160

Education

1,443 3,636 1,282 2,164 1,248 263

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 144 343 360 355 140

Miscellaneous

899 284 678 1,056 1,035 790

Cash contributions

1,995 302 1,059 2,247 2,442 2,528

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 2,351 7,492 10,065 7,085 1,680

Life and other personal insurance

520 89 252 617 727 402

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 2,262 7,240 9,447 6,358 1,277

Footnotes

[1] Value is too small to display.

[2] Data are likely to have large sampling errors.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Table 15. Type of area: Average annual expenditures and consumer unit characteristics, 2019
Item All consumer units Urban Rural
Total Central city Other urban

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

132,242 121,604 48,030 73,574 10,639

Consumer unit characteristics

Income before taxes

$82,852 $84,784 $76,029 $90,499 $60,765

Age of reference person

51.6 51.2 49.3 52.5 55.0

Average number in consumer unit

People

2.5 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.5

Children under 18

.6 .6 .5 .6 .6

Adults 65 and older

.4 .4 .3 .4 .5

Earners

1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.1

Vehicles

1.9 1.9 1.6 2.1 2.5

Percent homeowner

64 62 50 70 78

Average annual expenditures

$63,036 $64,092 $58,031 $68,068 $50,955

Food

8,169 8,279 7,543 8,768 6,908

Food at home

4,643 4,672 4,182 4,997 4,319

Cereals and bakery products

583 588 523 631 527

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

980 982 886 1,047 958

Dairy products

455 456 400 494 437

Fruits and vegetables

876 891 819 939 705

Other food at home

1,749 1,754 1,554 1,886 1,691

Food away from home

3,526 3,607 3,361 3,771 2,589

Alcoholic beverages

579 598 575 614 359

Housing

20,679 21,283 19,768 22,277 13,772

Shelter

12,190 12,703 12,322 12,951 6,334

Owned dwellings

6,797 7,021 5,366 8,102 4,238

Rented dwellings

4,432 4,701 6,153 3,754 1,348

Other lodging

961 980 804 1,095 748

Utilities, fuels, and public services

4,055 4,067 3,661 4,332 3,916

Household operations

1,570 1,617 1,420 1,745 1,035

Housekeeping supplies

766 758 623 847 852

Household furnishings and equipment

2,098 2,139 1,741 2,401 1,635

Apparel and services

1,883 1,951 1,817 2,041 1,099

Transportation

10,742 10,679 9,405 11,510 11,468

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

4,394 4,284 3,748 4,634 5,646

Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil

2,094 2,072 1,725 2,299 2,344

Other vehicle expenses

3,474 3,510 3,075 3,795 3,057

Public and other transportation

781 812 856 783 420

Healthcare

5,193 5,179 4,384 5,698 5,358

Entertainment

3,090 3,125 2,715 3,396 2,686

Personal care products and services

786 815 750 858 463

Reading

92 93 87 97 83

Education

1,443 1,519 1,506 1,527 579

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

320 299 252 330 554

Miscellaneous

899 918 796 999 678

Cash contributions

1,995 2,008 1,801 2,143 1,847

Personal insurance and pensions

7,165 7,346 6,633 7,811 5,098

Life and other personal insurance

520 523 431 583 478

Pensions and Social Security

6,645 6,822 6,202 7,228 4,620

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

Technical Notes

The principal objective of the Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) is to collect information on the buying habits of U.S. consumers. Consumer expenditure data are used in a variety of research activities by government, business, labor, and academic analysts. In addition, the data are required for the regular revision of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) market basket.

First collected in 1888, the CE was conducted approximately every 10 years through the 1972–73 survey; annual collection began in late 1979. The CE is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CE consists of two surveys, each with independent samples that were first implemented in the 1972–73 series. There is a Diary Survey completed by participating consumer units for two consecutive 1-week periods, and an Interview Survey in which expenditures of consumer units are obtained in four interviews over the course of 10 months, conducted at 3-month intervals. The results in this report are based on integrated data from both surveys. Survey participants record dollar amounts for goods and services purchased during the reporting period, regardless of whether payment is made at the time of purchase. Expenditure amounts include all sales and excise taxes for items purchased by the consumer unit. All business-related expenditures are excluded from both surveys, as are most items for which the consumer unit is reimbursed. However, the Interview Survey collects information on insurance reimbursements for medical care costs.

For the Diary Survey, the CE Program draws a sample of 12,000 addresses per year, with approximately 10,000 of those addresses found to be occupied housing units. The other 2,000 addresses are generally nonexistent, nonresidential, or vacant. Approximately 6,000 of those occupied housing units respond to the survey, and each of those households completes two weekly diaries for a total of 12,000 weekly diaries per year. Likewise, for the Interview survey, the CE Program visits 12,000 addresses per quarter, with 10,000 of those addresses having occupied housing units. Then approximately 6,000 of those occupied housing units respond to the survey for a total of 6,000 interviews per quarter. Each consumer unit is interviewed once per quarter, for four consecutive quarters. With the rotating panel, some consumer units rotate out of the survey each quarter, while others rotate in. Data from both the Diary and Interview Surveys are collected on an ongoing basis in 91 geographic areas of the United States.

The Diary Survey is designed to capture expenditures on small, frequently purchased items that are normally more difficult for respondents to recall buying over an extended period. Respondents keep detailed entries of expenses for food and beverages—both for food at home (e.g., purchased from grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets) and food away from home (e.g., purchased from restaurants, carry outs, employer and school cafeterias)—and for tobacco, housekeeping supplies, nonprescription drugs, personal care products and services, most apparel, and any other goods or services purchased within the period. Although this survey was designed to collect information on expenditures that could not be recalled easily over an extended period, respondents are asked to report all expenses, except those spent while traveling overnight or longer, that the consumer unit incurs during the survey week.

The Interview Survey is designed to capture expenditure data that respondents can reasonably recall for a period of 3 months or longer. In general, these expenditures are relatively large, such as expenditures for real property, automobiles, and major appliances, or they occur on a regular basis, such as rent, utility payments, and insurance premiums. The Interview Survey also collects data on expenditures incurred on leisure trips. Including broad estimates of food spending, it is estimated that about 95 percent of expenditures are covered in the Interview Survey. Nonprescription drugs, household supplies, and personal care items are excluded.

Integrated data from the Diary and Interview Surveys provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and income that neither survey is designed to do on its own. One reason is that data on some expenditure items are collected in only one of the surveys. For example, the Diary Survey does not collect information on reimbursements, whereas the Interview Survey does. Examples of expenditures for which reimbursements are included in the Interview Survey are medical care; automobile repairs; and construction, repairs, alterations, and maintenance of property. For items that are unique to one survey or the other, the choice of which survey to use as the source of data is obvious. However, there is considerable overlap in coverage between the surveys, and integrating the data involves a determination of the appropriate survey from which to select specific expenditure items. When data are available from both surveys, the CE program uses statistical methods to determine which survey is more reliable. In this way, some items are selected from the Interview Survey, and others are selected from the Diary Survey. The CE program reviews the survey source every 2 years for this purpose. See “CE Source Selection for Publication Tables” in the Consumer Expenditure Survey Anthology, 2011 (BLS Report, no. 1030), for source selection details.

As noted above, the CPI market basket is revised in accordance with results from the CE. However, the population coverage of the CE differs from the CPI. The CE data cover the total population including rural areas, whereas the CPI covers only the population in urban and metropolitan areas. With the latest CPI geographic revisions, efforts are being made to align the urban areas sampled by the CPI and the CE.

Definitions of components also differ between the CE and CPI. For example, homeownership is treated differently in the two surveys: actual expenditures of homeownership are reported in the CE, whereas the CPI uses a rental equivalence approach that estimates the change in the cost of obtaining, in the rental marketplace, services equivalent to those provided by owner-occupied homes. (For an overview of the CPI methodology, see the Handbook of Methods section on the Consumer Price Index.)

Interpreting the data

Expenditures are averages for consumer units with specified characteristics, regardless of whether a particular unit incurred an expense for a specific item during the recordkeeping period. Therefore, the average expenditure shown for an item may be considerably lower than the average expenditure by the consumer units that purchased the item. The less frequently an item is purchased, the greater the difference between the average for all consumer units and the average for those purchasing the item. Similarly, an individual consumer unit may spend more or less than the average, depending on its particular characteristics. Factors such as income, age of family members, and geographic location influence expenditures. In addition, even within groups with similar characteristics, the distribution of expenditures varies substantially, as personal preference, prices, and other factors not collected in the CE (e.g., health status of consumer unit members) also influence expenditures. These points should be considered when comparing reported averages with the individual circumstances of any particular consumer unit of interest. Users of these survey data should also keep in mind the data reflect conditions at the time they were collected, which may be different than current circumstances. For example, prices may have changed. All prices, as measured by the CPI-U, increased 1.8 percent from 2018 to 2019 (annual average index); undoubtedly, some prices rose more than the average (1.8 percent), some rose less, some stayed the same, and some have even declined. In addition, sample surveys are subject to two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. Sampling errors occur because the data are collected from a sample representing the population, rather than from the entire population. Therefore, the mean of the sample may differ from the mean that would be obtained if data from the entire population were available. Nonsampling errors result from the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, differences in interviewers’ abilities, mistakes in recording or coding, and other processing errors. For additional information on these types of errors see sampling and nonsampling errors.

Standard tables, 1960–61, 1972–73, 1984–2019

Tables in this report include integrated data from both the Diary and Interview components of the CE, enabling data users to associate the full range of expenditures with consumers’ demographic characteristics. Users can access the CE tables beginning with 1960–61, which have more detail than is given in this report. Also available are tables showing average annual data over a 2-year period for

  • income before taxes, cross-tabulated by age, consumer unit size, or region;

  • single consumers by gender, cross-tabulated by either income or age; and

  • selected metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

Detailed tables, 1984–2019

In addition, the CE also produces detailed prepublication tables, which contain additional sub-categories of spending by demographic characteristics, but also have larger variances. They are available by request; email: CEXInfo@bls.gov. Prepublication tables at the all-consumer unit level are available on the CE research products web page.

Public-use microdata

The 2019 CE public-use microdata, including Interview Survey data, Diary Survey data, and paradata (data about the survey process), are available on the CE website for electronic download. The Interview Survey files contain expenditure data in two different formats: MTBI files that present monthly values by coding items based on the CPI pricing scheme, and expenditure files that organize expenditures by the section of the Interview Survey questionnaire in which they are collected. Values on the expenditure files cover different periods depending on the specific questions asked, and the files also contain relevant non-expenditure information not found on the MTBI files.

Beginning with the 2013 public-use microdata, new estimates of local, state, and federal tax liabilities are included. The CE introduced these estimates to improve the quality of surveyed tax liabilities, which suffered from low item response. The respondent-provided tax data were still available in the public-use microdata for 2013, after which they were no longer collected. For more information on the improvements, see Improving data quality in the Consumer Expenditure Survey with TAXSIM, and for new applications of the tax estimates, see New estimates of personal taxes in the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Free public-use microdata are available at PUMD data files from the years 1980 to 2019.

Other survey information

Other survey information available on the website includes answers to frequently asked questions and a glossary of terms. Beginning with the 2000 data, estimates of standard errors for integrated Diary and Interview Survey data are also available.

The CE program also publishes expenditure data within the context of various topics of interest in Beyond the Numbers. As of December 2020, recent articles are: How have healthcare expenditures changed? Evidence from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys and How does consumer spending differ among households in California, Texas, and New York? A new BLS data product can tell us. Additional CE articles are presented in the Monthly Labor Review (MLR). As of December 2020, the recent analytical MLR articles using CE data are entitled, “Comparing characteristics and selected expenditures of dual- and single-income households with children,” and “Not fun for young and old alike: how the youngest and oldest consumers have fared in recession and recovery.” In addition, the CE research library includes general articles and research papers using CE data, including documents.

Information on the methodology used to calculate and collect CE data, including the CE data quality profile, can be found in the CE Handbook of Methods.

Upcoming events

Each year, the CE program sponsors a symposium and a microdata users’ workshop. Both events are free, although registration is required. The CE Symposium focuses on survey methodology, and typically features presenters from the CE program, other BLS programs, and researchers who are not affiliated with BLS. The symposium typically meets for 1 day. The CE Microdata Users’ Workshop is a 3-day event that combines practical “hands-on” training in use of the data (Interview and Diary), with presentations from users who are not affiliated with BLS. The practical training builds from an introduction to the data files and structure on the first day to expert topics on the final day. Presentations from researchers are selected from those who answer the call for presenters. As with registration, there is no fee for submitting a proposal to present in answer to the call. Both events are held in the same week of July. The next CE Symposium will be held on July 20, 2021. The next CE Microdata Users’ Workshop will be held on July 21-23, 2021. More information about these events is available on the CE website (CE Survey Methods Symposium and Microdata Users’ Workshop). Reports on these events are also published in the Monthly Labor Review (MLR). The most recent report available at the time of publication of this news release describes the 2019 events (Consumer Expenditure Surveys Methods Symposium and Microdata Users’ Workshop, July 16–19, 2019). Reports on earlier events are available on the CE MLR publications webpage (Monthly Labor Review articles by CE staff and others using CE data). Reports on subsequent events (2020 onward) will be posted at a later date.

Contact information

For more detailed information on the availability of current and earlier data, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Office of Prices and Living Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20212-0001; call (202) 691-6900; email: CEXInfo@bls.gov; or visit the Consumer Expenditure Surveys page. Information in this publication is in the public domain and, with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission. Upon request, the information in this report will be made available to individuals who are sensory-impaired. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200. Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.