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News Release Information

14-2059-CHI
Friday, November 07, 2014

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Consumer Expenditures for the Cleveland Metropolitan Area: 2012-2013

Consumer units in the Cleveland-Akron, Ohio, metropolitan area spent an average of $49,438 per year in 2012-2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that this figure was similar to the $51,299 average expenditure level for a typical household in the United States. In addition to spending about the same as U.S. households, consumer units in the Cleveland area also allocated their dollars similarly among all but one of the major consumer expenditure categories. Personal insurance and pensions was the only category where the expenditure share in Cleveland (12.6 percent) differed significantly from the national average (10.8 percent). (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Housing in the Cleveland metropolitan area averaged $15,644 annually and was the largest expenditure category, accounting for 31.6 percent of a Cleveland area household’s total budget. (See tables 1 and 2.) This share was similar to the 33.2-percent national average. Overall, 8 of the 18 published metropolitan areas had expenditure shares for housing significantly above the U.S. average. In contrast, one area, Detroit, had a share for housing that was significantly below the U.S. average. (See table 3 and chart 2.) Housing expenditures among the 18 areas ranged from 39.9 percent in Miami to 30.0 percent in Detroit. (See table 3.)

The majority of housing expenditures in Cleveland went toward shelter, 57.8 percent, which includes mortgage interest, property taxes, repairs, and rent among other items; nationwide, 58.6 percent of the average housing budget was allocated for shelter. (See table A.) Utilities, fuels, and public services expenses accounted for 23.4 percent of the housing budget locally; nationally, they made up 21.7 percent. The rate of homeownership in Cleveland, at 64 percent, was the same as the U.S. average.

Table A. Percent distribution of housing expenditures, United States and Cleveland, 2012-13
Category United States Cleveland

Total housing

100.0 100.0

Shelter

58.6 57.8

Utilities, fuels, and public services

21.7 23.4

Household operations

6.8 6.1

Housekeeping supplies

3.7 3.6

Household furnishings and equipment

9.2 9.0

Note: Columns may not add to 100 due to rounding.
 

At 18.2 percent of the total budget, transportation was the second-largest expenditure category in the Cleveland area; the local share was not significantly different from the national average of 17.5 percent. Among the 18 published metropolitan areas nationwide, 6 had below-average transportation shares. Two areas, Houston and Detroit, had shares that were significantly above the national average at 21.0 and 19.7 percent, respectively. (See table 3.)

Of the $8,977 in annual expenditures for transportation in Cleveland, 96.0 percent was spent buying and maintaining private vehicles; this compared to the national average of 94.0 percent. The remaining 4.0 percent of a Cleveland household’s transportation budget was spent on public transit, which includes fares for taxis, buses, trains, and planes. Nationally, 6.0 percent of transportation expenditures went to public transit. (See table B.) The average number of vehicles per household in Cleveland (1.8) was similar to the national average (1.9).

Table B. Percent distribution of transportation expenditures, United States and Cleveland, 2012-13
Category United States Cleveland

Transportation

100.0 100.0

Vehicle purchases (net outlays)

36.0 42.8

Gasoline and motor oil

29.8 25.5

Other vehicle expenses

28.2 27.6

Public transportation

6.0 4.0

Note: Columns may not add to 100 due to rounding. 
 

The portion of a Cleveland consumer unit’s budget spent on food, 12.8 percent, was not significantly different from the 12.9-percent U.S. average. Among the 18 metropolitan areas, 12 had food expenditure shares that were not significantly different from the nationwide average. (See table 3.)

Households in Cleveland spent $3,783, or 59.6 percent, of their food dollars on food at home and the remaining 40.4 percent ($2,563) on food prepared away from home, such as restaurant meals, carry-out, board at school, and catered affairs. In comparison, the typical U.S. household spent 59.8 percent of its food budget on food at home and 40.2 percent on food prepared away from home.

As noted, Cleveland is 1 of 18 metropolitan areas nationwide for which Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) data are available. Metropolitan area CE data and that for the four geographic regions of the United States are available on our Web site at https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm. Metropolitan area CE news releases are available at https://www.bls.gov/regions/subjects/consumer-spending.htm.

Additional Information

Data contained in this release are from the CE, which is conducted on an ongoing basis by the U.S. Census Bureau for the BLS. The CE data in this release were averaged over a two-year period, 2012 and 2013. CE data are available for the nation, the 4 geographic regions of the country, and 18 metropolitan areas. The metropolitan area discussed in this release is Cleveland-Akron, Ohio, which is comprised of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit Counties in Ohio.

The survey consists of two components, a diary or recordkeeping survey, and an interview survey. The integrated data from the BLS Diary and Interview Surveys provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and income, which neither survey component alone is designed to do. Due to changes in the survey sample frame, metropolitan area data in this release are not directly comparable to those prior to 1996.

A consumer unit is defined as members of a household related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other legal arrangement; a single person living alone or sharing a household with others but who is financially independent; or two or more persons living together who share responsibility for at least 2 out of 3 major types of expenses – food, housing, and other expenses. The terms household or consumer unit are used interchangeably for convenience.

CE metropolitan area estimates are not comparative cost of living surveys, as neither the quantity nor the quality of goods and services has been held constant among areas. Differences may result from variations in demographic characteristics such as consumer unit size, age, preferences, income levels, etc. However, expenditure shares, or the percentage of a consumer unit’s budget spent on a particular category, can be used to compare spending patterns across areas. Sample sizes for the metropolitan areas are much smaller than for the nation, so the U.S. estimates and year-to-year changes are more reliable than those for the metropolitan areas. Users should also keep in mind that prices for many goods and services have changed since the survey was conducted.

Expenditure shares for housing and transportation that are above or below that for the nation after testing for significance at the 95-percent confidence interval are also identified in charts 2 and 3 for the 18 metropolitan areas surveyed.

A value that is statistically different from another does not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical significance is concerned with our ability to make confident statements about a universe based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and heterogeneity of the sample affect the relative error of the data being tested.

For additional technical and related information, see www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cex/home.htm.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339.

 

Table 1. Percent distribution of average annual expenditures, United States and Cleveland metropolitan area, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2012-2013
CategoryUnited StatesCleveland

Average annual expenditures

$51,299$49,438

Percent distribution:

100.0100.0

Food

12.912.8

Alcoholic beverages

0.90.8

Housing

33.231.6

Apparel and services

3.33.0

Transportation

17.518.2

Health care

7.06.6

Entertainment

5.04.8

Personal care products and services

1.21.1

Reading

0.20.2*

Education

2.32.3

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

0.60.6

Miscellaneous

1.41.2

Cash contributions

3.74.1

Personal insurance and pensions

10.212.6*

*Statistically significant difference from the U.S. average at the 95-percent confidence level.
Note: Numbers may not add to 100 due to rounding.
 

Table 2. Consumer unit characteristics and average annual expenditures, United States and Cleveland metropolitan area, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2012-2013
CategoryUnited StatesCleveland

Consumer unit characteristics:

 

Income before taxes

$64,686$68,443

Age of reference person

50.154.2
 

Average number in consumer unit:

 

Persons

2.52.4

Children under 18

0.60.5

Persons 65 and over

0.30.4

Earners

1.31.2

Vehicles

1.91.8
 

Percent homeowners

6464
 

Average annual expenditures

$51,299$49,438

Food

6,6006,346

Food at home

3,9493,783

Cereals and bakery products

541514

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

854884

Dairy products

416406

Fruits and vegetables

741668

Other food at home

1,3971,311

Food away from home

2,6512,563

Alcoholic beverages

448411

Housing

17,03015,644

Shelter

9,9869,047

Owned dwellings

6,0825,666

Rented dwellings

3,2552,665

Other lodging

649716

Utilities, fuels, and public services

3,6933,663

Household operations

1,152957

Housekeeping supplies

627564

Household furnishings and equipment

1,5711,414

Apparel and services

1,6771,498

Transportation

9,0018,977

Vehicle purchases (net outlay)

3,2413,846

Gasoline and motor oil

2,6832,292

Other vehicle expenses

2,5372,480

Public transportation

540360

Healthcare

3,5943,251

Entertainment

2,5532,378

Personal care products and services

618564

Reading

10684

Education

1,1721,116

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

331286

Miscellaneous

736593

Cash contributions

1,8732,046

Personal insurance and pensions

5,5596,242

Life and other personal insurance

336238

Pensions and Social Security

5,2246,005
Table 3. Percent share of average annual expenditures for housing, transportation, and food, United States and 18 metropolitan areas, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2012-2013
AreaHousingTransportationFood

United States

33.217.512.9

Atlanta

33.417.112.6

Baltimore

32.515.511.0*

Boston

32.615.6*13.3

Chicago

35.4*15.6*12.7

Cleveland

31.618.212.8

Dallas

33.517.912.6

Detroit

30.0*19.7*13.5

Houston

33.121.0*12.0

Los Angeles

38.2*15.4*13.4

Miami

39.9*16.214.0

Minneapolis

32.018.311.3*

New York

39.8*13.5*11.9*

Philadelphia

35.4*15.4*13.7

Phoenix

34.818.913.6

San Diego

38.2*15.811.5*

San Francisco

35.8*13.7*11.9*

Seattle

33.415.613.0

Washington

35.316.710.9*

*Statistically significant difference from the U.S. average at the 95-percent confidence level.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, November 07, 2014