Households in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, metropolitan area spent an average of $77,204 per year in 2020–21, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This figure was significantly higher than the $64,187 average expenditure level for households in the United States. New York-area households allocated their dollars similarly to the nation in 4 of the 8 largest major components. Four of the largest components in the local area differed significantly from their respective U.S. averages. For example, the share of expenditures for healthcare, which accounted for 6.3 percent of the average household’s budget in the New York area, was lower than the national average of 8.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

• Housing: This was the largest expenditure component for New York-area households and averaged $30,560. Housing accounted for 39.6 percent of the area’s household budget, significantly higher than the 34.3-percent U.S. average. Among the 22 metropolitan areas nationwide for which data were available, New York was 1 of 10 areas to have a housing expenditure share that was significantly higher than the national average. Housing expenditure shares among the 22 published metropolitan areas ranged from 41.9 percent in San Francisco to 30.7 percent in St. Louis. (See table 2.) 

• Transportation: New York-area households spent 11.7 percent of their budget on transportation, significantly lower than the national average of 16.2 percent. Of the $9,014 in annual transportation expenditures in New York, 89.4 percent was spent buying and maintaining private vehicles; this compared to the national average of 96.6 percent.

• Food: The portion of a New York household’s budget spent on food, 12.2 percent, was not significantly different from the U.S. average. New York-area households spent $6,334, or 67.4 percent, of their food dollars on food at home and $3,060 (32.6 percent) on food away from home. In comparison, the average U.S. household spent 65.3 percent of its food budget on food at home and 34.7 percent on food away from home.

Data in this release are from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE), which the U.S. Census Bureau conducts for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data in this release were averaged over a 2-year period, 2020 and 2021.

A household in the CE survey is defined as a consumer unit which includes families, single persons living alone or sharing a household with others but who are financially independent, or two or more persons living together who share expenses. The terms household or consumer unit are used interchangeably for convenience.

Differences in spending among metropolitan areas may reflect differences in the cost of living, but they also may reflect other causes. Spending differences may result from different consumer preferences or variations in demographic characteristics, such as household size, age, or income levels. However, expenditure shares, or the percentage of a household’s budget spent on a particular component, 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.

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. A large difference between two values may not be statistically significant, while a small difference could be significant; both the sample size and the variation among the values in the sample affect the relative error of the estimates.

For additional technical and related information, see www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cex/home.htm. Data for the nation, the four geographic regions of the United States, and 22 metropolitan areas nationwide are available at www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm. Metropolitan definitions used in the survey are available at www.bls.gov/cex/ce_msa_201516.htm. The metropolitan area discussed in this release is the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area which comprises Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania. Metropolitan area news releases for the Consumer Expenditure Survey are available at www.bls.gov/regions/subjects/consumer-spending.htm.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.