Household Spending Statistics: Where the Money Goes
Published September 15, 2026 · StatsGalore
Average annual expenditures per consumer unit [1]
Average annual spending reached $78,535 per consumer unit in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Housing was the largest major category, followed by transportation and food. The figures describe the survey's average consumer unit, which is a financial grouping rather than necessarily one person or one conventional family. [1]
The numbers
| Spending category | Annual average | Share of total | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $26,266 | 33.4% | [1] |
| Transportation | $13,318 | 17.0% | [1] |
| Food | $10,169 | 12.9% | [1] |
| Healthcare | $6,197 | 7.9% | [1] |
| Entertainment | $3,609 | 4.6% | [1] |
| All expenditures | $78,535 | 100.0% | [1] |
What counts as a consumer unit
A consumer unit can be a family, a financially independent individual, or people sharing important expenses. It is the unit of analysis in the Consumer Expenditure Surveys. Calling the figure spending per American would be incorrect because many units contain more than one person.
The published amount is a mean. Units with very high spending can raise it above the amount spent by a more typical unit. It is not a median and should not be presented as a recommended household budget.
[1]Housing has the largest share
Housing accounted for about one-third of the annual total. This category is broader than a monthly rent or mortgage payment, so the annual housing average should not be divided by months and labeled the typical rent.
Transportation and food together also take a substantial share. The displayed shares can be compared because they come from the same year and denominator. Adding a category to one of its own subcategories, however, would double-count spending.
[1]Spending changes are not the same as inflation
Average expenditures rose from $77,158 in 2023 to $78,535 in 2024. Changes in spending can reflect prices, quantities purchased, product choices, and changes in the population. They do not isolate inflation.
BLS identifies housing as the only major component with a statistically significant increase in this release. A positive change in a rounded table is not automatically strong evidence that the underlying population average increased.
[1]Using the totals as a comparison
A personal budget can differ for straightforward reasons: household size, location, income, homeownership, and transportation needs. Comparing an individual directly with a national multi-person-unit average can produce a misleading impression.
The table is most helpful as an overview of the composition of spending. For more specific questions, choose a breakdown with a matching income group, age group, or household type and keep the same definition across the comparison.
[1]Sources & notes
Source: BLS Consumer Expenditures—2024, Tables A and B. Dollar figures are annual means in current dollars. Selected categories are shown, so the rows do not form a complete itemized budget.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction