All Spending Categories
The average U.S. household spent $78,535 in 2024 across 14 major spending categories tracked by the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. Dual rankings below separate absolute dollars from budget share, then open any category for income, age, region, size, and tenure slices.
Dollars vs budget share (2024)
Housing leads mean dollar spend ($26,266) and also leads budget share (33.4%) among major categories.
Highest mean dollar spend
| # | Category | $/year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Housing | $26,266 |
| 2 | Transportation | $13,318 |
| 3 | Food | $10,169 |
| 4 | Personal insurance and pensions | $9,797 |
| 5 | Healthcare | $6,197 |
| 6 | Entertainment | $3,609 |
| 7 | Cash contributions | $2,292 |
| 8 | Apparel and services | $2,001 |
| 9 | Education | $1,569 |
| 10 | Miscellaneous | $1,218 |
Largest share of average budget
Percent of average annual expenditures (not of income).
| # | Category | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Housing | 33.4% |
| 2 | Transportation | 17.0% |
| 3 | Food | 12.9% |
| 4 | Personal insurance and pensions | 12.5% |
| 5 | Healthcare | 7.9% |
| 6 | Entertainment | 4.6% |
| 7 | Cash contributions | 2.9% |
| 8 | Apparel and services | 2.5% |
| 9 | Education | 2.0% |
| 10 | Miscellaneous | 1.6% |
All major categories
Food
12.9% of budgetAlcoholic beverages
0.8% of budgetHousing
33.4% of budgetApparel and services
2.5% of budgetTransportation
17.0% of budgetHealthcare
7.9% of budgetEntertainment
4.6% of budgetPersonal care products and services
1.2% of budgetReading
0.2% of budgetEducation
2.0% of budgetTobacco products and smoking supplies
0.4% of budgetMiscellaneous
1.6% of budgetCash contributions
2.9% of budgetPersonal insurance and pensions
12.5% of budgetCategory directory FAQ
- Which major category has the highest average dollar spend in 2024?
- Housing leads absolute mean spend at $26,266 per consumer unit in the BLS CEX 2024 release.
- Which major category takes the largest share of the average budget in 2024?
- Housing leads budget share at 33.4% of average annual expenditures. Dollar and share leaders usually match for majors, but diverge once you open subcategories.
- Are percentages of income or of total spending?
- Shares on this hub are percent of average annual expenditures (total CEX outlays), not of disposable income. See methodology for the BLS definition of a consumer unit.
- How many major categories does this directory cover?
- This hub lists 14 BLS CEX major categories (level 0) for 2024, excluding the total-expenditures rollup. Open any category for income, age, region, size, and tenure slices.
About This Data
Data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (BLS CEX), the primary federal source for comprehensive household spending data in the United States. The survey interviews approximately 6,000 consumer units per quarter. The "average" represents all consumer units surveyed, not a median or typical household.
Source: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey · Data year: 2024
Methodology Notes
Category figures come from the BLS CEX annual integrated tables (2024 release). Amounts represent mean annual expenditures per consumer unit, a household or financially independent person, and include both out-of-pocket spending and tracked in-kind transfers where applicable. Percentages are computed against total average annual expenditures, not against disposable income.
For full details on survey design, sampling, update cadence, and limitations, see our methodology page.