Household spending · Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Apparel and services Spending
How much American households spend on apparel and services - broken down by income, age, region, household size and tenure, from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- Annual average (2024)
- $2,001
- Share of spending
- 2.5%
- Change vs 2023
- -2.0%
- Change vs 2020
- +39.5%
Spending Insight: Apparel and services
American households spent an average of $2,001 on apparel and services in 2024, representing 2.5% of total consumer expenditures. Year-over-year change was -2.0% (from $2,041 in 2023), roughly in line with broader consumer spending trends.
Since 2020, apparel and services spending has risen by 39.5% (from $1,434 to $2,001), outpacing the roughly 21% cumulative inflation over 2020–2024 (BLS CPI-U) - a real-terms increase in household burden. The category breaks into 5 subcategories, each with its own spending dynamic, drill into any row below to see the finer-grained picture.
Income is strongly associated with apparel and services spending: the top income quintile spends $3,872/year versus $1,124 for the lowest quintile, a 3.4x gap. Regionally, the Northeast spends the most ($2,420/year) while the South spends the least ($1,759/year). Use the cross-cuts below, by income, region, age, household size, and housing tenure, to see which demographic factors drive this category hardest for your situation.
How Apparel and services compares to other categories
Apparel and services is the #8 largest of 14 major household spending categories in 2024, claiming 2.5% of the total budget.
Major spending categories, ranked
Apparel and services highlighted · average annual spending · 2024
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Apparel and services spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,001 |
| 2023 | $2,041 |
| 2022 | $1,945 |
| 2021 | $1,754 |
| 2020 | $1,434 |
How we calculate this: % of Total is this category's published spend divided by that year's total household spend. YoY Change is the percentage difference between a year's amount and the prior year's amount. Both are computed from the raw BLS figures, not re-estimated.
Subcategories
How the $2,001 apparel and services total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Men and boys | $467 |
| Women and girls | $744 |
| Children under 2 | $77 |
| Footwear | $461 |
| Other apparel products and services | $252 |
By Income Level (2024)
How apparel and services spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $1,124 |
| Second 20% | $1,328 |
| Middle 20% | $1,642 |
| Fourth 20% | $2,034 |
| Highest 20% | $3,872 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in apparel and services spending
By Age Group (2024)
How apparel and services spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $1,113 |
| 2 People | $2,382 |
| 3 People | $1,994 |
| 4 People | $2,404 |
| 5 or More | $2,653 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $2,146 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $2,473 |
| Renter | $1,639 |
What to do with this data
The average U.S. household spends $2,001 a year on apparel and services - here's how to put that in context.
- Compare your own spending against the national income quintiles. Budget calculator
- See how apparel and services spending shifts across income levels, ages, and regions. By income
- Track this category in your private watchlist to revisit as the data updates. Save categories
Figures are national averages from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey; your own household may differ from these means.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the average household spend on apparel and services? ▼
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Spending Guides (show related guides)
Related Spending Categories
Browse other major categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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Free to reuse, including commercially, under CC0 (the underlying BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data is public domain). A link back is appreciated.
