Household spending · Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Cash contributions Spending
How much American households spend on cash contributions - broken down by income, age, region, household size and tenure, from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- Annual average (2024)
- $2,292
- Share of spending
- 2.9%
- Change vs 2023
- -3.6%
- Change vs 2020
- +0.4%
Spending Insight: Cash contributions
American households spent an average of $2,292 on cash contributions in 2024, representing 2.9% of total consumer expenditures. Spending declined 3.6% from 2023 ($2,378), indicating households may be cutting back or finding lower-cost alternatives.
Since 2020, cash contributions spending has risen by 0.4% (from $2,283 to $2,292), rising slower than the roughly 21% cumulative inflation over the same period, a decline in real, inflation-adjusted terms.
Income is strongly associated with cash contributions spending: the top income quintile spends $5,031/year versus $778 for the lowest quintile, a 6.5x gap. Regionally, the West spends the most ($2,564/year) while the Northeast spends the least ($1,857/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 Cash contributions compares to other categories
Cash contributions is the #7 largest of 14 major household spending categories in 2024, claiming 2.9% of the total budget.
Major spending categories, ranked
Cash contributions highlighted · average annual spending · 2024
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Cash contributions spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,292 |
| 2023 | $2,378 |
| 2022 | $2,755 |
| 2021 | $2,415 |
| 2020 | $2,283 |
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.
By Income Level (2024)
How cash contributions spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $778 |
| Second 20% | $1,420 |
| Middle 20% | $1,924 |
| Fourth 20% | $2,291 |
| Highest 20% | $5,031 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in cash contributions spending
By Age Group (2024)
How cash contributions spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $2,152 |
| 2 People | $2,351 |
| 3 People | $2,690 |
| 4 People | $1,992 |
| 5 or More | $2,201 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $2,935 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $2,288 |
| Renter | $3,788 |
What to do with this data
The average U.S. household spends $2,292 a year on cash contributions - here's how to put that in context.
- Compare your own spending against the national income quintiles. Budget calculator
- See how cash contributions 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 cash contributions? ▼
Is cash contributions spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect cash contributions spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on cash contributions? ▼
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Does household size affect cash contributions spending? ▼
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.
