Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Cellular phone service spending
U.S. households spent $1,359/yr on cellular phone service in 2024 - 1.7% of the average budget . Up 7% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.7×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $1,359
- Budget share
- 1.7%
- vs 2023
- +7.0%
CES spend plate
Line CELLULAR-PHONE-SER · Cellular phone service $1,359 · 1.7%
SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-MOD · YOY-UP · REAL-EASE · REGION-WEST · BOOK-MID
- SHARE-TRACE 1.7% of budget
- QUINT-MOD 2.7× Q5/Q1
- YOY-UP +7.0% YoY
- REAL-EASE Below CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-MID #35/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards ($-1,259)
Instrument codes from this line’s budget share, income-quintile gap, YoY move, real change vs ~21% CPI-U (2020-2024), regional lead, and corpus book size, not a budgeting recommendation.
Spend neighbourhood around Cellular phone service
Lowest and highest poles plus nearest dollar peers among sibling lines, not a full-board reprint. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Dollar neighbourhood · Cellular phone service
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Cellular phone service spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,359 |
| 2023 | $1,270 |
| 2022 | $1,284 |
| 2021 | $1,244 |
| 2020 | $1,253 |
Income stretch · mid-book cellular phone service
Mid-book CES line: income still stretches 2.7× from $720 (bottom quintile) to $1,935 (top).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $720 |
| Second 20% | $1,084 |
| Middle 20% | $1,376 |
| Fourth 20% | $1,678 |
| Highest 20% | $1,935 |
West leads cellular phone service geographically
West leads at $1,468/yr.
Lifecycle peak · 45–54
45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $1,846/yr.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on cellular phone service? ▼
Is cellular phone service spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect cellular phone service spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on cellular phone service? ▼
Which age group spends the most on cellular phone service? ▼
Does household size affect cellular phone service spending? ▼
Nationwide peers near cellular phone service
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($1,359 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Other lodging | $1,347 |
| Other household expenses | $1,374 |
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | $1,414 |
| Miscellaneous foods | $1,284 |
| Telephone services | $1,460 |
| Medical services | $1,252 |
| Miscellaneous | $1,218 |
| Education | $1,569 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (1.7% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Other household expenses | 1.7% |
| Other lodging | 1.7% |
| Medical services | 1.6% |
| Miscellaneous | 1.6% |
| Miscellaneous foods | 1.6% |
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 1.8% |
| Telephone services | 1.9% |
| Education | 2.0% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.