Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024 · #9 largest category
Education spending
U.S. households spent $1,569/yr on education in 2024 - 2.0% of the average budget . Down 5.3% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 5.4×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $1,569
- Budget share
- 2.0%
- vs 2023
- -5.3%
CES spend plate
Line EDUCATION · Education $1,569 · 2.0%
SHARE-THIN · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-DOWN · REAL-INLINE · REGION-NE · BOOK-MID
- SHARE-THIN 2.0% of budget
- QUINT-ELITE 5.4× Q5/Q1
- YOY-DOWN -5.3% YoY
- REAL-INLINE Near CPI
- REGION-NE Northeast leads
- BOOK-MID #31/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Miscellaneous ($-351)
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 Education
Lowest and highest poles plus nearest dollar peers among major categories, not a full-board reprint. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Dollar neighbourhood · Education
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Education spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,569 |
| 2023 | $1,656 |
| 2022 | $1,335 |
| 2021 | $1,226 |
| 2020 | $1,271 |
Income stretch on a large education line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $4,492/yr here vs $828 at the bottom (5.4×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $828 |
| Second 20% | $407 |
| Middle 20% | $749 |
| Fourth 20% | $1,353 |
| Highest 20% | $4,492 |
Northeast leads education geographically
Northeast leads at $2,277/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 45–54
45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $3,181/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on education? ▼
Is education spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect education spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on education? ▼
Which age group spends the most on education? ▼
Does household size affect education spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near education
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($1,569 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Telephone services | $1,460 |
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | $1,414 |
| Other household expenses | $1,374 |
| Cellular phone service | $1,359 |
| Other lodging | $1,347 |
| Electricity | $1,833 |
| Miscellaneous foods | $1,284 |
| Medical services | $1,252 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (2.0% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Telephone services | 1.9% |
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 1.8% |
| Electricity | 2.3% |
| Cellular phone service | 1.7% |
| Other household expenses | 1.7% |
| Other lodging | 1.7% |
| Household operations | 2.4% |
| Medical services | 1.6% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.