Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024 · #3 largest category
Food spending
U.S. households spent $10,169/yr on food in 2024 - 12.9% of the average budget . Up 1.8% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 3.1×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $10,169
- Budget share
- 12.9%
- vs 2023
- +1.8%
CES spend plate
Line FOOD · Food $10,169 · 12.9%
SHARE-MAJOR · QUINT-WIDE · YOY-FLAT · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-WEST · BOOK-TOP
- SHARE-MAJOR 12.9% of budget
- QUINT-WIDE 3.1× Q5/Q1
- YOY-FLAT +1.8% YoY
- REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-TOP #4/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Personal insurance and pensions ($-372)
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 Food
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 · Food
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Food spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,169 |
| 2023 | $9,985 |
| 2022 | $9,343 |
| 2021 | $8,289 |
| 2020 | $7,316 |
Subcategories
How the $10,169 food total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Food at home | $6,224 |
| Food away from home | $3,945 |
Income stretch on a large food line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $16,989/yr here vs $5,498 at the bottom (3.1×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $5,498 |
| Second 20% | $7,400 |
| Middle 20% | $9,097 |
| Fourth 20% | $11,845 |
| Highest 20% | $16,989 |
West leads food geographically
West leads at $11,746/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 45–54
45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $12,772/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on food? ▼
Is food spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect food spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on food? ▼
Which age group spends the most on food? ▼
Does household size affect food spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near food
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($10,169 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Personal insurance and pensions | $9,797 |
| Owned dwellings | $9,310 |
| Retirement, pensions, and Social Security | $9,222 |
| Transportation | $13,318 |
| Food at home | $6,224 |
| Healthcare | $6,197 |
| Rented dwellings | $5,660 |
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | $5,337 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (12.9% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Personal insurance and pensions | 12.5% |
| Owned dwellings | 11.9% |
| Retirement, pensions, and Social Security | 11.7% |
| Transportation | 17.0% |
| Food at home | 7.9% |
| Healthcare | 7.9% |
| Rented dwellings | 7.2% |
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | 6.8% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.