Health insurance Spending
How much American households spend on health insurance — 2024 data from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey
Spending Insight: Health insurance
American households spent an average of $4,055 on health insurance in 2024, representing 5.2% of total consumer expenditures. Year-over-year change was +0.1% (from $4,049 in 2023), roughly in line with broader consumer spending trends.
Since 2020, health insurance spending has risen by 10.6% (from $3,667 to $4,055), broadly tracking with inflation-adjusted cost changes.
Income is the strongest predictor of health insurance spending: the top income quintile spends $6,160/year versus $2,153 for the lowest quintile — a 2.9x gap. Regionally, the West spends the most ($4,199/year) while the Midwest spends the least ($3,939/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.
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,055 |
| 2023 | $4,049 |
| 2022 | $3,843 |
| 2021 | $3,704 |
| 2020 | $3,667 |
By Income Level (2024)
How health insurance spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $2,153 |
| Second 20% | $3,194 |
| Middle 20% | $3,842 |
| Fourth 20% | $4,913 |
| Highest 20% | $6,160 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in health insurance spending
By Age Group (2024)
How health insurance spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $2,482 |
| 2 People | $4,731 |
| 3 People | $4,838 |
| 4 People | $4,550 |
| 5 or More | $4,864 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $4,990 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $5,041 |
| Renter | $4,924 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the average household spend on health insurance? ▼
Is health insurance spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect health insurance spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on health insurance? ▼
Which age group spends the most on health insurance? ▼
Does household size affect health insurance spending? ▼
Spending Guides
Related Spending Categories
Browse other major categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
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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.
