Healthcare Spending
How much American households spend on healthcare — 2024 data from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey
Spending Insight: Healthcare
American households spent an average of $6,197 on healthcare in 2024, representing 7.9% of total consumer expenditures. Year-over-year change was +0.6% (from $6,159 in 2023), roughly in line with broader consumer spending trends.
Since 2020, healthcare spending has risen by 19.7% (from $5,177 to $6,197), broadly tracking with inflation-adjusted cost changes. The category breaks into 4 subcategories, each with its own spending dynamic — drill into any row below to see the finer-grained picture.
Income is the strongest predictor of healthcare spending: the top income quintile spends $9,771/year versus $3,445 for the lowest quintile — a 2.8x gap. Regionally, the West spends the most ($6,660/year) while the South spends the least ($5,870/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 | $6,197 |
| 2023 | $6,159 |
| 2022 | $5,850 |
| 2021 | $5,452 |
| 2020 | $5,177 |
Subcategories
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Health insurance | $4,055 |
| Medical services | $1,252 |
| Drugs | $658 |
| Medical supplies | $233 |
By Income Level (2024)
How healthcare spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $3,445 |
| Second 20% | $4,826 |
| Middle 20% | $5,676 |
| Fourth 20% | $7,247 |
| Highest 20% | $9,771 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in healthcare spending
By Age Group (2024)
How healthcare spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $4,026 |
| 2 People | $7,131 |
| 3 People | $7,228 |
| 4 People | $6,706 |
| 5 or More | $7,629 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $7,650 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $7,665 |
| Renter | $7,637 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the average household spend on healthcare? ▼
Is healthcare spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect healthcare spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on healthcare? ▼
Which age group spends the most on healthcare? ▼
Does household size affect healthcare spending? ▼
Spending Guides
Related Spending Categories
Browse other major categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Related Economic Data
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.
