Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024 · #5 largest category
Healthcare spending
U.S. households spent $6,197/yr on healthcare in 2024 - 7.9% of the average budget . Up 0.6% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.8×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $6,197
- Budget share
- 7.9%
- vs 2023
- +0.6%
CES spend plate
Line HEALTHCARE · Healthcare $6,197 · 7.9%
SHARE-SOLID · QUINT-MOD · YOY-FLAT · REAL-INLINE · REGION-WEST · BOOK-TOP
- SHARE-SOLID 7.9% of budget
- QUINT-MOD 2.8× Q5/Q1
- YOY-FLAT +0.6% YoY
- REAL-INLINE Near CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-TOP #9/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Entertainment ($-2,588)
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 Healthcare
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 · Healthcare
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Healthcare spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,197 |
| 2023 | $6,159 |
| 2022 | $5,850 |
| 2021 | $5,452 |
| 2020 | $5,177 |
Subcategories
How the $6,197 healthcare total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Health insurance | $4,055 |
| Medical services | $1,252 |
| Drugs | $658 |
| Medical supplies | $233 |
Income stretch on a large healthcare line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $9,771/yr here vs $3,445 at the bottom (2.8×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $3,445 |
| Second 20% | $4,826 |
| Middle 20% | $5,676 |
| Fourth 20% | $7,247 |
| Highest 20% | $9,771 |
West leads healthcare geographically
West leads at $6,660/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 75 and older
75 and older heads spend the most on this line at $7,918/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
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? ▼
Other large CES lines near healthcare
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($6,197 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Food at home | $6,224 |
| Rented dwellings | $5,660 |
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | $5,337 |
| Utilities, fuels, and public services | $4,736 |
| Other vehicle expenses | $4,206 |
| Health insurance | $4,055 |
| Food away from home | $3,945 |
| Mortgage interest and charges | $3,646 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (7.9% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Food at home | 7.9% |
| Rented dwellings | 7.2% |
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | 6.8% |
| Utilities, fuels, and public services | 6.0% |
| Other vehicle expenses | 5.4% |
| Health insurance | 5.2% |
| Food away from home | 5.0% |
| Entertainment | 4.6% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.