Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Household operations spending
U.S. households spent $1,921/yr on household operations in 2024 - 2.4% of the average budget . Down 3.2% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 4.8×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $1,921
- Budget share
- 2.4%
- vs 2023
- -3.2%
CES spend plate
Line HOUSEHOLD-OPERATIO · Household operations $1,921 · 2.4%
SHARE-THIN · QUINT-WIDE · YOY-DOWN · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-WEST · BOOK-UPPER
- SHARE-THIN 2.4% of budget
- QUINT-WIDE 4.8× Q5/Q1
- YOY-DOWN -3.2% YoY
- REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-UPPER #29/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Household furnishings and equipment (+$493)
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 Household operations
Lowest and highest poles plus nearest dollar peers among sibling lines, not a full-board reprint. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Dollar neighbourhood · Household operations
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Household operations spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,921 |
| 2023 | $1,985 |
| 2022 | $1,849 |
| 2021 | $1,638 |
| 2020 | $1,465 |
Subcategories
How the $1,921 household operations total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Personal services | $547 |
| Other household expenses | $1,374 |
Income stretch on a large household operations line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $4,093/yr here vs $851 at the bottom (4.8×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $851 |
| Second 20% | $1,128 |
| Middle 20% | $1,511 |
| Fourth 20% | $2,009 |
| Highest 20% | $4,093 |
West leads household operations geographically
West leads at $2,342/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 35–44
35–44 heads spend the most on this line at $2,907/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on household operations? ▼
Is household operations spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect household operations spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on household operations? ▼
Which age group spends the most on household operations? ▼
Does household size affect household operations spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near household operations
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($1,921 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Vehicle insurance | $1,993 |
| Apparel and services | $2,001 |
| Electricity | $1,833 |
| Education | $1,569 |
| Cash contributions | $2,292 |
| Telephone services | $1,460 |
| Gasoline | $2,411 |
| Household furnishings and equipment | $2,414 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (2.4% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Apparel and services | 2.5% |
| Electricity | 2.3% |
| Vehicle insurance | 2.5% |
| Education | 2.0% |
| Cash contributions | 2.9% |
| Telephone services | 1.9% |
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 1.8% |
| Cellular phone service | 1.7% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.