Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024

Natural gas spending

U.S. households spent $493/yr on natural gas in 2024 - 0.6% of the average budget . Down 8.7% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.6×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.

2024 avg
$493
Budget share
0.6%
vs 2023
-8.7%

CES spend plate

Line NATURAL-GAS · Natural gas $493 · 0.6%

SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-MOD · YOY-DROP · REAL-INLINE · REGION-NE · BOOK-MID

  • SHARE-TRACE 0.6% of budget
  • QUINT-MOD 2.6× Q5/Q1
  • YOY-DROP -8.7% YoY
  • REAL-INLINE Near CPI
  • REGION-NE Northeast leads
  • BOOK-MID #65/99 dollars

Nearest dollar peer: Water and other public services (+$333)

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 Natural gas

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 · Natural gas

Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers

Source: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey As of 2024-12-31

View my saved categories →

Spending Trend (2020–2024)

Natural gas spending per household, 2020–2024

National average annual spending

Source: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey As of 2024-12-31

$400$450$500$550 20202021202220232024 $493
Year Annual Amount
2024 $493
2023 $540
2022 $535
2021 $447
2020 $414

Income stretch · mid-book natural gas

Mid-book CES line: income still stretches 2.6× from $287 (bottom quintile) to $751 (top).

Income Group Annual Amount
Lowest 20% $287
Second 20% $410
Middle 20% $458
Fourth 20% $555
Highest 20% $751

See full income breakdown →

Northeast leads natural gas geographically

Northeast leads at $695/yr.

Region Annual Amount
Midwest $678
Northeast $695
South $310
West $481

See full regional breakdown →

Lifecycle peak · 45–54

45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $587/yr.

Age Group Annual Amount
25–34 $375
35–44 $509
45–54 $587
55–64 $538
65–74 $497
75 and older $538
Under 25 $190

See full age breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on natural gas?
The average American household spent $493 on natural gas in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. This represents 0.6% of total household spending.
Is natural gas spending increasing?
Natural gas spending decreased by 8.7% from 2023 to 2024 ($540 to $493). Over 5 years (2020–2024), it changed by +19.1%.
How does income affect natural gas spending?
The lowest income quintile spends $287/year on natural gas, while the highest quintile spends $751/year, a 2.6x difference. Higher-income households spend more in absolute terms but may allocate a smaller share of their budget.
Which region spends the most on natural gas?
The Northeast region spends the most at $695/year, while the South region spends the least at $310/year on natural gas.
Which age group spends the most on natural gas?
Households headed by someone in the 45–54 age group spend the most on natural gas at $587/year.
Does household size affect natural gas spending?
Yes. 1 Person households spend $329/year on natural gas, while 5 or More households spend $702/year. Larger households generally spend more in absolute terms on most categories.

Nationwide peers near natural gas

Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).

Similar dollar amount

Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($493 here).

Category 2024 avg
Other dairy products $490
Men and boys $467
Footwear $461
Other household products $537
Bakery products $539
Personal services $547
Vehicle finance charges $418
Life and other personal insurance $575

Similar budget share

Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (0.6% here).

Category Budget share
Footwear 0.6%
Men and boys 0.6%
Other dairy products 0.6%
Bakery products 0.7%
Beef 0.5%
Fresh fruits 0.5%
Fresh vegetables 0.5%
Life and other personal insurance 0.7%

Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source

Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.

Every figure on PlainHousehold is rendered directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.