Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024

Other food at home spending

U.S. households spent $2,447/yr on other food at home in 2024 - 3.1% of the average budget . Down 0.9% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.5×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.

2024 avg
$2,447
Budget share
3.1%
vs 2023
-0.9%

CES spend plate

Line OTHER-FOOD-AT-HOME · Other food at home $2,447 · 3.1%

SHARE-THIN · QUINT-MOD · YOY-FLAT · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-WEST · BOOK-UPPER

  • SHARE-THIN 3.1% of budget
  • QUINT-MOD 2.5× Q5/Q1
  • YOY-FLAT -0.9% YoY
  • REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
  • REGION-WEST West leads
  • BOOK-UPPER #23/99 dollars

Nearest dollar peer: Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ($-1,033)

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 Other food at home

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 · Other food at home

Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers

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

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Spending Trend (2020–2024)

Other food at home spending per household, 2020–2024

National average annual spending

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

$1,600$1,800$2,000$2,200$2,400$2,600 20202021202220232024 $2,447
Year Annual Amount
2024 $2,447
2023 $2,469
2022 $2,144
2021 $1,947
2020 $1,776

Subcategories

Miscellaneous foods · $1,284 (52%) Nonalcoholic beverages · $714 (29%) Sugar and other sweets · $230 (9%) Fats and oils · $125 (5%) Food prepared by consumer unit on out of town trips · $94 (4%)

How the $2,447 other food at home total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).

Subcategory Annual Amount (2024)
Sugar and other sweets $230
Fats and oils $125
Miscellaneous foods $1,284
Nonalcoholic beverages $714
Food prepared by consumer unit on out of town trips $94

Income stretch on a large other food at home line

A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $3,700/yr here vs $1,489 at the bottom (2.5×).

Income Group Annual Amount
Lowest 20% $1,489
Second 20% $1,941
Middle 20% $2,265
Fourth 20% $2,838
Highest 20% $3,700

See full income breakdown →

West leads other food at home geographically

West leads at $2,804/yr among the bigger CES categories.

Region Annual Amount
Midwest $2,370
Northeast $2,718
South $2,166
West $2,804

See full regional breakdown →

Lifecycle peak · 45–54

45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $3,009/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.

Age Group Annual Amount
25–34 $2,247
35–44 $2,917
45–54 $3,009
55–64 $2,489
65–74 $2,184
75 and older $1,764
Under 25 $1,800

See full age breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on other food at home?
The average American household spent $2,447 on other food at home in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. This represents 3.1% of total household spending.
Is other food at home spending increasing?
Other food at home spending decreased by 0.9% from 2023 to 2024 ($2,469 to $2,447). Over 5 years (2020–2024), it changed by +37.8%.
How does income affect other food at home spending?
The lowest income quintile spends $1,489/year on other food at home, while the highest quintile spends $3,700/year, a 2.5x difference. Higher-income households spend more in absolute terms but may allocate a smaller share of their budget.
Which region spends the most on other food at home?
The West region spends the most at $2,804/year, while the South region spends the least at $2,166/year on other food at home.
Which age group spends the most on other food at home?
Households headed by someone in the 45–54 age group spend the most on other food at home at $3,009/year.
Does household size affect other food at home spending?
Yes. 1 Person households spend $1,391/year on other food at home, while 5 or More households spend $3,929/year. Larger households generally spend more in absolute terms on most categories.

Other large CES lines near other food at home

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

Similar dollar amount

Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($2,447 here).

Category 2024 avg
Cars and trucks, new $2,469
Household furnishings and equipment $2,414
Gasoline $2,411
Cash contributions $2,292
Gasoline and other fuels $2,645
Property taxes $2,738
Cars and trucks, used $2,818
Apparel and services $2,001

Similar budget share

Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (3.1% here).

Category Budget share
Cars and trucks, new 3.1%
Gasoline 3.1%
Household furnishings and equipment 3.1%
Cash contributions 2.9%
Gasoline and other fuels 3.4%
Property taxes 3.5%
Cars and trucks, used 3.6%
Apparel and services 2.5%

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.