Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024

Personal services spending

U.S. households spent $547/yr on personal services in 2024 - 0.7% of the average budget . Down 0.5% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 8.5×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.

2024 avg
$547
Budget share
0.7%
vs 2023
-0.5%

CES spend plate

Line PERSONAL-SERVICES · Personal services $547 · 0.7%

SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-FLAT · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-WEST · BOOK-MID

  • SHARE-TRACE 0.7% of budget
  • QUINT-ELITE 8.5× Q5/Q1
  • YOY-FLAT -0.5% YoY
  • REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
  • REGION-WEST West leads
  • BOOK-MID #62/99 dollars

Nearest dollar peer: Other household expenses (+$827)

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 Personal services

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 · Personal services

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)

Personal services spending per household, 2020–2024

National average annual spending

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

$300$350$400$450$500$550$600 20202021202220232024 $547
Year Annual Amount
2024 $547
2023 $550
2022 $488
2021 $377
2020 $347

Income stretch · mid-book personal services

Mid-book CES line: income still stretches 8.5× from $185 (bottom quintile) to $1,565 (top).

Income Group Annual Amount
Lowest 20% $185
Second 20% $118
Middle 20% $320
Fourth 20% $542
Highest 20% $1,565

See full income breakdown →

West leads personal services geographically

West leads at $796/yr.

Region Annual Amount
Midwest $427
Northeast $617
South $441
West $796

See full regional breakdown →

Lifecycle peak · 35–44

35–44 heads spend the most on this line at $1,468/yr.

Age Group Annual Amount
25–34 $892
35–44 $1,468
45–54 $395
55–64 $143
65–74 $51
75 and older $403
Under 25 $121

See full age breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on personal services?
The average American household spent $547 on personal services in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. This represents 0.7% of total household spending.
Is personal services spending increasing?
Personal services spending decreased by 0.5% from 2023 to 2024 ($550 to $547). Over 5 years (2020–2024), it changed by +57.6%.
How does income affect personal services spending?
The lowest income quintile spends $185/year on personal services, while the highest quintile spends $1,565/year, a 8.5x difference. Higher-income households spend more in absolute terms but may allocate a smaller share of their budget.
Which region spends the most on personal services?
The West region spends the most at $796/year, while the Midwest region spends the least at $427/year on personal services.
Which age group spends the most on personal services?
Households headed by someone in the 35–44 age group spend the most on personal services at $1,468/year.
Does household size affect personal services spending?
Yes. 1 Person households spend $138/year on personal services, while 4 People households spend $1,696/year. Larger households generally spend more in absolute terms on most categories.

Nationwide peers near personal services

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

Similar dollar amount

Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($547 here).

Category 2024 avg
Bakery products $539
Other household products $537
Life and other personal insurance $575
Natural gas $493
Other dairy products $490
Men and boys $467
Dairy products $631
Women, 16 and over $632

Similar budget share

Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (0.7% here).

Category Budget share
Bakery products 0.7%
Life and other personal insurance 0.7%
Other household products 0.7%
Footwear 0.6%
Men and boys 0.6%
Natural gas 0.6%
Other dairy products 0.6%
Alcoholic beverages 0.8%

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.