Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024

Property taxes spending

U.S. households spent $2,738/yr on property taxes in 2024 - 3.5% of the average budget . Up 2.7% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 5.5×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.

2024 avg
$2,738
Budget share
3.5%
vs 2023
+2.7%

CES spend plate

Line PROPERTY-TAXES · Property taxes $2,738 · 3.5%

SHARE-THIN · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-UP · REAL-INLINE · REGION-NE · BOOK-UPPER

  • SHARE-THIN 3.5% of budget
  • QUINT-ELITE 5.5× Q5/Q1
  • YOY-UP +2.7% YoY
  • REAL-INLINE Near CPI
  • REGION-NE Northeast leads
  • BOOK-UPPER #20/99 dollars

Nearest dollar peer: Maintenance, repairs, insurance, and other expenses (+$188)

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 Property taxes

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 · Property taxes

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)

Property taxes spending per household, 2020–2024

National average annual spending

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

$2,300$2,400$2,500$2,600$2,700$2,800 20202021202220232024 $2,738
Year Annual Amount
2024 $2,738
2023 $2,666
2022 $2,570
2021 $2,475
2020 $2,353

Income stretch on a large property taxes line

A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $5,816/yr here vs $1,054 at the bottom (5.5×).

Income Group Annual Amount
Lowest 20% $1,054
Second 20% $1,643
Middle 20% $2,155
Fourth 20% $3,003
Highest 20% $5,816

See full income breakdown →

Northeast leads property taxes geographically

Northeast leads at $4,116/yr among the bigger CES categories.

Region Annual Amount
Midwest $2,785
Northeast $4,116
South $2,000
West $2,919

See full regional breakdown →

Lifecycle peak · 45–54

45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $3,653/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.

Age Group Annual Amount
25–34 $1,591
35–44 $2,729
45–54 $3,653
55–64 $3,307
65–74 $3,003
75 and older $2,767
Under 25 $229

See full age breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on property taxes?
The average American household spent $2,738 on property taxes in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. This represents 3.5% of total household spending.
Is property taxes spending increasing?
Property taxes spending increased by 2.7% from 2023 to 2024 ($2,666 to $2,738). Over 5 years (2020–2024), it changed by +16.4%.
How does income affect property taxes spending?
The lowest income quintile spends $1,054/year on property taxes, while the highest quintile spends $5,816/year, a 5.5x difference. Higher-income households spend more in absolute terms but may allocate a smaller share of their budget.
Which region spends the most on property taxes?
The Northeast region spends the most at $4,116/year, while the South region spends the least at $2,000/year on property taxes.
Which age group spends the most on property taxes?
Households headed by someone in the 45–54 age group spend the most on property taxes at $3,653/year.
Does household size affect property taxes spending?
Yes. 1 Person households spend $1,597/year on property taxes, while 4 People households spend $3,912/year. Larger households generally spend more in absolute terms on most categories.

Other large CES lines near property taxes

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

Similar dollar amount

Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($2,738 here).

Category 2024 avg
Cars and trucks, used $2,818
Gasoline and other fuels $2,645
Maintenance, repairs, insurance, and other expenses $2,926
Cars and trucks, new $2,469
Other food at home $2,447
Household furnishings and equipment $2,414
Gasoline $2,411
Cash contributions $2,292

Similar budget share

Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (3.5% here).

Category Budget share
Cars and trucks, used 3.6%
Gasoline and other fuels 3.4%
Maintenance, repairs, insurance, and other expenses 3.7%
Cars and trucks, new 3.1%
Gasoline 3.1%
Household furnishings and equipment 3.1%
Other food at home 3.1%
Cash contributions 2.9%

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.