Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards spending
U.S. households spent $100/yr on residential phone service, voip, and phone cards in 2024 - 0.1% of the average budget . Down 24.8% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 0.8×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $100
- Budget share
- 0.1%
- vs 2023
- -24.8%
CES spend plate
Line RESIDENTIAL-PHONE- · Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards $100 · 0.1%
SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-FLAT · YOY-DROP · REAL-CUT · REGION-NE · BOOK-TRACE
- SHARE-TRACE 0.1% of budget
- QUINT-FLAT 0.8× Q5/Q1
- YOY-DROP -24.8% YoY
- REAL-CUT Nominal drop
- REGION-NE Northeast leads
- BOOK-TRACE #96/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Cellular phone service (+$1,259)
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 Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards
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 · Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $100 |
| 2023 | $133 |
| 2022 | $147 |
| 2021 | $165 |
| 2020 | $188 |
Income stretch on a smaller residential phone service, voip, and phone cards line
A smaller CES line: even the top quintile is $88/yr, with the bottom at $113 (0.8× gap).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $113 |
| Second 20% | $119 |
| Middle 20% | $89 |
| Fourth 20% | $92 |
| Highest 20% | $88 |
Northeast leads residential phone service, voip, and phone cards geographically
Northeast leads at $153/yr.
Lifecycle peak · 75 and older
75 and older heads spend the most on this line at $287/yr - the lifecycle peak on a smaller book line.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on residential phone service, voip, and phone cards? ▼
Is residential phone service, voip, and phone cards spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect residential phone service, voip, and phone cards spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on residential phone service, voip, and phone cards? ▼
Which age group spends the most on residential phone service, voip, and phone cards? ▼
Does household size affect residential phone service, voip, and phone cards spending? ▼
Other smaller CES lines near residential phone service, voip, and phone cards
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($100 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Eggs | $105 |
| Food prepared by consumer unit on out of town trips | $94 |
| Household textiles | $107 |
| Boys, 2 to 15 | $92 |
| Girls, 2 to 15 | $112 |
| Children under 2 | $77 |
| Fats and oils | $125 |
| Fuel oil and other fuels | $125 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (0.1% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Boys, 2 to 15 | 0.1% |
| Children under 2 | 0.1% |
| Eggs | 0.1% |
| Food prepared by consumer unit on out of town trips | 0.1% |
| Girls, 2 to 15 | 0.1% |
| Household textiles | 0.1% |
| Fats and oils | 0.2% |
| Fresh milk and cream | 0.2% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.