Telephone services Spending
How much American households spend on telephone services — 2024 data from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey
Spending Insight: Telephone services
American households spent an average of $1,460 on telephone services in 2024, representing 1.9% of total consumer expenditures. This marks a notable 4.1% increase from 2023 ($1,403), outpacing general inflation and suggesting growing consumer prioritization of this category.
Since 2020, telephone services spending has risen by 1.3% (from $1,441 to $1,460), broadly tracking with inflation-adjusted cost changes. The category breaks into 2 subcategories, each with its own spending dynamic — drill into any row below to see the finer-grained picture.
Income is the strongest predictor of telephone services spending: the top income quintile spends $2,024/year versus $834 for the lowest quintile — a 2.4x gap. Regionally, the West spends the most ($1,570/year) while the Midwest spends the least ($1,355/year). Use the cross-cuts below — by income, region, age, household size, and housing tenure — to see which demographic factors drive this category hardest for your situation.
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,460 |
| 2023 | $1,403 |
| 2022 | $1,431 |
| 2021 | $1,409 |
| 2020 | $1,441 |
Subcategories
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards | $100 |
| Cellular phone service | $1,359 |
By Income Level (2024)
How telephone services spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $834 |
| Second 20% | $1,204 |
| Middle 20% | $1,465 |
| Fourth 20% | $1,770 |
| Highest 20% | $2,024 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in telephone services spending
By Age Group (2024)
How telephone services spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $849 |
| 2 People | $1,722 |
| 3 People | $1,451 |
| 4 People | $1,758 |
| 5 or More | $2,031 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $1,633 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $1,772 |
| Renter | $1,448 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the average household spend on telephone services? ▼
Is telephone services spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect telephone services spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on telephone services? ▼
Which age group spends the most on telephone services? ▼
Does household size affect telephone services spending? ▼
Spending Guides
Related Spending Categories
Browse other major categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Related Economic Data
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
