Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Telephone services spending
U.S. households spent $1,460/yr on telephone services in 2024 - 1.9% of the average budget . Up 4.1% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.4×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $1,460
- Budget share
- 1.9%
- vs 2023
- +4.1%
CES spend plate
Line TELEPHONE-SERVICES · Telephone services $1,460 · 1.9%
SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-MOD · YOY-UP · REAL-EASE · REGION-WEST · BOOK-MID
- SHARE-TRACE 1.9% of budget
- QUINT-MOD 2.4× Q5/Q1
- YOY-UP +4.1% YoY
- REAL-EASE Below CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-MID #32/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Electricity (+$373)
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 Telephone 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 · Telephone services
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Telephone services spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,460 |
| 2023 | $1,403 |
| 2022 | $1,431 |
| 2021 | $1,409 |
| 2020 | $1,441 |
Subcategories
How the $1,460 telephone services total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Residential phone service, VOIP, and phone cards | $100 |
| Cellular phone service | $1,359 |
Income stretch on a large telephone services line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $2,024/yr here vs $834 at the bottom (2.4×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $834 |
| Second 20% | $1,204 |
| Middle 20% | $1,465 |
| Fourth 20% | $1,770 |
| Highest 20% | $2,024 |
West leads telephone services geographically
West leads at $1,570/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 45–54
45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $1,919/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
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? ▼
Other large CES lines near telephone 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 ($1,460 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | $1,414 |
| Other household expenses | $1,374 |
| Cellular phone service | $1,359 |
| Education | $1,569 |
| Other lodging | $1,347 |
| Miscellaneous foods | $1,284 |
| Medical services | $1,252 |
| Miscellaneous | $1,218 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (1.9% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 1.8% |
| Education | 2.0% |
| Cellular phone service | 1.7% |
| Other household expenses | 1.7% |
| Other lodging | 1.7% |
| Medical services | 1.6% |
| Miscellaneous | 1.6% |
| Miscellaneous foods | 1.6% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.