Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024 · #2 largest category
Transportation spending
U.S. households spent $13,318/yr on transportation in 2024 - 17.0% of the average budget . Up 1.1% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 5.0×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $13,318
- Budget share
- 17.0%
- vs 2023
- +1.1%
CES spend plate
Line TRANSPORTATION · Transportation $13,318 · 17.0%
SHARE-MAJOR · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-FLAT · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-WEST · BOOK-TOP
- SHARE-MAJOR 17.0% of budget
- QUINT-ELITE 5.0× Q5/Q1
- YOY-FLAT +1.1% YoY
- REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-TOP #3/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Food ($-3,149)
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 Transportation
Lowest and highest poles plus nearest dollar peers among major categories, not a full-board reprint. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Dollar neighbourhood · Transportation
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Transportation spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,318 |
| 2023 | $13,174 |
| 2022 | $12,295 |
| 2021 | $10,961 |
| 2020 | $9,826 |
Subcategories
How the $13,318 transportation total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | $5,337 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $2,645 |
| Other vehicle expenses | $4,206 |
| Public and other transportation | $1,131 |
Income stretch on a large transportation line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $25,378/yr here vs $5,105 at the bottom (5.0×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $5,105 |
| Second 20% | $8,430 |
| Middle 20% | $11,657 |
| Fourth 20% | $15,952 |
| Highest 20% | $25,378 |
West leads transportation geographically
West leads at $15,463/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 45–54
45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $17,184/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on transportation? ▼
Is transportation spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect transportation spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on transportation? ▼
Which age group spends the most on transportation? ▼
Does household size affect transportation spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near transportation
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($13,318 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Shelter | $16,317 |
| Food | $10,169 |
| Personal insurance and pensions | $9,797 |
| Owned dwellings | $9,310 |
| Retirement, pensions, and Social Security | $9,222 |
| Food at home | $6,224 |
| Healthcare | $6,197 |
| Rented dwellings | $5,660 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (17.0% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Shelter | 20.8% |
| Food | 12.9% |
| Personal insurance and pensions | 12.5% |
| Owned dwellings | 11.9% |
| Retirement, pensions, and Social Security | 11.7% |
| Food at home | 7.9% |
| Healthcare | 7.9% |
| Rented dwellings | 7.2% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.