Household spending · Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Transportation Spending
How much American households spend on transportation - broken down by income, age, region, household size and tenure, from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- Annual average (2024)
- $13,318
- Share of spending
- 17.0%
- Change vs 2023
- +1.1%
- Change vs 2020
- +35.5%
Spending Insight: Transportation
American households spent an average of $13,318 on transportation in 2024, representing 17.0% of total consumer expenditures. Year-over-year change was +1.1% (from $13,174 in 2023), roughly in line with broader consumer spending trends.
Since 2020, transportation spending has risen by 35.5% (from $9,826 to $13,318), outpacing the roughly 21% cumulative inflation over 2020–2024 (BLS CPI-U) - a real-terms increase in household burden. The category breaks into 4 subcategories, each with its own spending dynamic, drill into any row below to see the finer-grained picture.
Income is strongly associated with transportation spending: the top income quintile spends $25,378/year versus $5,105 for the lowest quintile, a 5.0x gap. Regionally, the West spends the most ($15,463/year) while the Northeast spends the least ($12,341/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.
How Transportation compares to other categories
Transportation is the #2 largest of 14 major household spending categories in 2024, claiming 17.0% of the total budget.
Major spending categories, ranked
Transportation highlighted · average annual spending · 2024
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 |
How we calculate this: % of Total is this category's published spend divided by that year's total household spend. YoY Change is the percentage difference between a year's amount and the prior year's amount. Both are computed from the raw BLS figures, not re-estimated.
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 |
By Income Level (2024)
How transportation spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $5,105 |
| Second 20% | $8,430 |
| Middle 20% | $11,657 |
| Fourth 20% | $15,952 |
| Highest 20% | $25,378 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in transportation spending
By Age Group (2024)
How transportation spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $6,953 |
| 2 People | $16,056 |
| 3 People | $14,012 |
| 4 People | $15,692 |
| 5 or More | $19,527 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $15,625 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $17,723 |
| Renter | $12,856 |
What to do with this data
The average U.S. household spends $13,318 a year on transportation - here's how to put that in context.
- Compare your own spending against the national income quintiles. Budget calculator
- See how transportation spending shifts across income levels, ages, and regions. By income
- Track this category in your private watchlist to revisit as the data updates. Save categories
Figures are national averages from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey; your own household may differ from these means.
Frequently Asked Questions
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? ▼
Spending Guides (show related guides)
Related Spending Categories
Browse other major categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
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.
Cite this page
Free to reuse, including commercially, under CC0 (the underlying BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data is public domain). A link back is appreciated.
