Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) spending
U.S. households spent $5,337/yr on vehicle purchases (net outlay) in 2024 - 6.8% of the average budget . Down 3.6% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 6.9×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $5,337
- Budget share
- 6.8%
- vs 2023
- -3.6%
CES spend plate
Line VEHICLE-PURCHASES- · Vehicle purchases (net outlay) $5,337 · 6.8%
SHARE-SOLID · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-DOWN · REAL-INLINE · REGION-WEST · BOOK-UPPER
- SHARE-SOLID 6.8% of budget
- QUINT-ELITE 6.9× Q5/Q1
- YOY-DOWN -3.6% YoY
- REAL-INLINE Near CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-UPPER #11/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Other vehicle expenses ($-1,131)
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 Vehicle purchases (net outlay)
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 · Vehicle purchases (net outlay)
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,337 |
| 2023 | $5,539 |
| 2022 | $4,496 |
| 2021 | $4,828 |
| 2020 | $4,523 |
Subcategories
How the $5,337 vehicle purchases (net outlay) total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).
| Subcategory | Annual Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Cars and trucks, new | $2,469 |
| Cars and trucks, used | $2,818 |
Income stretch on a large vehicle purchases (net outlay) line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $11,938/yr here vs $1,718 at the bottom (6.9×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $1,718 |
| Second 20% | $2,925 |
| Middle 20% | $4,121 |
| Fourth 20% | $5,945 |
| Highest 20% | $11,938 |
West leads vehicle purchases (net outlay) geographically
West leads at $6,127/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 35–44
35–44 heads spend the most on this line at $6,560/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on vehicle purchases (net outlay)? ▼
Is vehicle purchases (net outlay) spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect vehicle purchases (net outlay) spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on vehicle purchases (net outlay)? ▼
Which age group spends the most on vehicle purchases (net outlay)? ▼
Does household size affect vehicle purchases (net outlay) spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near vehicle purchases (net outlay)
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($5,337 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Rented dwellings | $5,660 |
| Utilities, fuels, and public services | $4,736 |
| Healthcare | $6,197 |
| Food at home | $6,224 |
| Other vehicle expenses | $4,206 |
| Health insurance | $4,055 |
| Food away from home | $3,945 |
| Mortgage interest and charges | $3,646 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (6.8% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Rented dwellings | 7.2% |
| Utilities, fuels, and public services | 6.0% |
| Food at home | 7.9% |
| Healthcare | 7.9% |
| Other vehicle expenses | 5.4% |
| Health insurance | 5.2% |
| Food away from home | 5.0% |
| Entertainment | 4.6% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.