Household spending rankings · BLS CE 2024 · Annual Avg
Top Spending for Seniors (65+)
Housing leads at $22,193 , ahead of Transportation ($9,538) and Food ($7,940). This list ranks 14 categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. The top 8 of 14 categories account for 95% of all household spending; the smallest on this list is $1,198. Explore per-category breakdowns by income, age, and region via the table below.
- Categories ranked
- 14
- #1: Housing
- $22,193
- Survey year
- 2024
65+ spending shape
Households 65+ put Housing first at $22,193, with Transportation second.
- Housing (#1)
- $22,193
- Apparel and services top-8 cutoff
- #8
- median across all categories
- $1,198
- categories on this complete list
- 14
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys. Ranking is a comparison of BLS CE averages, not advice.
Top Spending for Seniors (65+) - top 8
Top 8 of 14 categories
The top 8 of 14 categories account for 95% of all household spending; the smallest on this list is $1,198.
| # | Category | Annual Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Housing | $22,193 |
| 2 | Transportation | $9,538 |
| 3 | Food | $7,940 |
| 4 | Healthcare | $7,799 |
| 5 | Personal insurance and pensions | $3,480 |
| 6 | Cash contributions | $3,158 |
| 7 | Entertainment | $3,025 |
| 8 | Apparel and services | $1,198 |
| 9 | Miscellaneous | $972 |
| 10 | Personal care products and services | $782 |
| 11 | Alcoholic beverages | $532 |
| 12 | Education | $429 |
| 13 | Tobacco products and smoking supplies | $266 |
| 14 | Reading | $120 |
Income spread on the top of this list
Lowest vs highest income quintile spending (BLS CE 2024) for the leading categories: how much the same line item stretches across household income.
| Category | National avg | Lowest quintile | Highest quintile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $26,266 | $14,563 | $44,033 |
| Transportation | $13,318 | $5,105 | $25,378 |
| Food | $10,169 | $5,498 | $16,989 |
| Healthcare | $6,197 | $3,445 | $9,771 |
| Personal insurance and pensions | $9,797 | $711 | $27,279 |
| Cash contributions | $2,292 | $778 | $5,031 |
| Entertainment | $3,609 | $1,316 | $7,660 |
| Apparel and services | $2,001 | $1,124 | $3,872 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys - Verify with BLS →. See methodology. Figures are national averages from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, not advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does spending change in retirement?
Total spending drops about 20-25% after retirement. Transportation falls sharply (no commute), apparel decreases, and food spending shifts from dining out to eating at home. Healthcare spending increases 30-50%, and cash contributions (charity, gifts to family) rise. Housing costs depend heavily on whether the mortgage is paid off.
Other BLS ranking lenses: Highest Spending · Budget Share · Budget calculator
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.