Original data research from the PlainHousehold editorial team. Every page derives at least one statistic from our own database, cites primary sources inline, and documents its methodology and limits.
BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data shows US households averaged $78535 in annual expenditures for 2024 — with Housing ($26266, 33.4 percent), Transportation ($13318, 17.0 percent), and Food ($10169, 12.9 percent) leading the category mix.
BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data shows top-quintile US households spent $150342 in average annual expenditures for 2024 — 4.3x the $35046 spent by bottom-quintile households — with Housing Transportation and Food-at-home showing the widest and narrowest gaps across the quintile distribution.
BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data shows US average annual household spending climbed from $61334 in 2020 to $78535 in 2024 — a 28.0 percent 4-year nominal increase driven by Housing Transportation and Food categories in the post-pandemic period.