Top-Income Households Spent $150342 vs $35046 for Bottom 20% in 2024

Findings

The top fifth spent $150,342 a year - 4.3x the $35,046 the bottom fifth spent

The highest-earning fifth of U.S. households spent $150,342 in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, 4.3 times the $35,046 the lowest-earning fifth spent. Spending rises steadily through the middle of the distribution: $50,054 for the second fifth, $66,900 for the middle fifth, and $89,972 for the fourth. Top quintile profile shows the full category breakdown for the highest income group. BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Income Quintile Tables, 2024

The gaps are widest in the big-ticket categories. Top-fifth households spent $44,033 on housing versus $14,563 for the bottom fifth, $25,378 on transportation versus $5,105, and $9,336 on groceries (food at home) versus $3,843. Housing by quintile traces the housing figure across all five income groups.

Transportation shows the widest top-to-bottom gap, at 5.0x

At $25,378 for the top fifth and $5,105 for the bottom, transportation spending is 5.0 times higher at the top, a steeper gradient than total spending (4.3x) or housing (3.0x). It is the most income-sensitive of the core categories. The bottom fifth still directs 14.6 percent of its $35,046 budget toward getting around, while the top fifth directs a slightly larger 16.9 percent of its much bigger $150,342 budget. BLS Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Cross-Tabulations, 2024

The reason transportation widens fastest is that vehicle purchases, the costliest part of the category, are concentrated among higher earners, while fuel and basic upkeep stay relatively flat across incomes. Transportation by quintile breaks the figure down across the income range.

Groceries show the narrowest gap, at 2.4x

Food at home cost the top fifth $9,336 and the bottom fifth $3,843, a 2.4x gap, far narrower than transportation (5.0x) or total spending (4.3x). As a share of the budget it moves the other way: the bottom fifth spends 11.0 percent of its money on groceries, the top fifth only 6.2 percent. Once basic nutrition is covered, grocery spending climbs slowly, extra income goes toward quality and convenience rather than far more food. BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Income Quintile Tables, 2024

Housing follows the same necessity pattern: it takes 41.6 percent of the bottom fifth's spending but 29.3 percent of the top fifth's. The absolute dollars rise sharply with income, yet the budget share falls, the textbook signature of a necessity. Bottom quintile profile lists how the lowest income group splits its budget.

How to read these figures

All figures are 2024 average annual expenditures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, the federal government's primary source on what American households actually buy. The survey blends a spending diary with detailed interviews from a nationally representative sample, then weights the results to reflect the full U.S. population, roughly 25 million households in each income fifth. Income groups are ranked by before-tax income. Data methodology explains how the numbers are sourced and compared. BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2024

One caveat is worth keeping in mind. The top fifth's $150,342 in spending actually exceeds its typical income, because higher-income households also draw on savings, retirement accounts, and home equity to fund purchases. Each income group also spans a wide range, the top fifth stretches from roughly $150k to well over $1M, so a single average smooths over a lot of variety within the group. And because these figures track yearly spending rather than accumulated wealth, the true gaps in financial security between top and bottom are wider than the spending gaps shown here.