Consumer Expenditures
in 2009
BLS
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisitics
May 2011
Report 1029
C
onsumer units1 spent 2.8 percent less, on average, in
2009 than in the previous year. This drop in spending—
from $50,486 in 2008 to $49,067 in 2009, in nominal dollars—marked the first time a year-to-year decrease has been
measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) since the CE began publishing
integrated data in 1984. In 2008, spending rose a moderate
1.7 percent, following an increase of 2.6 percent in 2007.
Prices in the United States, as measured by the average annual
change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items), fell 0.4 percent in 2009,
following increases of 3.8 percent in 2008 and 2.8 percent in
2007. This report provides CE results for 2009, the latest year
of data available.
Developments in 2009
Consumers across the United States continued to feel the
pressure of the economic downturn throughout 2009, even
though the latest U.S. recession officially ended in June 2009.2
Of the major components of spending—food, housing, apparel and services, transportation, healthcare, entertainment, and
personal insurance and pensions, which account for about 90
percent of total expenditures—all except healthcare decreased
from 2008 to 2009. (See table A.) Expenditures decreased
by 1.1 percent for food, 1.3 percent for housing, 4.2 percent
for apparel and services, 11.0 percent for transportation,
5.0 percent for entertainment, and 2.4 percent for personal
insurance and pensions. Spending rose by 5.0 percent for
healthcare.
Although overall food spending varied across income
quintiles, there was a consistent pattern of spending less on
food-away-from-home items from 2008 to 2009. The highest income quintile had the largest dollar drop in spending
on food away from home, from $5,336 in 2008 to $5,151 in
2009. Food away from home includes items such as meals at
restaurants, food or board at school, catered affairs, and food
bought during out-of-town trips. The drop in spending by
the highest income quintile was the main reason food-awayfrom-home spending decreased 2.9 percent for all consumer
See the glossary at the end of this report for a definition of consumer unit.
The National Bureau of Economic Research designated December 2007
as the beginning of the latest recession, with the contraction ending in June
2009. For more information, see “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions,” (National Bureau of Economic Research, September 2010), http://
www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html.
1
2
units, on average. The lowest income quintile group had the
largest percentage decrease in spending on food away from
home (-5.9 percent), but their low level of spending relative
to other income quintiles had less of an effect on overall foodaway-from-home spending. The drop in overall food-awayfrom-home spending could be evidence of a shift away from
discretionary spending on food during the period. In addition, the price for food away from home, as measured by the
CPI-U, increased 3.5 percent in 2009. For food-at-home
spending—the other major subcomponent of overall food
spending—consumer units in the lowest income quintile
raised their level of spending the most of any quintile group,
from $2,369 in 2008 to $2,463 in 2009. They also had the
largest percentage spending increase (4.0 percent) in this category from 2008 to 2009. The second income quintile was
the only other quintile group to increase spending on food at
home (2.4 percent). Overall food-at-home spending increased
a mere 0.2 percent because the increases by the two lowest
income quintile groups were nearly offset by the decreases of
the higher quintiles. The price for food at home, as measured
by the CPI-U, increased 0.5 percent.
Housing expenditures dropped 1.3 percent from 2008 to
2009, which was not surprising considering the continuing
problems for the housing sector. Housing is the largest component of overall expenditures, accounting for 34.4 percent
of the total in 2009. (See table B.) New home sales and
existing home sales in the United States fell for the
fourth consecutive year.3 The median selling price for
new homes and for existing homes fell from the previous year, 3.0 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively.4
More than 3.9 million foreclosure filings—default notices,
scheduled foreclosure auctions, and bank repossessions—
were disclosed on more than 2.8 million U.S. properties.5
(The three types of filings could all potentially be levied
at an individual property.) About 2.1 million fewer consumer units reported being homeowners with a mortgage in the
2009 CE than in the 2007 CE. During the same time
3
For more information, see “New and Existing Home Sales, U.S.,” (National Association of Home Builders, January 2011), http://www.nahb.com/
fileUpload_details.aspx?contentID=55761&wwparam=1294177751.
4
For more information, see “New and Existing Single Family Home Prices, U.S.,” (National Association of Home Builders, January 2011), http://
www.nahb.com/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentID=55764.
5
For more information, see “Record 2.8 million properties with filings in
2009,” Reality Trends (RealtyTrac, February 2011), http://www.realtytrac.
com/news-trends/newsletter/2010/february.html.
Table A. Average annual expenditures by major category of all consumer units and percent changes, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2007–2009
Item
Number of consumer units (in thousands).....................................
Average income before taxes . ......................................................
Averages:
Age of reference person...............................................................
Number of persons in consumer unit...........................................
Number of earners.......................................................................
Number of vehicles.......................................................................
Percent homeowner.......................................................................
Average annual expenditures.........................................................
Food.............................................................................................
Food at home.............................................................................
Cereals and bakery products...................................................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs...................................................
Dairy products..........................................................................
Fruits and vegetables...............................................................
Other food at home..................................................................
Food away from home................................................................
Alcoholic beverages.....................................................................
Housing .......................................................................................
Shelter .......................................................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services..............................................
Household operations................................................................
Housekeeping supplies..............................................................
Household furnishings and equipment.......................................
Apparel and services....................................................................
Transportation..............................................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay)...................................................
Gasoline and motor oil...............................................................
Other vehicle expenses..............................................................
Public transportation...................................................................
Healthcare....................................................................................
Entertainment...............................................................................
Personal care products and services...........................................
Reading........................................................................................
Education.....................................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies......................................
Miscellaneous . ............................................................................
Cash contributions........................................................................
Personal insurance and pensions................................................
Life and other personal insurance..............................................
Pensions and Social Security.....................................................
2007
2008
2009
120,171
120,770
120,847
$63,091
$63,563
$62,857
48.8
2.5
1.3
1.9
67
49.1
2.5
1.3
2.0
66
49.4
2.5
1.3
2.0
66
$49,638
6,133
3,465
460
777
387
600
1,241
2,668
457
16,920
10,023
3,477
984
639
1,797
1,881
8,758
3,244
2,384
2,592
538
2,853
2,698
588
118
945
323
808
1,821
5,336
309
5,027
$50,486
6,443
3,744
507
846
430
657
1,305
2,698
444
17,109
10,183
3,649
998
654
1,624
1,801
8,604
2,755
2,715
2,621
513
2,976
2,835
616
116
1,046
317
840
1,737
5,605
317
5,288
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
435
16,895
10,075
3,645
1011
659
1,506
1,725
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
5,471
309
5,162
2
Percent Change
2007–08
2008–09
.7
-1.1
1.7
5.1
8.1
10.2
8.9
11.1
9.5
5.2
1.1
-2.8
1.1
1.6
4.9
1.4
2.3
-9.6
-4.3
-1.8
-15.1
13.9
1.1
-4.6
4.3
5.1
4.8
-1.7
10.7
-1.9
4.0
-4.6
5.0
2.6
5.2
-2.8
-1.1
.2
-.2
-.6
-5.6
-.2
2.9
-2.9
-2.0
-1.3
-1.1
-.1
1.3
.8
-7.3
-4.2
-11.0
-3.6
-26.9
-3.2
-6.6
5.0
-5.0
-3.2
-5.2
2.1
19.9
-2.9
-.8
-2.4
-2.5
-2.4
Table B. Percent distribution of total annual expenditures by major category for all consumer units, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2006–2009
Spending Category
Average annual expenditures.........................................................
Food.............................................................................................
Food at home.............................................................................
Food away from home................................................................
Alcoholic beverages.....................................................................
Housing........................................................................................
Shelter .......................................................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services..............................................
Household operations................................................................
Housekeeping supplies..............................................................
Household furnishings and equipment.......................................
Apparel and services....................................................................
Transportation..............................................................................
Vehicles......................................................................................
Gasoline and motor oil...............................................................
Other vehicle expenses..............................................................
Public transportation...................................................................
Healthcare....................................................................................
Entertainment...............................................................................
Personal care products and services...........................................
Reading........................................................................................
Education.....................................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies......................................
Miscellaneous...............................................................................
Cash contributions........................................................................
Personal insurance and pensions................................................
Life and other personal insurance..............................................
Pensions and Social Security.....................................................
3
2006
2007
2008
2009
100.0
12.6
7.1
5.6
1.0
33.8
20.0
7.0
2.0
1.3
3.5
3.9
17.6
7.1
4.6
4.9
1.0
5.7
4.9
1.2
.2
1.8
.7
1.7
3.9
10.9
.7
10.2
100.0
12.4
7.0
5.4
.9
34.1
20.2
7.0
2.0
1.3
3.6
3.8
17.6
6.5
4.8
5.2
1.1
5.7
5.4
1.2
.2
1.9
.7
1.6
3.7
10.7
.6
10.1
100.0
12.8
7.4
5.3
.9
33.9
20.2
7.2
2.0
1.3
3.2
3.6
17.0
5.5
5.4
5.2
1.0
5.9
5.6
1.2
.2
2.1
.6
1.7
3.4
11.1
.6
10.5
100.0
13.0
7.6
5.3
.9
34.4
20.5
7.4
2.1
1.3
3.1
3.5
15.6
5.4
4.0
5.2
1.0
6.4
5.5
1.2
.2
2.2
.8
1.7
3.5
11.2
.6
10.5
period, the number of renters increased, as did the number of
homeowners without mortgages. The housing market problems in 2009 occurred as the national unemployment rate, as
measured by the Current Population Survey (CPS), rose to
9.3 percent in 2009, the highest rate since 1983 when it was
reported as 9.6 percent.
For those consumer units that include homeowners with a
mortgage, mortgage interest payments and charges, a subcomponent of the owned dwellings category, fell from $8,855 in
2008 to $8,455 in 2009, a 4.5-percent decrease. Spending on
maintenance, repairs, insurance, and other expenses, another
subcomponent of spending on owned dwellings, decreased
6.2 percent for the same group.
Spending on fuel oil and other fuels, a subcomponent of
utilities, fuels, and public services spending, dropped 26.6
percent in 2009 for all consumer units, following a 27.2percent increase in 2008. The price change in fuel oil and
other fuels, as measured by the CPI-U, was also volatile,
rising 33.0 percent in 2008 and falling 28.3 percent in 2009.
Chart 1 details spending changes and price changes dating
back to 2005.
The CE also collects the estimated market value of
owned homes. In 2009, the estimated market value of owned
homes decreased 7.2 percent for all consumer units. This
drop occurred after decreases of 6.9 percent in 2008 and 0.5
percent in 2007. Home values decreased in all four regions
of the United States (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West)
from 2008 to 2009, with the largest decrease in the West (13.6
percent) and the smallest decrease in the South (3.3 percent).
These decreases in the market value of owned homes lend
some insight into why many Americans owed more than their
homes were worth, or had negative equity in their homes, in
2009.6
Expenditures on apparel and services fell 4.2 percent in
2009, following a decrease of 4.3 percent in 2008. Spending
on men’s and boys’ apparel dropped 10.3 percent, whereas
women and girls’ spending decreased 5.6 percent. These declines on apparel spending were influenced by the faltering
economy of the past 2 years, but a prevailing trend of decreases in apparel spending in the United States has emerged when
measured as a share of the household budget (chart 2). The
share spent on apparel and services is the lowest it has been
since the CE began publishing integrated data in 1984.
Transportation spending dipped 11.0 percent in 2009,
following a more modest 1.8-percent decrease in 2008.
Gasoline and motor oil spending, a major subcomponent
of transportation spending, fell 26.9 percent in 2009, which
was the primary reason for the drop in overall transportation
spending. The decrease in spending on gasoline and motor oil
corresponded closely to the 27.8-percent decrease in motor
fuel prices in 2009, as measured by the CPI-U. (See chart 1.)
Spending on vehicle purchases, the largest subcomponent of
transportation spending, fell by 3.6 percent in 2009, following
a 15.1-percent decrease in 2008. Consumer units living in
rural areas spent 5.9 percent less on vehicle purchases in
2009, while urban consumer units spent 3.3 percent less.
Rural households also spent 29.3 percent less on gasoline and
motor oil in 2009, while urban households decreased their fuel
6
For more information, see “Continued High Negative Equity and Home
Value Declines Put a Damper on an Encouraging 2009,” (Zillow, February
2010), http://zillow.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=159&item=184&wwpa
ram=1294388506.
Chart 1. Spending and price percent change in housing fuel oil and transportation fuel, Consumer Expenditure Survey(CE), Consumer Price Index(CPI), 2005–2009
Percent change
40.0
CE Fuel oil and other fuels
CE Gasoline and motor oil
40.0
CPI-U fuel oil and other fuels
CPI-U motor fuel
30.0
30.0
20.0
20.0
10.0
10.0
0.0
0.0
2005
2005
2006
2006
2007
2007
2008
2008
2009
2009
-10.0
-10.0
-20.0
-20.0
-30.0
-30.0
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey and Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
4
Chart 2. Expenditures on apparel and services as a share of total expenditures, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1984–2009
In percent
6.5
6.5
6.0
6.0
5.5
5.5
5.0
5.0
4.5
4.5
4.0
4.0
3.5
3.5
3.0
3.0
1984
1988
1992
1996
spending by 26.6 percent. The level of gasoline and motor
oil spending is still higher for rural consumer units: $2,218
compared with $1,964 for urban consumer units. Rural
households reported spending more on vehicle insurance than
did urban households in 2009, $1,191 versus $1,065. This was
the first time since the CE began publishing integrated data in
1984 that rural consumers spent more on vehicle insurance
than urban consumers. However, because the average number
of vehicles per consumer unit is higher in rural areas than in
urban areas—2.6 vehicles and 1.9 vehicles, respectively—the
cost for insurance per vehicle is lower for rural consumers.
Despite the weak economy, healthcare accounted for a
larger share of a household’s budget in 2009, making up 6.4
percent compared with 5.9 percent in 2008 (table B). The
5.0-percent increase in spending was larger than the 3.2-percent price increase in medical care shown by the CPI-U. Chart
3 shows that the budget share for healthcare spending is higher
in 2009 than in 1999 for all age groups classified by age of the
reference person except for the 25-and-under group. Spending
on health insurance, the largest subcomponent of healthcare
spending, was primarily responsible for the total increase in
2009, rising 8.0 percent. Health insurance includes premiums
paid by consumers for private health insurance and Medicare.
Since 2000, health insurance spending has increased every
year, and, for every year except 2005, the increase has been
greater than 5.0 percent. According to the data classified by
the age of the reference person, health insurance increased the
most from 2008 to 2009 for the 45-to-54-year-old group (10.8
percent). The 25-and-under group actually had a decrease in
health insurance spending (–2.1 percent), but this could be
because young people are choosing to carry less health insurance or no health insurance at all. For the 25-and-under group,
the percentage of consumer units that reported expenditures
2000
2004
2008
on health insurance dropped from 25.3 percent in 2008 to 23.8
percent in 2009 (quarterly average percent reporting).
The 5.0-percent drop in entertainment spending in 2009
was driven by decreases in two of its main subcomponents,
audio and visual equipment and services (–5.9 percent) and
other supplies, equipment, and services (–16.5 percent). The
latter includes items such as recreational vehicles, boats, sporting goods, and photographic equipment. These items tend to
be discretionary purchases and the decrease may reflect the
difficult economic conditions. Purchases of other supplies,
equipment, and services are often large, infrequent expenditures, and therefore changes in the percent of consumer units
purchasing such items can result in large changes in the average amount spent.
Spending on personal insurance and pension plans fell 2.4
percent in 2009, following a 5.0-percent increase in 2008.
Pensions and Social Security, the major subcomponent of personal insurance and pensions spending, also fell 2.4 percent
in 2009.
Among the other spending components, expenditures on
education increased 2.1 percent in 2009, following an increase
of 10.7 percent in 2008. Applications to undergraduate and
graduate schools tend to increase during a recession because
people out of work want to improve their skill set, and this
may have contributed to the increase during the latest downturn. Tobacco products and smoking supplies increased 19.9
percent in 2009, probably due to the increase in excise taxes
that many states placed on cigarettes during the year.7 The
7
For more information, see “State Cigarette Excise Taxes—United States,
2009,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 9, 2010), http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/
mmwrhtml/mm5913a1.htm.
5
Chart 3. Shares of total expenditures for healthcare, by age of reference person, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1999 and 2009
In percent
14.0
12.9
12.0
11.4
2009
14.0
12.0
1999
10.0
10.0
8.0
7.4
6.4
6.0
8.0
6.2
5.3
6.0
5.4
3.9
4.0
4.4
4.7
3.8
4.0
3.2
2.5 2.4
2.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
All
consumer
units
Under 25
years
25–34 years
35–44 years
3.2-percent decrease in personal care products and services
could be driven by consumers cutting discretionary spending.
In 2009, the Social Security Administration administered
the delivery of one-time economic recovery payments of $250
for most recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement,
Supplemental Security Income, and Veterans’ Benefits. To examine the impact of these payments, special questions were
included in the Interview component of the Consumer Expenditure Survey from July through September 2009, which collected information on whether the payment was received, and
how it was used (mostly for spending, saving, or paying off
debt). The data indicate that 40 percent of the recipients used
the payment to purchase goods or services; 34 percent used
it to pay off debt; 24 percent saved it; and 2 percent did not
report using it. 8
45–54 years
55–64 years
65 years and
older
The survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau
for BLS, consists of two components: a diary (or recordkeeping) survey completed by participating consumer units for
two consecutive 1-week periods and an interview survey by
which expenditures of consumer units are obtained in five interviews conducted at 3-month intervals. Results in this report
are based on integrated data from both surveys.
Survey participants record dollar amounts for goods and
services purchased during the reporting period, regardless of
whether payment is made at the time of purchase. Expenditure
amounts include all sales and excise taxes for items purchased
by the consumer unit. All business-related expenditures are
excluded from both surveys, as are expenditures for which the
consumer unit is reimbursed.
Each component of the survey queries an independent
sample of consumer units that are representative of the U.S.
population. For the Diary Survey, about 7,000 consumer units
are sampled each year. Each consumer unit keeps a diary for
two 1-week periods, yielding approximately 14,000 diaries a
year. The Interview sample, selected on a rotating panel basis,
surveys about 7,000 consumer units each quarter. The rotating
panel consists of some consumer units dropping out of the
survey each quarter, while other consumer units come into the
survey. Each consumer unit is interviewed once per quarter,
for 5 consecutive quarters. Data are collected on an ongoing
basis in 91 areas of the United States.
The Interview Survey is designed to capture expenditure
data that respondents can reasonably recall for a period of 3
months or longer. In general, these expenditures are relatively
Brief description of the Consumer Expenditure
Survey
The current Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) began in 1980
and has run continuously since then. Its principal objective
is to collect information on the buying habits of Americans.
Consumer expenditure data are used in a variety of research
endeavors by government, business, labor, and academic analysts. In addition, the data are required for the regular revision
of the CPI market basket.
8
To view the first analysis of these data by BLS staff, see the report on
the CE section of the BLS website (http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxwebarticles.
htm).
6
large, such as expenditures for real property, automobiles, and
major appliances, or they occur on a regular basis, such as
rent, utility payments, and insurance premiums. The Interview
Survey also collects data on expenditures incurred on leisure
trips. Including global estimates of spending for food, it is estimated that about 95 percent of expenditures are covered in
the Interview Survey. Nonprescription drugs, household supplies, and personal care items are excluded.
The Diary Survey is designed to capture expenditures on
small, frequently purchased items that are normally difficult
for respondents to recall buying. Detailed records of expenses
are kept for food and beverages—consumed either at home
or in eating places—and for tobacco, housekeeping supplies,
nonprescription drugs, and personal care products and services. Expenditures incurred by members of the consumer unit
while away from home overnight or longer are excluded from
the Diary Survey. Although this survey was designed to collect
information on expenditures that could not be recalled easily
over an extended period, respondents are asked to report all
expenses (except those spent while traveling overnight that
the consumer unit incurs during the survey week.
Integrated data from the BLS Diary and Interview Surveys
provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and
income that neither survey is designed to do on its own. Data
on some expenditure items are collected in only one of the
surveys. For example, the Diary Survey does not collect data
on expenditures for overnight travel or information on reimbursements, whereas the Interview Survey does. Examples of
expenditures for which reimbursements are excluded from the
Diary Survey are medical care; automobile repair; and construction, repairs, alterations, and maintenance of property.
For items that are unique to one survey or the other, the
choice of which survey to use as the source of data is obvious.
However, there is considerable overlap in coverage between
the surveys. Consequently, integrating the data involves determining the appropriate survey component from which to
select expenditure items. When data are available from both
surveys, the more reliable of the two (as determined by statistical methods) is selected. As a result, some items are selected
from the Interview Survey, others from the Diary Survey. Because of the overlap in the item coverage between the two surveys, the survey source is periodically reviewed and statistical
methods are used to select the best source.
The population coverage of the CE differs from that of the
CPI. The CE data cover the total population, whereas the CPI
covers only the population in urban and metropolitan areas.
Definitions of components also differ between the CE and
CPI. For example, homeownership is treated differently in
the two surveys: actual expenditures of homeownership are
reported in the CE, whereas the CPI uses a rental-equivalence
approach that estimates the change in the cost of obtaining, in
the rental marketplace, services equivalent to those provided
by owner-occupied homes.
characteristics, regardless of whether a particular unit incurred an expense for a specific item during the recordkeeping
period. The average expenditure for an item may be considerably lower than the expenditure by the consumer units that
purchased the item. The less frequently an item is purchased,
the greater the difference is between the average for all consumer units and the average for those purchasing the item.
Similarly, an individual consumer unit may spend more or less
than the average, depending on its particular characteristics.
Factors such as income, age of family members, geographic
location, and personal preference also influence expenditures.
Furthermore, even within groups with similar characteristics,
the distribution of expenditures varies substantially. These
points should be considered in relating reported averages to
individual circumstances.
Users of these survey data should also keep in mind that
prices for many goods and services have risen since the survey was conducted. For example, gasoline (all types), as measured by the CPI-U, rose 18.8 percent between 2009 (annual
average index) and October 2010 (not seasonally adjusted).
In addition, sample surveys are subject to two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. Sampling errors occur because the data are collected from a sample representing the
population, rather than from the entire population. Nonsampling errors result from the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, differences in interviewers’ abilities, mistakes in recording or coding, and other
processing errors.
Interpreting the data
Expenditures are averages for consumer units with specified
Other available data
The 2009 Diary and Interview Survey microdata—that is,
Tables and data
Tables in this report include integrated data from both the Diary and Interview components of the CE, enabling data users
to associate the full range of expenditures with consumers’
demographic characteristics. Tables show data classified by
income quintile, income class, age of the reference person,
size of the consumer unit, composition of the consumer unit,
number of earners, housing tenure, type of area (urban or rural), race, Hispanic origin, region of residence, occupation,
and education. These are the same classifications published in
previous reports and bulletins.
Tables for the aforementioned classifications, but with
more detail than is given in this report, can be accessed on
the CE page of the BLS website (http://www.bls.gov/cex).
Also available are tables showing average annual data over
a 2-year period for 1) income before taxes, cross-tabulated
by age, consumer unit size, or region; 2) single consumers by
sex, cross-tabulated by either income or age; and 3) selected
metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Data are available for
1984–2009. Other survey information available on the website
includes answers to frequently asked questions, a glossary of
terms, and order forms for survey products. Beginning with
the 2000 data, estimates of standard errors for integrated
Diary and Interview Survey data are also available.
7
sumer Expenditure Survey anthologies. These reports include
analyses of expenditure data as they apply to various topics of
interest, as well as methodological and research articles pertaining to a number of survey topics. The most recent of these
reports, Consumer Expenditure Survey Anthology, 2008 (BLS
Report 1009), was published in December 2008. The next report in the series, Consumer Expenditure Survey Anthology,
2011, will be available in Spring 2011. Additional data also
are presented in articles in the Monthly Labor Review.
For more detailed information on the availability of current and earlier data, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3985, 2
Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212-0001.
Telephone: (202) 691-6900. Email: [email protected]. Online
at http://www.bls.gov/cex.
Material in this publication is in the public domain and,
with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission. Information in this report is available upon request to
sensory-impaired individuals: Voice phone: (202) 691-5200,
Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.
data on individual consumer units—are available for purchase
on CD-ROM. The Interview Survey files contain expenditure data in two different formats: MTAB files, which present
monthly values in an item coding framework based on the CPI
pricing scheme; and EXPN files, which organize expenditures
by the section of the interview questionnaire in which they are
collected. Expenditure values on EXPN files cover different
periods, depending on the specific question asked; the files
also contain relevant nonexpenditure information not found
on the MTAB files. Currently available on CD-ROM are microdata files back to 1990 and for selected earlier years. For
years prior to 1996, the microdata are available in ASCII text
format (column parametered). Beginning in 1996, the microdata are available in either ASCII text format (column parametered) or PC SAS datasets. Beginning in 2007 the microdata
are available in column-parametered ASCII, comma-delimited ASCII, PC SAS, SPSS, and STATA datasets. Ordering
information for the public use microdata can be found here:
http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxmicro.htm.
The Consumer Expenditure Survey also publishes Con-
8
Glossary
gifts and contributions as well as payments for pensions and
personal insurance.
Consumer unit. Members of a household consisting of a)
occupants related by blood, marriage, adoption, or some other
legal arrangement; b) a single person living alone or sharing a
household with others, but who is financially independent; or
c) two or more persons living together who share responsibility
for at least 2 out of 3 major types of expenses—food, housing,
and other expenses. Students living in university-sponsored
housing are also included in the sample as separate consumer
units.
Income. The combined income earned by all consumer unit
members, 14 years or older during the 12 months preceding
the interview. The components of income are wages and
salaries; self-employment income; Social Security and private
and government retirement income; interest, dividends, and
rental and other property income; unemployment and workers’
compensation and veterans’ benefits; public assistance,
Supplemental Security Income, and food stamps; rent or
meals as pay; and regular contributions for support, such as
alimony and child-support payments.
Reference person. The first member mentioned by the
respondent when asked to “start with the name of the person
or one of the persons who owns or rents the home.” It is with
respect to this person that the relationship of other consumer
unit members is determined.
Quintiles of income before taxes. Categories of income
reporters, ranked in ascending order of income, and divided
into five equal groups. The lower limit shown in the quintiles
of income before taxes indicates the amount of income before
taxes of the lowest ranked consumer unit in each income
quintile.
Total expenditures. The transaction costs, including excise
and sales taxes, of goods and services acquired during the
interview survey period. Estimates include expenditures for
9
Table 1. Quintiles of income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,
Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Item
All
consumer
units
Lowest
20
percent
Second
20
percent
Third
20
percent
Fourth
20
percent
Highest
20
percent
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
Lower limit ........................................................
120,847
n.a.
24,165
n.a.
24,120
$19,175
24,212
$35,598
24,154
$57,295
24,196
$93,784
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$9,846
51.4
$27,227
51.4
$46,012
49.3
$73,417
47.1
$157,631
47.8
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
1.7
.4
.4
.5
1.0
40
2.3
.6
.5
.9
1.5
56
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
67
2.9
.7
.2
1.7
2.5
79
3.1
.8
.2
2.0
2.8
89
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$21,611
3,501
2,463
327
575
266
421
874
1,038
$31,382
4,569
2,999
414
709
311
521
1,045
1,569
$41,150
5,483
3,355
451
784
354
570
1,197
2,127
$56,879
7,522
4,316
587
933
475
758
1,563
3,206
$94,244
10,780
5,629
753
1,203
624
1,013
2,037
5,151
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
170
8,961
5,392
1,964
3,291
137
2,238
417
349
565
873
250
11,829
6,807
3,287
3,308
211
3,069
583
501
869
1,161
330
14,805
8,804
5,168
3,210
426
3,574
721
550
1,157
1,402
541
18,862
11,173
7,944
2,582
647
4,172
1,039
741
1,738
1,848
883
29,998
18,185
14,337
1,911
1,936
5,167
2,295
1,153
3,197
3,339
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
2,855
778
926
984
167
5,078
1,488
1,498
1,872
220
6,717
2,232
1,982
2,199
303
9,525
3,280
2,457
3,294
494
14,105
5,501
3,067
4,327
1,211
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
1,628
1,015
268
48
573
303
323
559
2,491
1,668
397
72
369
413
522
868
3,069
2,106
496
91
548
400
756
1,435
3,762
3,197
650
119
881
439
921
1,949
4,677
5,474
1,167
217
2,966
342
1,558
3,801
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
534
104
429
1,694
140
1,554
3,512
217
3,295
6,664
355
6,308
14,937
728
14,209
n.a. Not applicable.
10
Table 2. Income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Item
All
consumer
units
Less
than
$5,000
Number of consumer units (in thousands) ......
120,847
4,749
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ....................................
Age of reference person ...............................
$62,857
49.4
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ......................................................
Children under 18 .......................................
Persons 65 and older .................................
Earners .......................................................
Vehicles ......................................................
Percent homeowner .....................................
$5,000
to
$9,999
$10,000
to
$14,999
$15,000
to
$19,999
$20,000
to
$29,999
$30,000
to
$39,999
$40,000
to
$49,999
$50,000
to
$69,999
$70,000
and
more
5,203
7,726
7,669
15,022
13,053
11,444
17,799
38,181
$-2,587
42.5
$8,015
48.8
$12,598
56.2
$17,527
53.9
$24,888
52.4
$34,721
50.0
$44,733
48.6
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
1.7
.4
.2
.5
.9
31
1.6
.4
.3
.5
.8
31
1.7
.4
.5
.4
1.0
43
2.0
.5
.5
.6
1.2
49
2.2
.5
.5
.9
1.5
55
2.4
.6
.4
1.1
1.7
62
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
65
2.7
.6
.3
1.5
2.3
74
3.1
.8
.2
1.9
2.7
86
Average annual expenditures .........................
Food .............................................................
Food at home .............................................
Cereals and bakery products ....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...................
Dairy products ..........................................
Fruits and vegetables ...............................
Other food at home ...................................
Food away from home ................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$22,731
3,833
2,429
354
553
269
431
821
1,404
$18,032
3,026
2,187
292
500
262
379
754
839
$21,741
3,710
2,695
334
636
273
439
1,013
1,015
$23,706
3,348
2,385
320
566
259
416
823
963
$29,397
4,415
2,996
422
675
313
525
1,061
1,419
$35,929
4,737
2,959
394
717
308
505
1,035
1,778
$39,553
5,384
3,362
457
780
363
576
1,185
2,022
$48,900
6,420
3,755
512
851
402
659
1,329
2,666
$82,060
9,761
5,236
701
1,125
577
928
1,904
4,525
Alcoholic beverages .....................................
Housing ........................................................
Shelter ........................................................
Owned dwellings ......................................
Rented dwellings ......................................
Other lodging ............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ..............
Household operations .................................
Housekeeping supplies ..............................
Household furnishings and equipment .......
Apparel and services ....................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
246
8,933
5,652
2,363
3,096
193
1,935
456
316
573
802
190
7,751
4,720
1,398
3,248
74
2,000
280
276
475
797
168
8,994
5,458
1,942
3,408
108
2,251
361
366
558
1,086
103
10,015
5,706
2,225
3,311
170
2,648
566
388
707
768
233
11,440
6,575
3,117
3,228
229
3,028
587
499
751
1,080
296
12,986
7,579
4,038
3,296
245
3,289
613
494
1,011
1,225
324
14,309
8,477
4,847
3,295
336
3,513
706
540
1,072
1,336
431
16,788
9,989
6,473
2,977
539
3,899
845
632
1,424
1,608
765
26,386
15,916
12,306
2,098
1,511
4,849
1,873
1,018
2,730
2,850
Transportation ..............................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...................
Gasoline and motor oil ................................
Other vehicle expenses ..............................
Public transportation ...................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
2,851
934
932
805
180
2,299
649
761
773
115
2,666
673
894
949
151
3,493
953
1,110
1,217
213
4,355
1,201
1,450
1,508
196
6,311
2,112
1,689
2,264
246
6,393
2,099
1,955
2,064
275
8,352
2,742
2,250
2,951
409
12,603
4,775
2,881
3,976
971
Healthcare ....................................................
Entertainment ...............................................
Personal care products and services ...........
Reading ........................................................
Education ......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .....
Miscellaneous ...............................................
Cash contributions ........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
1,345
1,248
273
41
1,466
289
308
600
1,099
835
225
34
507
252
234
450
1,785
971
273
49
373
304
389
493
2,050
1,080
291
62
249
353
297
767
2,536
1,504
372
71
303
439
438
744
2,684
1,970
438
81
557
405
668
1,208
2,937
2,008
476
86
441
381
738
1,256
3,454
2,611
578
108
654
436
853
1,728
4,393
4,733
991
182
2,257
371
1,351
3,176
Personal insurance and pensions ................
Life and other personal insurance ..............
Pensions and Social Security .....................
5,471
309
5,162
496
113
383
333
87
246
481
108
373
829
110
719
1,466
123
1,343
2,362
177
2,185
3,485
212
3,273
4,881
275
4,605
12,241
607
11,634
11
$59,009 $129,528
48.6
47.3
Table 3. Higher income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2009
Item
All
consumer
units
Less
than
$70,000
$70,000
to
$79,999
$80,000
to
$99,999
$100,000
and
more
$100,000
to
$119,999
$120,000
to
$149,999
$150,000
and
more
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
120,847
82,665
6,640
9,951
21,589
7,260
5,882
8,447
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$32,063
50.4
$74,594
46.3
$89,096
46.7
$165,062
47.9
$108,564
46.9
$132,565
47.3
$236,246
49.2
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
2.2
.5
.4
1.0
1.6
57
2.9
.7
.2
1.7
2.5
81
3.0
.8
.2
1.9
2.6
83
3.1
.8
.2
2.0
2.9
90
3.0
.8
.2
1.9
2.8
87
3.2
.8
.2
2.1
2.8
89
3.2
.8
.2
2.1
3.0
93
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$33,810
4,798
3,064
416
709
327
530
1,082
1,734
$57,833
7,818
4,471
607
963
492
772
1,637
3,347
$65,027
8,359
4,713
636
1,040
525
808
1,704
3,646
$97,576
11,088
5,752
765
1,221
632
1,041
2,092
5,336
$76,140
9,622
5,319
700
1,134
594
934
1,957
4,303
$85,806
9,886
5,201
714
1,080
568
954
1,885
4,685
$124,306
13,234
6,529
860
1,401
712
1,197
2,359
6,704
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
282
12,509
7,377
3,880
3,212
284
3,089
613
492
938
1,203
534
19,127
11,393
8,296
2,404
694
4,188
1,054
776
1,716
1,795
569
21,666
12,815
9,663
2,325
828
4,470
1,309
824
2,247
2,388
936
30,831
18,736
14,759
1,900
2,078
5,226
2,385
1,195
3,289
3,428
735
23,907
14,190
11,090
2,069
1,031
4,618
1,587
944
2,567
2,595
832
27,923
16,872
13,496
1,832
1,544
5,100
2,010
1,044
2,896
2,934
1,188
38,824
23,941
18,790
1,802
3,349
5,837
3,330
1,526
4,190
4,508
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
5,373
1,679
1,573
1,869
252
9,880
3,410
2,470
3,452
547
9,929
3,386
2,669
3,313
560
14,674
5,835
3,105
4,442
1,292
12,378
4,800
2,942
3,806
830
13,028
4,713
3,090
4,245
980
17,799
7,506
3,257
5,129
1,907
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
2,541
1,749
412
76
519
384
569
1,052
3,679
3,364
653
118
783
449
979
1,685
4,158
3,625
782
130
1,259
377
1,005
2,414
4,723
5,690
1,200
226
3,170
344
1,630
3,986
4,385
4,616
960
174
1,828
408
1,327
2,443
4,399
4,824
1,082
198
2,442
307
1,396
2,996
5,242
7,228
1,492
292
4,831
314
2,054
6,002
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
2,344
171
2,173
6,968
432
6,536
8,368
391
7,977
15,649
761
14,887
10,764
472
10,292
13,559
639
12,919
21,302
1,095
20,207
12
Table 4. Age of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Item
All
consumer
units
Under
25
years
25-34
years
35-44
years
45-54
years
55-64
years
65 years
and older
65-74
years
75 years
and older
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
120,847
7,875
20,044
22,199
25,440
20,731
24,557
12,848
11,709
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$25,695
21.4
$58,946
29.7
$77,005
39.7
$80,976
49.5
$70,609
59.1
$39,862
75.0
$47,286
68.9
$31,715
81.6
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
2.8
.6
1.7
.1
1.4
.5
1.6
79
1.9
.1
1.4
.6
1.9
81
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
1.3
1.2
14
1.5
1.7
46
1.6
2.1
65
1.7
2.4
74
2.1
.2
.1
1.3
2.2
81
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$28,119
4,179
2,449
307
571
281
398
891
1,731
$46,494
6,169
3,478
473
757
376
593
1,280
2,691
$57,301
7,760
4,446
629
983
495
739
1,600
3,314
$58,708
7,445
4,343
586
978
465
750
1,564
3,102
$52,463
6,303
3,678
465
849
386
663
1,314
2,626
$37,562
4,901
3,222
439
720
346
618
1,100
1,679
$42,957
5,561
3,567
463
849
381
684
1,190
1,994
$31,676
4,189
2,851
414
581
308
546
1,002
1,338
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
344
9,735
6,306
1,245
4,885
176
1,821
370
309
929
1,396
481
17,258
10,856
5,581
4,877
398
3,249
1,231
506
1,416
1,871
498
20,705
12,753
8,832
3,328
593
4,093
1,377
698
1,786
2,346
502
19,004
11,356
8,093
2,369
894
4,275
964
703
1,705
1,885
440
16,991
9,749
7,149
1,570
1,031
3,896
871
825
1,651
1,591
292
13,196
7,173
4,838
1,741
594
3,282
876
682
1,184
1,068
389
14,462
7,828
5,802
1,320
706
3,568
801
773
1,491
1,322
188
11,811
6,454
3,781
2,202
471
2,967
957
584
850
793
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
5,334
2,319
1,483
1,298
234
7,671
2,820
2,071
2,293
487
8,364
2,761
2,359
2,694
549
9,409
3,233
2,398
3,199
579
8,323
2,752
2,074
2,962
535
5,409
1,862
1,241
1,968
338
7,033
2,597
1,573
2,488
376
3,631
1,055
877
1,402
297
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
676
1,233
360
42
1,910
330
243
349
1,805
2,504
555
69
808
368
631
1,001
2,520
3,317
685
85
935
417
967
1,581
3,173
3,176
666
119
2,055
513
1,051
2,056
3,895
2,906
617
147
1,003
410
952
2,092
4,846
2,062
531
145
162
207
663
2,226
4,906
2,498
600
154
181
275
820
2,087
4,779
1,587
456
134
141
133
491
2,378
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
1,988
31
1,957
5,303
156
5,147
7,122
270
6,851
7,654
427
7,226
6,793
446
6,347
1,856
320
1,537
2,669
397
2,272
964
234
730
(1)
2.0
.4
(1)
2.8
1.1
1 Value is less than or equal to 0.05.
13
(1)
3.3
1.3
(1)
(1)
1.6
1.4
.2
1.3
77
Table 5. Size of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2009
Two or more persons
Item
All
consumer
units
One
person
Total
Two
persons
Three
persons
Four
persons
Five or
more
persons
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .................
120,847
34,770
86,076
39,531
17,990
16,474
12,081
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ...............................................
Age of reference person ..........................................
$62,857
49.4
$32,780
53.2
$75,006
47.8
$68,393
54.0
$76,545
44.5
$85,436
41.4
$80,132
41.5
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons .................................................................
Children under 18 ..................................................
Persons 65 and older ............................................
Earners ..................................................................
Vehicles .................................................................
Percent homeowner ................................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
1.0
.3
.6
1.1
50
3.1
.9
.3
1.6
2.3
73
2.0
.1
.5
1.2
2.2
76
3.0
.7
.2
1.7
2.2
69
4.0
1.6
.1
1.9
2.5
74
5.6
2.7
.1
2.1
2.5
69
Average annual expenditures ....................................
Food ........................................................................
Food at home ........................................................
Cereals and bakery products ...............................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..............................
Dairy products .....................................................
Fruits and vegetables ..........................................
Other food at home ..............................................
Food away from home ...........................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$29,405
3,460
1,953
255
408
214
352
724
1,507
$57,002
7,544
4,477
607
1,015
483
779
1,592
3,067
$51,650
6,308
3,631
470
813
391
664
1,293
2,677
$56,645
7,506
4,454
588
1,024
472
778
1,592
3,052
$65,503
8,730
5,187
719
1,170
568
860
1,871
3,543
$63,439
10,034
6,324
937
1,457
689
1,048
2,194
3,710
Alcoholic beverages ................................................
Housing ...................................................................
Shelter ...................................................................
Owned dwellings .................................................
Rented dwellings .................................................
Other lodging .......................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .........................
Household operations ............................................
Housekeeping supplies .........................................
Household furnishings and equipment ..................
Apparel and services ...............................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
355
11,388
7,376
3,495
3,513
368
2,298
548
345
821
975
467
19,119
11,165
7,774
2,596
795
4,189
1,198
785
1,782
2,027
537
17,145
10,078
6,906
2,257
916
3,740
845
779
1,702
1,566
381
19,353
11,114
7,526
2,874
714
4,233
1,345
771
1,891
2,046
486
22,193
13,038
9,530
2,711
797
4,658
1,811
803
1,884
2,571
336
21,035
12,243
8,589
3,138
516
4,951
1,303
798
1,741
2,767
Transportation .........................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..............................
Gasoline and motor oil ...........................................
Other vehicle expenses .........................................
Public transportation ..............................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
4,182
1,441
1,022
1,417
303
9,061
3,148
2,376
2,987
550
8,306
3,039
1,993
2,714
559
8,775
2,659
2,470
3,086
560
10,707
4,004
2,761
3,374
568
9,716
3,065
2,964
3,203
484
Healthcare ...............................................................
Entertainment ..........................................................
Personal care products and services ......................
Reading ...................................................................
Education .................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................
Miscellaneous ..........................................................
Cash contributions ...................................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
2,007
1,510
345
87
492
253
565
1,268
3,578
3,170
697
119
1,301
431
918
1,907
4,021
2,913
646
136
793
403
838
2,028
3,273
2,860
719
113
1,563
463
942
1,776
3,300
3,775
779
100
1,906
443
1,115
1,718
2,960
3,635
717
95
1,746
458
872
1,964
Personal insurance and pensions ...........................
Life and other personal insurance .........................
Pensions and Social Security ................................
5,471
309
5,162
2,518
118
2,399
6,664
386
6,278
6,011
393
5,618
6,875
409
6,466
7,680
371
7,309
7,101
350
6,751
n.a.
n.a. Not applicable.
14
Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Husband and wife consumer units
Husband and wife with children
Item
Total
Husband
and wife
only
Total
Oldest
child
under 6
Oldest
child
6 to 17
Oldest
child 18
or older
Other
husband
and wife
consumer
units
One
parent,
at least
one child
under 18
Single
person
and other
consumer
units
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .............
61,271
26,852
29,480
5,154
14,983
9,342
4,939
6,810
52,766
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ...........................................
Age of reference person ......................................
$84,785
49.7
$75,876
57.7
$92,616
42.6
$81,821
32.6
$94,302
40.4
$95,867
51.6
$86,478
48.6
$35,845
38.0
$40,880
50.5
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ..............................................................
Children under 18 ..............................................
Persons 65 and older .........................................
Earners ..............................................................
Vehicles .............................................................
Percent homeowner .............................................
3.2
.9
.4
1.6
2.6
82
2.0
4.1
2.1
4.9
1.4
.5
2.2
2.7
77
2.9
1.7
.7
1.2
2.5
87
4.0
1.5
.1
1.9
2.6
79
1.0
1.2
37
1.7
.2
.3
.9
1.3
51
Average annual expenditures ................................
Food .....................................................................
Food at home .....................................................
Cereals and bakery products ...........................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..........................
Dairy products ..................................................
Fruits and vegetables .......................................
Other food at home ..........................................
Food away from home .......................................
$63,104
8,264
4,827
657
1,069
530
853
1,718
3,436
$56,777
6,906
3,975
508
887
427
748
1,404
2,930
Alcoholic beverages .............................................
Housing ................................................................
Shelter ................................................................
Owned dwellings ..............................................
Rented dwellings ..............................................
Other lodging ...................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .....................
Household operations ........................................
Housekeeping supplies ......................................
Household furnishings and equipment ...............
Apparel and services ...........................................
511
20,654
11,960
9,049
1,936
975
4,403
1,336
886
2,069
2,170
Transportation ......................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...........................
Gasoline and motor oil .......................................
Other vehicle expenses .....................................
Public transportation ..........................................
1.6
2.0
67
1.7
2.5
77
3.9
.6
.2
2.4
3.1
89
$68,481
9,369
5,451
770
1,167
615
921
1,977
3,917
$62,138
7,813
4,833
622
930
599
859
1,824
2,980
$70,329
9,827
5,606
826
1,198
637
951
1,993
4,221
$69,089
9,525
5,567
765
1,262
587
908
2,045
3,958
$65,654
9,182
5,868
811
1,522
588
1,040
1,908
3,314
$36,763
5,348
3,480
485
837
350
542
1,266
1,868
$34,450
4,352
2,568
338
583
273
448
926
1,785
582
18,140
10,414
7,835
1,413
1,166
3,937
873
916
2,001
1,630
470
22,858
13,412
10,226
2,308
878
4,708
1,784
851
2,101
2,600
507
24,503
14,005
10,279
3,273
454
3,853
3,537
796
2,312
2,281
485
23,906
14,410
10,796
2,602
1,012
4,731
1,716
867
2,182
2,844
422
20,258
11,485
9,284
1,305
896
5,144
928
858
1,842
2,387
345
21,203
11,706
8,626
2,563
517
5,115
1,176
943
2,263
2,597
177
14,836
8,610
3,711
4,626
272
3,438
1,215
583
991
1,708
382
12,810
8,074
3,997
3,705
372
2,791
608
410
926
1,220
10,021
3,504
2,572
3,315
631
9,202
3,460
2,139
2,962
641
10,487
3,406
2,868
3,557
656
9,889
3,650
2,417
3,191
631
9,988
3,190
2,838
3,293
668
11,673
3,618
3,166
4,241
649
11,750
4,323
3,159
3,838
430
5,337
1,679
1,573
1,801
283
5,224
1,800
1,360
1,736
328
Healthcare ............................................................
Entertainment .......................................................
Personal care products and services ...................
Reading ................................................................
Education .............................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .............
Miscellaneous ......................................................
Cash contributions ...............................................
4,182
3,606
758
135
1,478
375
1,016
2,245
4,852
3,259
708
160
840
335
923
2,456
3,556
4,030
798
118
2,105
357
1,014
2,130
2,884
2,894
779
78
378
258
860
1,435
3,460
4,532
800
122
2,096
326
1,091
1,979
4,082
3,852
802
133
3,071
461
971
2,756
4,282
2,935
799
106
1,207
706
1,540
1,781
1,381
1,907
552
62
874
345
613
792
2,127
1,743
415
86
617
389
611
1,237
Personal insurance and pensions ........................
Life and other personal insurance ......................
Pensions and Social Security ............................
7,689
481
7,208
6,785
512
6,273
8,590
464
8,126
7,580
292
7,288
8,873
488
8,384
8,695
521
8,174
7,220
410
6,810
2,830
123
2,707
3,237
134
3,103
n.a.
1 Value is less than or equal to 0.05.
n.a. Not applicable.
15
(1)
3.5
1.5
(1)
(1)
Table 7. Number of earners in consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer
Expenditure Survey, 2009
Single consumers
Item
All
consumer
units
No earner
Consumer units of two or more persons
One earner
No earner
One earner Two earners
Three or
more
earners
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
120,847
13,715
21,056
11,110
26,304
39,535
9,127
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$17,514
68.2
$42,723
43.5
$31,182
64.3
$56,147
47.5
$92,660
43.8
$106,232
46.2
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
1.0
2.3
.4
1.2
1.7
75
3.1
1.1
.3
1.0
1.9
66
3.0
.8
.1
2.0
2.5
76
4.4
1.0
.1
3.3
3.2
79
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
1.0
n.a.
n.a.
.7
.9
56
.1
1.0
1.2
46
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$21,768
2,937
2,057
283
416
224
366
768
880
$34,314
3,782
1,892
238
403
208
344
699
1,890
$36,882
5,609
3,795
529
879
395
712
1,281
1,814
$49,285
6,742
4,339
579
988
466
768
1,538
2,403
$64,241
8,137
4,495
609
1,000
494
761
1,630
3,641
$72,854
9,879
5,715
793
1,347
605
978
1,992
4,165
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
141
9,455
5,616
2,535
2,873
207
2,256
666
364
553
568
484
12,643
8,522
4,119
3,930
473
2,325
471
334
991
1,224
276
12,854
6,678
4,426
1,669
583
3,512
723
733
1,208
1,018
381
17,861
10,455
6,702
3,070
683
3,915
1,031
796
1,665
1,906
566
21,267
12,636
9,158
2,572
906
4,322
1,493
790
2,026
2,286
539
21,073
12,299
8,942
2,465
892
5,227
985
795
1,768
2,545
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
2,360
662
624
926
147
5,362
1,949
1,280
1,729
405
5,780
1,976
1,431
2,018
355
7,416
2,427
2,053
2,514
423
10,052
3,572
2,618
3,205
658
13,594
4,819
3,410
4,672
693
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
2,687
1,052
294
83
183
199
398
1,211
1,566
1,801
376
90
693
288
672
1,306
4,891
2,243
513
121
422
345
557
1,829
3,301
2,724
610
103
974
398
739
1,641
3,350
3,560
769
126
1,498
445
1,052
2,007
3,768
3,928
872
126
2,463
570
1,300
2,336
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
202
118
84
4,027
119
3,907
424
305
1120
4,489
318
4,170
9,126
429
8,697
9,863
494
9,369
n.a.
1 Data are likely to have large sampling errors.
n.a. Not applicable.
16
n.a.
Table 8. Housing tenure and type of area: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Housing tenure
Item
Type of area
Homeowner
All
consumer
units
Total
Urban
Homeowner
with
mortgage
Homeowner
without
mortgage
Renter
Total
Central
City
Other
Urban
Rural
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
120,847
80,068
50,080
29,988
40,778
110,241
35,043
75,198
10,605
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$75,858
53.3
$88,237
47.8
$55,185
62.5
$37,329
41.7
$64,316
49.0
$55,385
46.6
$68,477
50.1
$47,692
53.7
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
2.6
.6
.4
1.4
2.4
100
2.9
.8
.2
1.6
2.5
100
2.1
.3
.7
.9
2.2
100
2.3
.6
.2
1.1
1.2
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
65
2.4
.6
.3
1.2
1.5
50
2.6
.6
.3
1.3
2.1
72
2.4
.5
.4
1.2
2.6
82
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$57,047
7,198
4,214
566
932
459
744
1,514
2,984
$64,493
7,682
4,377
594
966
478
760
1,580
3,306
$44,130
6,125
3,837
501
852
415
704
1,366
2,288
$33,404
4,753
2,849
390
663
302
486
1,008
1,904
$49,807
6,435
3,757
508
844
404
658
1,343
2,678
$43,962
5,922
3,407
456
797
360
614
1,181
2,515
$52,501
6,662
3,911
530
865
423
677
1,414
2,752
$41,325
5,675
3,707
494
803
429
638
1,344
1,968
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
477
18,901
10,733
9,761
60
912
4,276
1,217
804
1,872
1,857
525
22,846
14,050
13,059
48
943
4,554
1,424
804
2,015
2,085
370
12,287
5,193
4,254
80
859
3,811
873
803
1,607
1,371
352
12,958
8,783
223
8,359
202
2,406
607
374
788
1,466
448
17,356
10,483
6,731
3,063
690
3,650
1,056
652
1,515
1,762
458
16,058
10,060
5,095
4,374
591
3,245
929
533
1,292
1,777
444
17,953
10,681
7,493
2,452
736
3,838
1,116
704
1,615
1,755
289
12,110
5,828
4,589
753
486
3,592
542
738
1,409
1,328
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
9,089
3,247
2,276
3,023
544
10,005
3,554
2,555
3,288
608
7,568
2,734
1,809
2,589
436
4,849
1,499
1,419
1,579
353
7,623
2,611
1,964
2,545
503
6,273
1,950
1,563
2,180
580
8,249
2,920
2,151
2,711
467
8,028
3,130
2,218
2,446
234
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
3,944
3,256
693
136
1,234
359
965
2,164
3,627
3,578
744
135
1,503
375
1,028
2,079
4,478
2,655
599
137
778
332
863
2,306
1,520
1,588
404
58
743
421
525
858
3,105
2,716
613
111
1,127
362
795
1,749
2,423
2,269
555
99
951
314
720
1,404
3,422
2,920
639
117
1,209
384
830
1,910
3,352
2,453
413
91
456
566
1,030
1,451
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
6,776
417
6,359
8,282
466
7,816
4,260
336
3,924
2,910
97
2,813
5,605
306
5,298
4,739
240
4,499
6,008
337
5,670
4,084
336
3,748
n.a. Not applicable.
17
n.a.
Table 9. Race of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,
Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
White and all other races, and Asian
Item
All
consumer
units
Total
White and
all other
races1
Asian
Black or
AfricanAmerican
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
120,847
106,187
101,604
4,584
14,659
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$65,405
49.7
$64,898
49.9
$76,633
45.1
$44,397
47.1
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
69
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.1
70
2.7
.6
.3
1.4
1.5
57
2.6
.8
.2
1.2
1.3
46
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$50,957
6,622
3,871
522
840
426
680
1,403
2,751
$50,723
6,585
3,870
522
835
429
671
1,412
2,715
$56,308
7,565
3,905
520
966
346
903
1,169
3,660
$35,311
4,524
2,880
390
845
258
484
903
1,645
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
466
17,362
10,372
6,944
2,697
731
3,641
1,064
690
1,594
1,721
471
17,224
10,228
6,872
2,619
737
3,658
1,051
696
1,591
1,704
350
20,395
13,571
8,543
4,411
616
3,270
1,347
536
1,671
2,150
201
13,503
7,919
3,632
4,046
241
3,668
633
429
854
1,755
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
7,983
2,818
2,037
2,626
501
7,950
2,829
2,045
2,605
471
8,784
2,582
1,871
3,153
1,178
5,302
1,489
1,618
1,876
319
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
3,314
2,869
603
118
1,134
400
843
1,784
3,351
2,894
606
119
1,080
413
853
1,799
2,498
2,270
557
111
2,327
122
611
1,452
1,763
1,404
536
46
591
230
626
1,280
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
5,736
319
5,417
5,674
321
5,353
7,117
283
6,834
3,550
235
3,315
1 All other races includes Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and
approximately 1 percent reporting more than one race.
18
Table 10. Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person: Average annual expenditures and
characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Not Hispanic or Latino
Item
All
consumer
units
Hispanic
or Latino
Total
White and
all other
races
Black
or
AfricanAmerican
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
120,847
14,295
106,552
92,119
14,432
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................
Age of reference person .................................
$62,857
49.4
$49,930
43.1
$64,591
50.2
$67,784
50.7
$44,211
47.1
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 .........................................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
3.3
1.1
.2
1.5
1.6
51
2.4
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
68
2.4
.5
.4
1.3
2.1
72
2.6
.8
.2
1.2
1.3
46
Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$41,981
6,094
3,784
479
955
403
734
1,213
2,310
$50,015
6,409
3,749
510
826
406
646
1,360
2,660
$52,320
6,696
3,882
529
823
429
671
1,430
2,814
$35,198
4,524
2,875
388
846
258
483
900
1,649
Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
267
15,983
10,043
5,298
4,415
330
3,532
714
517
1,177
2,002
457
17,016
10,079
6,710
2,652
718
3,660
1,051
677
1,549
1,689
496
17,579
10,429
7,198
2,437
794
3,660
1,119
714
1,657
1,678
201
13,409
7,847
3,594
4,020
233
3,660
618
434
850
1,761
Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
7,156
2,333
2,104
2,309
410
7,725
2,700
1,971
2,566
489
8,109
2,897
2,026
2,670
516
5,269
1,446
1,614
1,896
313
Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
1,568
1,664
532
36
707
182
544
1,015
3,335
2,829
604
119
1,116
406
853
1,818
3,581
3,050
614
131
1,197
434
887
1,903
1,762
1,406
536
47
599
232
633
1,277
Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................
5,471
309
5,162
4,230
119
4,111
5,638
335
5,303
5,966
350
5,616
3,542
236
3,306
19
Table 11. Region of residence: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Item
All
consumer
units
Northeast
Midwest
South
West
Number of consumer units (in thousands) ........................
120,847
22,411
27,536
43,819
27,080
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ......................................................
Age of reference person .................................................
$62,857
49.4
$71,731
51.2
$59,908
48.9
$58,641
49.6
$65,332
48.1
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons .........................................................................
Children under 18 .........................................................
Persons 65 and older ....................................................
Earners .........................................................................
Vehicles ........................................................................
Percent homeowner ........................................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
2.4
.5
.3
1.3
1.7
65
2.4
.6
.3
1.3
2.1
68
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
68
2.6
.7
.3
1.3
2.0
62
Average annual expenditures ...........................................
Food ................................................................................
Food at home ................................................................
Cereals and bakery products ......................................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .....................................
Dairy products .............................................................
Fruits and vegetables ..................................................
Other food at home .....................................................
Food away from home ..................................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$53,868
6,975
4,043
563
919
435
751
1,374
2,932
$46,551
6,031
3,682
510
762
419
616
1,375
2,349
$45,749
5,944
3,481
469
829
367
581
1,235
2,463
$53,005
6,903
4,023
516
875
432
740
1,461
2,880
Alcoholic beverages ........................................................
Housing ...........................................................................
Shelter ...........................................................................
Owned dwellings .........................................................
Rented dwellings .........................................................
Other lodging ..............................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................
Household operations ...................................................
Housekeeping supplies .................................................
Household furnishings and equipment ..........................
Apparel and services ......................................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
468
19,343
11,944
7,513
3,507
924
4,095
1,196
640
1,467
1,782
418
15,109
8,756
6,126
1,986
643
3,421
780
682
1,471
1,461
368
15,387
8,524
5,613
2,361
550
3,741
969
667
1,485
1,786
530
19,127
12,378
7,667
4,021
690
3,343
1,164
638
1,605
1,844
Transportation .................................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ......................................
Gasoline and motor oil ..................................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................................
Public transportation .....................................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
8,108
2,754
1,787
2,885
682
7,649
2,921
1,933
2,375
420
7,400
2,612
2,103
2,371
314
7,711
2,380
2,018
2,673
640
Healthcare .......................................................................
Entertainment ..................................................................
Personal care products and services ..............................
Reading ...........................................................................
Education ........................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies ........................
Miscellaneous .................................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
3,132
2,767
601
141
1,710
439
821
1,568
3,272
2,627
538
112
1,103
409
798
1,684
3,030
2,467
593
85
820
394
768
1,692
3,128
3,062
653
121
902
278
910
1,941
Personal insurance and pensions ...................................
Life and other personal insurance .................................
Pensions and Social Security .......................................
5,471
309
5,162
6,013
350
5,662
5,340
340
5,000
5,015
298
4,717
5,894
262
5,633
20
Table 12. Occupation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Wage and salary earners
Selfemployed
workers
Total
wage and
salary
earners
Managers
and
professionals
Technical,
sales and
clerical
workers
5,824
77,087
29,707
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ..............................
Age of reference person .........................
$81,240
48.3
$74,168
43.6
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons .................................................
Children under 18 .................................
Persons 65 and older ............................
Earners .................................................
Vehicles ................................................
Percent homeowner ................................
2.7
.7
.2
1.7
2.3
74
Average annual expenditures ...................
Food ........................................................
Food at home ........................................
Cereals and bakery products ..............
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............
Dairy products .....................................
Fruits and vegetables ..........................
Other food at home .............................
Food away from home ..........................
All other,
including
not
reporting
Service
workers
Construction
workers and
mechanics
Operators,
fabricators
and
laborers
21,239
12,844
4,163
9,133
21,163
16,772
$103,040
44.8
$62,755
42.5
$49,816
42.7
$56,949
43.4
$48,895
43.8
$35,336
73.8
$39,211
45.5
2.6
.7
.1
1.7
2.1
65
2.6
.7
.1
1.7
2.2
75
2.5
.7
.1
1.7
2.0
60
2.6
.8
.1
1.6
1.8
53
2.9
.8
.1
1.7
2.4
62
2.7
.7
.1
1.7
2.1
58
1.7
.1
1.2
.2
1.6
79
2.9
.9
.2
.7
1.6
53
$57,073
7,198
4,219
576
912
457
750
1,525
2,979
$54,465
6,857
3,827
518
856
413
658
1,383
3,031
$70,143
8,212
4,302
579
896
472
777
1,578
3,910
$48,516
6,298
3,495
486
804
368
582
1,254
2,804
$41,759
5,683
3,554
465
865
372
589
1,263
2,129
$44,034
5,935
3,585
478
812
396
568
1,331
2,350
$39,904
5,801
3,533
480
849
385
585
1,233
2,268
$35,707
4,816
3,185
433
696
340
598
1,118
1,630
$38,382
5,839
3,973
525
931
441
691
1,385
1,866
Alcoholic beverages ................................
Housing ...................................................
Shelter ...................................................
Owned dwellings .................................
Rented dwellings .................................
Other lodging ......................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ........
Household operations ...........................
Housekeeping supplies .........................
Household furnishings and equipment ..
Apparel and services ..............................
546
18,173
10,882
7,303
2,590
988
3,966
1,001
648
1,675
1,638
502
18,525
11,302
7,431
3,129
741
3,790
1,143
644
1,646
2,017
664
23,699
14,740
10,574
2,908
1,258
4,247
1,737
777
2,199
2,505
411
16,552
9,914
6,051
3,320
543
3,587
907
616
1,527
1,802
308
14,951
9,108
5,290
3,519
299
3,476
733
571
1,063
1,620
486
14,813
8,662
5,213
3,108
342
3,636
738
478
1,299
1,249
451
13,016
7,633
4,441
2,869
323
3,290
525
468
1,101
1,830
275
12,863
6,842
4,527
1,741
575
3,260
834
759
1,168
913
294
14,053
8,235
4,738
3,129
368
3,348
632
604
1,234
1,440
Transportation .........................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..............
Gasoline and motor oil ..........................
Other vehicle expenses ........................
Public transportation .............................
7,585
1,979
2,263
2,761
583
8,709
3,097
2,230
2,822
560
10,722
3,897
2,419
3,491
915
8,100
2,985
2,081
2,622
413
6,776
2,164
2,022
2,271
318
7,449
2,550
2,357
2,267
276
6,869
2,319
2,192
2,141
218
5,291
1,926
1,239
1,799
327
5,844
1,791
1,716
2,073
265
Healthcare ...............................................
Entertainment ..........................................
Personal care products and services ......
Reading ...................................................
Education ................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies
Miscellaneous .........................................
Cash contributions ..................................
3,723
3,183
595
134
962
331
1,542
2,176
2,798
2,962
651
109
1,328
400
889
1,737
3,496
3,958
855
163
1,922
275
1,124
2,442
2,616
2,537
617
91
1,071
441
877
1,362
2,096
2,183
490
66
988
433
621
1,196
2,396
2,600
404
62
875
710
663
1,375
2,119
1,970
414
63
684
521
634
1,243
4,800
2,061
517
142
185
210
555
2,039
2,316
2,087
441
61
1,023
518
563
1,102
Personal insurance and pensions ...........
Life and other personal insurance .........
Pensions and Social Security ...............
9,287
400
8,887
6,980
335
6,646
10,107
481
9,626
5,740
292
5,448
4,348
202
4,146
5,017
207
4,809
4,290
200
4,089
1,041
275
766
2,800
203
2,597
Item
Number of consumer units (in thousands)
21
Retired
Table 13. Education of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009
Less than college graduate
Item
All
consumer
units
Total
College graduate
Less than
high
school
graduate
High
school
graduate
High
school
graduate
with
some
college
Associate’s
degree
Total
Bachelor’s
degree
Master’s,
professional,
doctoral
degree
Number of consumer units (in thousands) .........
120,847
85,270
16,692
31,015
25,512
12,051
35,576
23,410
12,166
Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes ........................................
Age of reference person ...................................
$62,857
49.4
$48,449
50.0
$33,262
53.8
$47,338
51.8
$53,065
46.1
$62,570
48.0
$97,390
48.0
$90,318
46.5
$110,998
51.0
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ..........................................................
Children under 18 ...........................................
Persons 65 and older .....................................
Earners ...........................................................
Vehicles ..........................................................
Percent homeowner .........................................
2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66
2.5
.6
.3
1.2
1.9
62
2.8
.8
.5
1.0
1.5
54
2.5
.6
.4
1.2
1.9
65
2.4
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
59
2.5
.7
.2
1.4
2.2
69
2.5
.6
.2
1.4
2.1
77
2.5
.6
.2
1.5
2.1
75
2.4
.6
.3
1.4
2.1
80
Average annual expenditures ............................
Food .................................................................
Food at home .................................................
Cereals and bakery products .......................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ......................
Dairy products ..............................................
Fruits and vegetables ...................................
Other food at home ......................................
Food away from home ...................................
$49,067
6,372
3,753
506
841
406
656
1,343
2,619
$40,520
5,622
3,476
469
810
370
580
1,247
2,146
$30,323
4,735
3,343
454
856
333
570
1,129
1,392
$38,693
5,426
3,439
468
826
363
568
1,213
1,987
$44,697
5,977
3,547
470
797
387
596
1,297
2,430
$50,446
6,588
3,598
493
728
400
590
1,387
2,991
$69,389
8,097
4,386
590
912
488
831
1,565
3,711
$65,908
7,775
4,275
588
931
472
773
1,511
3,500
$76,072
8,704
4,595
595
876
519
939
1,667
4,110
Alcoholic beverages .........................................
Housing ............................................................
Shelter ............................................................
Owned dwellings ..........................................
Rented dwellings ..........................................
Other lodging ................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .................
Household operations ....................................
Housekeeping supplies ..................................
Household furnishings and equipment ...........
Apparel and services ........................................
435
16,895
10,075
6,543
2,860
672
3,645
1,011
659
1,506
1,725
325
14,047
8,111
4,841
2,885
385
3,462
705
573
1,197
1,452
213
11,181
6,556
3,263
3,126
167
3,101
346
414
764
1,454
298
13,261
7,547
4,556
2,652
339
3,491
598
568
1,057
1,369
384
15,142
8,737
5,259
2,997
481
3,479
889
607
1,431
1,432
424
17,702
10,391
6,876
2,911
603
3,848
1,090
723
1,650
1,742
686
23,695
14,782
10,621
2,802
1,359
4,083
1,745
854
2,230
2,358
676
22,456
14,106
10,187
2,767
1,152
3,989
1,510
741
2,110
2,385
705
26,074
16,084
11,456
2,869
1,759
4,264
2,198
1,067
2,460
2,308
Transportation ..................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .......................
Gasoline and motor oil ...................................
Other vehicle expenses ..................................
Public transportation ......................................
7,658
2,657
1,986
2,536
479
6,547
2,138
1,893
2,242
273
4,762
1,430
1,529
1,611
193
6,295
2,017
1,865
2,149
264
7,329
2,477
1,972
2,581
299
7,970
2,714
2,305
2,595
356
10,312
3,901
2,209
3,229
972
10,007
3,844
2,205
3,146
812
10,897
4,010
2,218
3,390
1,279
Healthcare ........................................................
Entertainment ...................................................
Personal care products and services ...............
Reading ............................................................
Education .........................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .........
Miscellaneous ..................................................
Cash contributions ...........................................
3,126
2,693
596
110
1,068
380
816
1,723
2,749
2,261
489
78
648
462
689
1,193
2,010
1,406
361
40
236
430
437
784
2,913
2,184
459
70
447
531
596
1,123
2,917
2,626
555
98
1,039
419
843
1,354
3,000
2,848
602
107
907
418
957
1,600
4,026
3,716
845
186
2,074
183
1,122
2,993
3,778
3,458
799
157
1,833
219
1,167
2,734
4,503
4,212
933
241
2,538
113
1,037
3,491
Personal insurance and pensions ....................
Life and other personal insurance ..................
Pensions and Social Security .........................
5,471
309
5,162
3,958
233
3,725
2,275
151
2,124
3,721
239
3,482
4,580
248
4,332
5,580
298
5,282
9,098
492
8,607
8,465
451
8,014
10,318
571
9,746
22