Current Price Topics

Do Two live as Cheaply as one? 

Evidence from the Consumer 

Expenditure Survey

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Consumer Expenditures: 2009

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2011 Volume 2, Number 4

Are there economies of scale for young married couples that allow them to live as cheaply 

as a single person? The answer is no. However, 

even though the savings young married couples realize by sharing expenses for housing 

and food do not cut their spending in half, the 

savings do help them spend less per person

than do singles. Sharing rent or homeowner 

expenses and buying food in bulk enables 

married couples to spend less per person on 

housing and food. Young married couples also 

spend less per person on alcohol and education. However, they have higher per-person 

expenditures than singles for transportation, 

health care, and personal insurance and pensions.

This article examines per-person—also known 

as per-capita—differences in spending patterns between singles1

 ages 21 to 29 and married couples2

 with at least one person in that 

age group. It also examines differences between married couples and singles who are in 

their early twenties (ages 21 to 23) and those 

in their late twenties (ages 27 to 29). Spending is measured in terms of weighted3

 out-ofpocket outlays4 by consumer units (CUs).5

 According to the 2008-09 interview component6

of the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE), 

total per-person spending levels of married 

couples and singles who are ages 21 to 29 are 

quite similar—$26,753 and $26,567, respectively, in 2008–09. (See table 1.) That was also 

true of the early-twenties groups, with married couples spending $21,138 per person and 

singles $19,980. However, married couples in 

the late-twenties group spent about $7,200 

less per person ($27,816 versus $35,026) than 

did singles.

Spending by married couples compared with 

singles (ages 21 to 29 years)

Per-capita total spending by married couples 

and singles in the 21-to-29 age group was 

very similar; less than $200 separated them in 

2008–09 even though the earnings of a married person in this age group were about a 

third higher, on average, than that of a single 

person.

However, the similarity between per-capita 

spending by married couples and singles starts 

to fade when viewed by specific age group. 

Older singles (ages 27 to 29) spent $15,046 

more than the younger singles (ages 21 to 23), 

while the older married couples spent $6,678 

more than the younger married couples.

Even when looking at the overall 21-to-29 age 

group, there are differences in what single 

people and married couples purchase. Exam-
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 C U R R E N T P R I C E T O P I C S

Table 1. Characteristics and per-person outlays of single people and married couples ages 21 to 29, by detailed age group and type of 

outlay, 2008–09

 Item

Age 21-29 Age 21–23 Age 24–26 Age 27–29

Single Married Single Married Single Married Single Married

Number of consumer units 

 (in thousands) 5,041 1,518 2,014 217 1,698 549 1,328 752

Percent distribution:

 Sex

 Male 59 50 57 50 58 50 63 50

 Female 41 50 43 50 42 50 37 50

 Housing tenure

 Homeowner 15 53 4 19 15 53 31 62

 Renter 85 47 96 81 85 47 69 38

 Educational status

 Highest level attained 

 by any member

 High school diploma

 or less 63 32 85 73 53 31 44 22

 Bachelor’s degree or

 more 37 68 15 27 47 69 56 78

 Either member currently

 enrolled in college

 Enrolled 44 34 68 63 34 34 21 27

 Not enrolled 56 66 32 37 66 66 79 73

Per-person income

 (in dollars) $27,486 36,684 15,328 20,561 31,101 37,152 41,300 40,986

Per-person outlays

 (in dollars) $26,567 26,753 19,980 21,138 27,763 27,512 35,026 27,816

 Food 4,223 3,406 3,508 2,976 4,386 3,333 5,099 3,583 

 Food at home 2,368 2,002 2,002 1,875 2,375 2,000 2,914 2,039 

 Food away from home 1,855 1,404 1,506 1,101 2,011 1,333 2,185 1,544 

 Alcoholic beverages 600 263 622 210 546 288 635 260 

 Housing 9,925 9,432 7,063 6,352 10,219 9,744 13,887 10,091 

 Apparel 840 698 664 685 772 775 1,194 645 

 Transportation 4,088 4,916 3,211 4,212 4,146 4,962 5,344 5,085 

 Health care 583 886 329 897 721 908 792 867 

 Entertainment 1,242 1,356 980 1,044 1,217 1,420 1,673 1,400 

 Education 1,620 984 1,849 2,143 1,909 1,060 902 595 

 Personal insurance and

 pensions 2,420 3,508 1,122 1,664 2,766 3,303 3,946 4,189 

 Other outlays 1,025 1,304 632 956 1,079 1,718 1,552 1,103 

Per-person outlays 

 (percent distribution)

 Food 15.9 12.7 17.6 14.1 15.8 12.1 14.6 12.9

 Food at home 8.9 7.5 10.0 8.9 8.6 7.3 8.3 7.3

 Food away from home 7.0 5.2 7.5 5.2 7.2 4.8 6.2 5.6

 Alcoholic beverages 2.3 1.0 3.1 1.0 2.0 1.0 1.8 0.9

 Housing 37.4 35.3 35.4 30.1 36.8 35.4 39.6 36.3

 Apparel 3.2 2.6 3.3 3.2 2.8 2.8 3.4 2.3

 Transportation 15.4 18.4 16.1 19.9 14.9 18.0 15.3 18.3

 Health care 2.2 3.3 1.6 4.2 2.6 3.3 2.3 3.1

 Entertainment 4.7 5.1 4.9 4.9 4.4 5.2 4.8 5.0

 Education 6.1 3.7 9.3 10.1 6.9 3.9 2.6 2.1

 Personal insurance and

 pensions 9.1 13.1 5.6 7.9 10.0 12.0 11.3 15.1

 Other outlays 3.9 4.9 3.2 4.5 3.9 6.2 4.4 4.0

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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 C U R R E N T P R I C E T O P I C S

ining the differences by spending category 

gives an idea of how the spending of married 

couples compares with that of their single 

counterparts.

In 2008–09, singles spent more per person on 

food, alcohol, and education, while married 

couples spent more per person on transportation, health care, and personal insurance 

and pensions. (See chart 1.) Singles spent 

$817 more than married couples on food, 

reinforcing the idea that couples are able to 

achieve savings by sharing food costs. Married couples spent $366 less per year per 

person on groceries and $451 per person less 

at restaurants, fast-food establishments, and 

carry-outs. These lower spending levels could 

be the result of savings from buying in bulk, or 

from behavioral differences between married 

couples and single persons; singles may go out 

to dinner more frequently or to more expensive restaurants, or may purchase costlier food 

items at the grocery store.

Spending on transportation, however, is higher 

for married couples. Married couples spent 

more than $800 per person more than singles 

on transportation. Much of the difference can 

be explained by automobile ownership rates 

of the two groups. Overall, 76 percent of married couples reported owning a vehicle, compared with 54 percent of single people; that 

helps account for why married couples spent 

in excess of $500 more per person than singles 

on purchasing and maintaining vehicles. 

Higher spending by singles on alcohol and 

education, and by married couples on health 

care and personal insurance and pensions, is 

most likely due to demographic and behavioral differences. Singles, who typically are 

younger than married couples, are more likely 

$0 

$1,000 

$2,000 

$3,000 

$4,000 

$5,000 

$6,000 

Food Alcoholic 

beverages

Transportation Health care Education Personal 

insurance & pensions

Single people Married couples

Chart 1. Per-person spending of single people and married couples ages 21 to 

29 by type of outlay, 2008–09

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Chart 1. Per-person spending of single people and married couples ages 21 to 29 by type

of outlay, 2008–09
 C U R R E N T P R I C E T O P I C S

to still be in college and thus paying for education expenses. Married couples are more 

likely to own their home, more likely to have a 

college degree, and less likely to be enrolled in 

college.7 As a result of having higher income, 

married couples paid over $700 more per 

capita in Social Security than singles, accounting for most of the difference between each 

group’s expenditures on personal insurance 

and pensions. 

Not only are the levels of spending different between the groups, so are the shares of 

outlays—that is, the proportion of a CU’s total 

spending that is used for a particular type 

of outlay. The distribution of CU spending 

per person for singles and married couples 

reflects the differences in spending already 

mentioned. Married couples spend a smaller 

share of their budget than do singles on food, 

housing, and education, and a larger share on 

transportation and on personal insurance and 

pensions. See table 1 for the details on perperson outlays and outlay shares.

Early twenties compared with late twenties

Married couples and singles both go through 

major lifestyle changes in their twenties. 

Graduating from college, entering the workforce, and purchasing a home are just some 

of the changes they experience at that time 

in their lives. Lending credence to the view 

that this is a transitional period, both latetwenties groups earn more, spend more, are 

more likely to be homeowners, and are more 

likely to have a college degree than their 

younger counterparts. These changes have 

a significant effect on the way both groups 

spend their money.

Much of the reason that late-twenties married couples spend less per capita than singles 

relates to outlays for housing. Married couples 

ages 27 to 29 spent about $3,800 per person 

less on housing than singles ($10,091 versus 

$13,887) in 2008–09. Charts 2 and 3 show 

average spending levels by type of outlay. The 

homeownership rate for married couples ages 

27 to 29, 62 percent, was double that of singles 

for that age group. Married couples spend 

smaller shares of their outlays than singles for 

food and housing, and larger shares for transportation, health care, and personal insurance 

and pensions in both the early- and late-twenties groups. However, the differences in the 

shares between married couples and singles 

are smaller for the older group than for the 

younger group for all types of outlays except 

personal insurance and pensions. Whereas 

differences in per-person spending levels are 

greater between married couples and singles 

in their late twenties than those in their early 

twenties, the spending patterns of the two 

groups, as measured by the outlay shares, 

become more alike once married couples and 

singles reach their late twenties.

4
$0 

$2,000 

$4,000 

$6,000 

$8,000 

$10,000 

$12,000 

$14,000 

$16,000 

Food Alcoholic 

beverages

Housing Apparel TransportationHealth care EntertainmentEducation Personal 

insurance & 

pensions

Single people Married couples

Chart 3. Per-person spending of single people and married couples ages 27 to 

29 by type of outlay, 2008–09

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

 C U R R E N T P R I C E T O P I C S

$0 

$1,000 

$2,000 

$3,000 

$4,000 

$5,000 

$6,000 

$7,000 

$8,000 

Food Alcoholic 

beverages

Housing Apparel TransportationHealth care EntertainmentEducation Personal 

insurance & 

pensions

Single people Married couples

Chart 2. Per-person spending of single people and married couples ages 21 to 

23 by type of outlay, 2008–09

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Chart 3. Per-person spending of single people and married couples ages 27 to 29 by type 

of outlay, 2008–09

Chart 2. Per-person spending of single people and married couples ages 21 to 23 by type 

of outlay, 2008–09
Conclusion

CE data establish that young married couples 

ages 21 to 29 do not live as cheaply as young 

single people but, on a per-person basis, they 

do experience cost savings. The data give insight into how the spending patterns of young 

married couples and singles differ and where 

Notes

1

 Singles. To be categorized as a “single” consumer unit (CU), a person must identify him- or herself as single and never married and must be in a 

CU of size 1. This categorization implies that the person is not living with other blood relatives, is not widowed or divorced, and, if there are other 

people living in the housing unit, is financially independent of them (that is, is not making joint financial decisions with his or her housemates). 

2

 Married couples. For the married group, each CU must, of course, be married, have no children, and be living in a two-member CU. In order to 

allow closer comparisons between singles and couples in the same age group, couples with age differences greater than 4 years between their members are omitted from their respective groups.

3

 Weights. Estimates shown in this article are calculated with the use of weights. The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) uses a representative 

sample to estimate the spending habits of the U.S. civilian noninstitutional population. For the 2008–09 Interview Survey, approximately 600 married CUs and 2,200 single CUs provided data for this analysis. These sampled CUs represent nearly 7 million CUs in the population.

4

 Outlays. Outlays are similar to expenditures in that both (1) define spending as the transaction cost, including taxes, to obtain goods and services; 

(2) include spending on gifts for people outside of the CU; and (3) exclude business expenses. The key difference is in the treatment of purchases of 

real property and vehicles. In the CE, expenditures on purchases of property include only mortgage interest, and expenditures on vehicles include 

the full value of the purchased vehicle, regardless of whether it was or was not financed. By contrast, outlays include both the principal and interest 

portions of property on mortgages and vehicle loans. The purchase price of vehicles bought outright and not financed also is included in outlays.

5

 Consumer unit. A consumer unit (CU) comprises either: (1) all members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, 

or other legal arrangements; (2) a person living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house 

or in permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent; or (3) two or more persons living together who use their 

income to make joint expenditure decisions. Financial independence is determined by the three major expense categories: housing, food, and other 

living expenses. To be considered financially independent, at least two of the three major expense categories must be provided entirely, or in part, 

by the respondent. 

6

 Interview Survey. The CE includes two components: the quarterly Interview Survey and the weekly Diary Survey. Published CE tables are created 

by integrating information from the two surveys. 

The Interview Survey, which is designed to collect data on major types of expenditures, household characteristics, and income, is used in this study 

because it provides the most complete picture of spending. Respondents are usually asked to report values for expenditures or outlays that occurred 

during the 3 months prior to the interview.

The data in this analysis are by collection year, not calendar year, from surveys which were administered in 2008 and 2009.

7

 College degree status and college enrollment are by CU. If one or both members of a married couple has a college degree or is enrolled in college, 

the household is categorized by this characteristic.

the cost savings occur. Married couples spend 

less per person than singles on housing, food, 

and alcohol and more on transportation and 

health care.

Questions? Please contact William Hawk 

with the Consumer Expenditure Survey at 

Hawk.William@bls.gov or (202) 691-5131.

 C U R R E N T P R I C E T O P I C S

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