1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bl s.gov

Comparing Selected Expenditures of 

Dual and Single Income Households 

with Children

Julie Sullivan

Economist

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

American Council on Consumer Interests

May 21, 2019
2 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bl s.gov bl s.gov

Outline

1. Motivation

2. Sample Groups

3. Selected Expenditures

4. Preliminary Results
3 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bl s.gov bl s.gov

Outline

1. Motivation

2. Sample Groups

3. Selected Expenditures

4. Preliminary Results
4 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bl s.gov bl s.gov

Dual Income Families as Majority

 CE data show the majority of 

households in America are 

dual income

 Shift from single to dual 

income as the majority in 

1980s (Pew Research Center)

 Would like to compare the 

different groups’ spending 

habits
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Outline

1. Motivation

2. Sample Groups

3. Selected Expenditures

4. Preliminary Results
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Subgroups

Two parent households (2015-2017):

 Employment type

Whether one or both spouses worked full time during the 

previous year

Also if one spouse worked full time and the other part 

time during the previous year

 Child age 

Describes the range in which all children in a household fall

Controls for differences in families’ expenditures based a 

children’s ages
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Percentage by employment type, 

2015-2017

52%

14%

30%

4%

Both Full Time One Full Time, One Part Time

One Full Time Other
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Number of Households, 

Unweighted

One Full 

Time 

One Full 

Time, One 

Part Time 

Both Full 

Time Other Total 

Oldest child < 6 771 274 1,047 73 2,165 

All children age 

6-11 340 201 665 30 1,236 

All children age 

12-17 435 258 914 110 1,717 

Total 1,546 733 2,626 213 5,118 
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Number of Households, Weighted 

(in millions)

One Full 

Time 

One Full 

Time, One 

Part Time 

Both Full 

Time Other Total 

Oldest child < 6 15.9 5.8 21.8 1.5 45.0 

All children age 

6-11 6.6 4.1 13.9 0.6 25.2 

All children age 

12-17 8.9 5.2 19.2 2.3 35.6 

Total 31.4 15.0 54.9 4.4 105.7 
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Percentage by employment type 

and child age

One Full 

Time

One Full 

Time, One 

Part Time

Both Full 

Time Other

Oldest child < 6 35.3% 12.8% 48.4% 3.4%

All children age 

6-11 26.4% 16.2% 55.1% 2.3%

All children age 

12-17 25.0% 14.5% 54.1% 6.4%
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Mean number of children by 

employment type and child age

One Full Time 

One Full 

Time, One Part 

Time 

Both Full 

Time 

Oldest child < 6 1.59 1.55 1.39 

All children age 

6-11 1.67 1.64 1.49 

All children age 

12-17 1.47 1.48 1.44 
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Outline

1. Motivation

2. Sample Groups

3. Selected Expenditures

4. Preliminary Results
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Analyzed Expenditures

Diary:

Food At Home (groceries)

Food Away From Home (dining out)

Interview:

Transportation

Education 

Childcare
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Food

 Hypothesis: Dual income families spend more 

on food away from home on average than 

single income families

Trade off between time and money

American Time Use Survey (ATUS)

Perhaps smaller budget share goes to food away 

from home compared to single income families
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Transportation

 Hypothesis: Dual Income families spend more 

on transportation on average because of 

commuting 

Gas

Public Transportation Fares

 Perhaps offset by single income families 

running errands
16 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bl s.gov

Education

 Hypothesis: Dual 

Income families spend 

more on private school 

education

Private tuition for 

elementary and high 

school 
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Childcare

 Question: How do 

childcare expenses 

compare to a potentially 

higher income? 

Compare total income

Use outlays for a proxy 

for permanent income 
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Outline

1. Motivation

2. Sample Groups

3. Selected Expenditures

4. Preliminary Results
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Mean Weekly Expenditures of Families 

with All Children Younger than 6 

One Full Time

One Full Time, 

One Part Time

Both Full 

Time

Public Transportation $1.52 $2.64 $2.12

Gas $34.52 $38.47 $40.22

Food At Home $92.78 $110.20 $104.04

Food Away From 

Home $53.89 $86.36 $82.89

Childcare $13.96 $58.35 $117.28
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Graph of Selected Mean Weekly 

Expenditures

$0.00

$20.00

$40.00

$60.00

$80.00

$100.00

$120.00

Public Transportation Gas Food At Home Food Away From

Home

Childcare

One Full Time One Full Time, One Part Time Both Full Time
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Differences in Food at Home and the 

Statistical Significance

Mean 

Difference

Std

Error t Value Pr > |t|

Both Full Time

One Full Time, 

One Part Time -6.15 13.85 -0.44 0.659

Both Full Time One Full Time 11.27 7.75 1.45 0.153

One Full Time, 

One Part Time One Full Time 17.42 12.37 1.41 0.166
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Confidence Intervals: Food At 

Home
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Differences in Food Away From Home 

and the Statistical Significance

Mean 

Difference

Std

Error t Value Pr > |t|

Both Full Time

One Full Time, 

One Part Time -3.47 19.22 -0.18 0.858

Both Full Time One Full Time 29.01 9.03 3.21 0.003

One Full Time, 

One Part Time One Full Time 32.48 18.70 1.74 0.090
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Confidence Intervals: Food Away 

From Home
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Mean Outlays and Income of Families 

with Children all younger than 6

$0.00 $20,000.00 $40,000.00 $60,000.00 $80,000.00 $100,000.00 $120,000.00 $140,000.00

Income

Outlays

One Full Time One Full Time, One Part Time Both Full Time
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Summary of Preliminary Results: 

Expenditures that are statistically 

significantly different

One Full Time

One Full Time, 

One Part Time

Both Full 

Time

Gas $34.52 $38.47 $40.22

Food Away From 

Home $53.89 $86.36 $82.89

Childcare $13.96 $58.35 $117.28
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Questions
Contact Information

28 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bl s.gov

Julie Sullivan

Economist

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

www.bls.gov/cex

202-691-6234

sullivan.julie@bls.gov