Consumer Expenditures

in 2009

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisitics

May 2011

Report 1029

BLS

Consumer 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 

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 

1See the glossary at the end of this report for a definition of consumer unit. 2The 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.

3For 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. 4For 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. 5For 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 2007 2008 2009 Percent Change

2007–08 2008–09

Number of consumer units (in thousands)..................................... 120,171 120,770 120,847

Average income before taxes ....................................................... $63,091 $63,563 $62,857 .7 -1.1

Averages:

 Age of reference person .............................................................. 48.8 49.1 49.4

 Number of persons in consumer unit........................................... 2.5 2.5 2.5

 Number of earners....................................................................... 1.3 1.3 1.3

 Number of vehicles...................................................................... 1.9 2.0 2.0

Percent homeowner ...................................................................... 67 66 66

Average annual expenditures........................................................ $49,638 $50,486 $49,067 1.7 -2.8

 Food ............................................................................................ 6,133 6,443 6,372 5.1 -1.1

 Food at home ............................................................................ 3,465 3,744 3,753 8.1 .2

 Cereals and bakery products................................................... 460 507 506 10.2 -.2

 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.................................................. 777 846 841 8.9 -.6

 Dairy products ......................................................................... 387 430 406 11.1 -5.6

 Fruits and vegetables .............................................................. 600 657 656 9.5 -.2

 Other food at home.................................................................. 1,241 1,305 1,343 5.2 2.9

 Food away from home............................................................... 2,668 2,698 2,619 1.1 -2.9

 Alcoholic beverages..................................................................... 457 444 435 -2.8 -2.0

 Housing ...................................................................................... 16,920 17,109 16,895 1.1 -1.3

 Shelter ...................................................................................... 10,023 10,183 10,075 1.6 -1.1

 Utilities, fuels, and public services............................................. 3,477 3,649 3,645 4.9 -.1

 Household operations................................................................ 984 998 1011 1.4 1.3

 Housekeeping supplies ............................................................. 639 654 659 2.3 .8

 Household furnishings and equipment ...................................... 1,797 1,624 1,506 -9.6 -7.3

 Apparel and services ................................................................... 1,881 1,801 1,725 -4.3 -4.2

 Transportation.............................................................................. 8,758 8,604 7,658 -1.8 -11.0

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .................................................. 3,244 2,755 2,657 -15.1 -3.6

 Gasoline and motor oil............................................................... 2,384 2,715 1,986 13.9 -26.9

 Other vehicle expenses............................................................. 2,592 2,621 2,536 1.1 -3.2

 Public transportation.................................................................. 538 513 479 -4.6 -6.6

 Healthcare ................................................................................... 2,853 2,976 3,126 4.3 5.0

 Entertainment .............................................................................. 2,698 2,835 2,693 5.1 -5.0

 Personal care products and services .......................................... 588 616 596 4.8 -3.2

 Reading ....................................................................................... 118 116 110 -1.7 -5.2

 Education..................................................................................... 945 1,046 1,068 10.7 2.1

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies..................................... 323 317 380 -1.9 19.9

 Miscellaneous ............................................................................. 808 840 816 4.0 -2.9

 Cash contributions....................................................................... 1,821 1,737 1,723 -4.6 -.8

 Personal insurance and pensions ............................................... 5,336 5,605 5,471 5.0 -2.4

 Life and other personal insurance ............................................. 309 317 309 2.6 -2.5

 Pensions and Social Security.................................................... 5,027 5,288 5,162 5.2 -2.4

2
Table B. Percent distribution of total annual expenditures by major category for all consumer units, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 

2006–2009

Spending Category 2006 2007 2008 2009

Average annual expenditures........................................................ 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 Food ............................................................................................ 12.6 12.4 12.8 13.0

 Food at home ............................................................................ 7.1 7.0 7.4 7.6

 Food away from home............................................................... 5.6 5.4 5.3 5.3

 Alcoholic beverages..................................................................... 1.0 .9 .9 .9

 Housing ....................................................................................... 33.8 34.1 33.9 34.4

 Shelter ...................................................................................... 20.0 20.2 20.2 20.5

 Utilities, fuels, and public services............................................. 7.0 7.0 7.2 7.4

 Household operations................................................................ 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1

 Housekeeping supplies ............................................................. 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

 Household furnishings and equipment ...................................... 3.5 3.6 3.2 3.1

 Apparel and services ................................................................... 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.5

 Transportation.............................................................................. 17.6 17.6 17.0 15.6

 Vehicles ..................................................................................... 7.1 6.5 5.5 5.4

 Gasoline and motor oil............................................................... 4.6 4.8 5.4 4.0

 Other vehicle expenses............................................................. 4.9 5.2 5.2 5.2

 Public transportation.................................................................. 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0

 Healthcare ................................................................................... 5.7 5.7 5.9 6.4

 Entertainment .............................................................................. 4.9 5.4 5.6 5.5

 Personal care products and services .......................................... 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

 Reading ....................................................................................... .2 .2 .2 .2

 Education..................................................................................... 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.2

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies..................................... .7 .7 .6 .8

 Miscellaneous.............................................................................. 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7

 Cash contributions....................................................................... 3.9 3.7 3.4 3.5

 Personal insurance and pensions ............................................... 10.9 10.7 11.1 11.2

 Life and other personal insurance ............................................. .7 .6 .6 .6

 Pensions and Social Security.................................................... 10.2 10.1 10.5 10.5

3
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 27.2- 

percent 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 

Chart 1. Spending and price percent change in housing fuel oil and transportation fuel, Consumer Expenditure 

Survey(CE), Consumer Price Index(CPI), 2005–2009

6For 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.

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

-10.0

-20.0

-30.0

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey and Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers

Percent change

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

-10.0

-20.0

-30.0

CE Fuel oil and other fuels

CE Gasoline and motor oil

CPI-U fuel oil and other fuels

CPI-U motor fuel

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

4
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 

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 

Chart 2. Expenditures on apparel and services as a share of total expenditures, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 

1984–2009

In percent

6.5

6.0

5.5

5.0

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

6.5

6.0

5.5

5.0

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

7For 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
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

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.

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 

Chart 3. Shares of total expenditures for healthcare, by age of reference person, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 

1999 and 2009

8To 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). 

In percent

All 

consumer 

units

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

Under 25 

years

25–34 years 65 years and 

older

35–44 years 45–54 years 55–64 years

12.9

11.4

7.4

6.2

5.4

4.7 4.4

3.9 3.8

3.2

2.5 2.4

6.4

5.3

2009

1999

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.

Interpreting the data

Expenditures are averages for consumer units with specified 

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.

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. 

Other available data

The 2009 Diary and Interview Survey microdata—that is, 

7
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 Consumer 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: cexinfo@bls.gov. 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.

8
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.

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.

Total expenditures. The transaction costs, including excise 

and sales taxes, of goods and services acquired during the 

interview survey period. Estimates include expenditures for 

gifts and contributions as well as payments for pensions and 

personal insurance.

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.

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.

Glossary

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) ....... 120,847 24,165 24,120 24,212 24,154 24,196 

Lower limit ........................................................ n.a. n.a. $19,175 $35,598 $57,295 $93,784 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,857 $9,846 $27,227 $46,012 $73,417 $157,631 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 51.4 51.4 49.3 47.1 47.8 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 1.7 2.3 2.5 2.9 3.1 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .4 .6 .6 .7 .8 

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .4 .5 .3 .2 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 .5 .9 1.3 1.7 2.0 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 2.8 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 40 56 67 79 89 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $21,611 $31,382 $41,150 $56,879 $94,244 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 3,501 4,569 5,483 7,522 10,780 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 2,463 2,999 3,355 4,316 5,629 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 327 414 451 587 753 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 575 709 784 933 1,203 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 266 311 354 475 624 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 421 521 570 758 1,013 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 874 1,045 1,197 1,563 2,037 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 1,038 1,569 2,127 3,206 5,151 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 170 250 330 541 883 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 8,961 11,829 14,805 18,862 29,998 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 5,392 6,807 8,804 11,173 18,185 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 1,964 3,287 5,168 7,944 14,337 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 3,291 3,308 3,210 2,582 1,911 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 137 211 426 647 1,936 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 2,238 3,069 3,574 4,172 5,167 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 417 583 721 1,039 2,295 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 349 501 550 741 1,153 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 565 869 1,157 1,738 3,197 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 873 1,161 1,402 1,848 3,339 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 2,855 5,078 6,717 9,525 14,105 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 778 1,488 2,232 3,280 5,501 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 926 1,498 1,982 2,457 3,067 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 984 1,872 2,199 3,294 4,327 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 167 220 303 494 1,211 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 1,628 2,491 3,069 3,762 4,677 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 1,015 1,668 2,106 3,197 5,474 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 268 397 496 650 1,167 

Reading .......................................................... 110 48 72 91 119 217 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 573 369 548 881 2,966 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 303 413 400 439 342 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 323 522 756 921 1,558 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 559 868 1,435 1,949 3,801 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 534 1,694 3,512 6,664 14,937 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 104 140 217 355 728 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 429 1,554 3,295 6,308 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

$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

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ...... 120,847 4,749 5,203 7,726 7,669 15,022 13,053 11,444 17,799 38,181 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .................................... $62,857 $-2,587 $8,015 $12,598 $17,527 $24,888 $34,721 $44,733 $59,009 $129,528 

Age of reference person ............................... 49.4 42.5 48.8 56.2 53.9 52.4 50.0 48.6 48.6 47.3 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ...................................................... 2.5 1.7 1.6 1.7 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.7 3.1 

Children under 18 ....................................... .6 .4 .4 .4 .5 .5 .6 .6 .6 .8 

Persons 65 and older ................................. .3 .2 .3 .5 .5 .5 .4 .3 .3 .2 

Earners ....................................................... 1.3 .5 .5 .4 .6 .9 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.9 

Vehicles ...................................................... 2.0 .9 .8 1.0 1.2 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.3 2.7 

Percent homeowner ..................................... 66 31 31 43 49 55 62 65 74 86 

Average annual expenditures ......................... $49,067 $22,731 $18,032 $21,741 $23,706 $29,397 $35,929 $39,553 $48,900 $82,060 

Food ............................................................. 6,372 3,833 3,026 3,710 3,348 4,415 4,737 5,384 6,420 9,761 

Food at home ............................................. 3,753 2,429 2,187 2,695 2,385 2,996 2,959 3,362 3,755 5,236 

Cereals and bakery products .................... 506 354 292 334 320 422 394 457 512 701 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ................... 841 553 500 636 566 675 717 780 851 1,125 

Dairy products .......................................... 406 269 262 273 259 313 308 363 402 577 

Fruits and vegetables ............................... 656 431 379 439 416 525 505 576 659 928 

Other food at home ................................... 1,343 821 754 1,013 823 1,061 1,035 1,185 1,329 1,904 

Food away from home ................................ 2,619 1,404 839 1,015 963 1,419 1,778 2,022 2,666 4,525 

Alcoholic beverages ..................................... 435 246 190 168 103 233 296 324 431 765 

Housing ........................................................ 16,895 8,933 7,751 8,994 10,015 11,440 12,986 14,309 16,788 26,386 

Shelter ........................................................ 10,075 5,652 4,720 5,458 5,706 6,575 7,579 8,477 9,989 15,916 

Owned dwellings ...................................... 6,543 2,363 1,398 1,942 2,225 3,117 4,038 4,847 6,473 12,306 

Rented dwellings ...................................... 2,860 3,096 3,248 3,408 3,311 3,228 3,296 3,295 2,977 2,098 

Other lodging ............................................ 672 193 74 108 170 229 245 336 539 1,511 

Utilities, fuels, and public services .............. 3,645 1,935 2,000 2,251 2,648 3,028 3,289 3,513 3,899 4,849 

Household operations ................................. 1,011 456 280 361 566 587 613 706 845 1,873 

Housekeeping supplies .............................. 659 316 276 366 388 499 494 540 632 1,018 

Household furnishings and equipment ....... 1,506 573 475 558 707 751 1,011 1,072 1,424 2,730 

Apparel and services .................................... 1,725 802 797 1,086 768 1,080 1,225 1,336 1,608 2,850 

Transportation .............................................. 7,658 2,851 2,299 2,666 3,493 4,355 6,311 6,393 8,352 12,603 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ................... 2,657 934 649 673 953 1,201 2,112 2,099 2,742 4,775 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................ 1,986 932 761 894 1,110 1,450 1,689 1,955 2,250 2,881 

Other vehicle expenses .............................. 2,536 805 773 949 1,217 1,508 2,264 2,064 2,951 3,976 

Public transportation ................................... 479 180 115 151 213 196 246 275 409 971 

Healthcare .................................................... 3,126 1,345 1,099 1,785 2,050 2,536 2,684 2,937 3,454 4,393 

Entertainment ............................................... 2,693 1,248 835 971 1,080 1,504 1,970 2,008 2,611 4,733 

Personal care products and services ........... 596 273 225 273 291 372 438 476 578 991 

Reading ........................................................ 110 41 34 49 62 71 81 86 108 182 

Education ...................................................... 1,068 1,466 507 373 249 303 557 441 654 2,257 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ..... 380 289 252 304 353 439 405 381 436 371 

Miscellaneous ............................................... 816 308 234 389 297 438 668 738 853 1,351 

Cash contributions ........................................ 1,723 600 450 493 767 744 1,208 1,256 1,728 3,176 

Personal insurance and pensions ................ 5,471 496 333 481 829 1,466 2,362 3,485 4,881 12,241 

Life and other personal insurance .............. 309 113 87 108 110 123 177 212 275 607 

Pensions and Social Security ..................... 5,162 383 246 373 719 1,343 2,185 3,273 4,605 11,634 

11
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 ...................................... $62,857 $32,063 $74,594 $89,096 $165,062 $108,564 $132,565 $236,246 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 50.4 46.3 46.7 47.9 46.9 47.3 49.2 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.2 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.2 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .5 .7 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8 

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .4 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.0 1.7 1.9 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.1 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 1.6 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.0 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 57 81 83 90 87 89 93 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $33,810 $57,833 $65,027 $97,576 $76,140 $85,806 $124,306 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 4,798 7,818 8,359 11,088 9,622 9,886 13,234 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 3,064 4,471 4,713 5,752 5,319 5,201 6,529 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 416 607 636 765 700 714 860 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 709 963 1,040 1,221 1,134 1,080 1,401 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 327 492 525 632 594 568 712 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 530 772 808 1,041 934 954 1,197 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 1,082 1,637 1,704 2,092 1,957 1,885 2,359 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 1,734 3,347 3,646 5,336 4,303 4,685 6,704 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 282 534 569 936 735 832 1,188 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 12,509 19,127 21,666 30,831 23,907 27,923 38,824 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 7,377 11,393 12,815 18,736 14,190 16,872 23,941 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 3,880 8,296 9,663 14,759 11,090 13,496 18,790 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 3,212 2,404 2,325 1,900 2,069 1,832 1,802 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 284 694 828 2,078 1,031 1,544 3,349 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 3,089 4,188 4,470 5,226 4,618 5,100 5,837 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 613 1,054 1,309 2,385 1,587 2,010 3,330 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 492 776 824 1,195 944 1,044 1,526 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 938 1,716 2,247 3,289 2,567 2,896 4,190 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 1,203 1,795 2,388 3,428 2,595 2,934 4,508 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 5,373 9,880 9,929 14,674 12,378 13,028 17,799 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 1,679 3,410 3,386 5,835 4,800 4,713 7,506 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 1,573 2,470 2,669 3,105 2,942 3,090 3,257 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 1,869 3,452 3,313 4,442 3,806 4,245 5,129 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 252 547 560 1,292 830 980 1,907 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 2,541 3,679 4,158 4,723 4,385 4,399 5,242 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 1,749 3,364 3,625 5,690 4,616 4,824 7,228 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 412 653 782 1,200 960 1,082 1,492 

Reading .......................................................... 110 76 118 130 226 174 198 292 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 519 783 1,259 3,170 1,828 2,442 4,831 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 384 449 377 344 408 307 314 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 569 979 1,005 1,630 1,327 1,396 2,054 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 1,052 1,685 2,414 3,986 2,443 2,996 6,002 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 2,344 6,968 8,368 15,649 10,764 13,559 21,302 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 171 432 391 761 472 639 1,095 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 2,173 6,536 7,977 14,887 10,292 12,919 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 ...................................... $62,857 $25,695 $58,946 $77,005 $80,976 $70,609 $39,862 $47,286 $31,715 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 21.4 29.7 39.7 49.5 59.1 75.0 68.9 81.6 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.0 2.8 3.3 2.8 2.1 1.7 1.9 1.6 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .4 1.1 1.3 .6 .2 .1 .1 1 ( )

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 1 ( ) 1 ( ) 1 ( ) 1 ( ) .1 1.4 1.4 1.4 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.3 .5 .6 .2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 1.2 1.7 2.1 2.4 2.2 1.6 1.9 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 14 46 65 74 81 79 81 77 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $28,119 $46,494 $57,301 $58,708 $52,463 $37,562 $42,957 $31,676 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 4,179 6,169 7,760 7,445 6,303 4,901 5,561 4,189 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 2,449 3,478 4,446 4,343 3,678 3,222 3,567 2,851 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 307 473 629 586 465 439 463 414 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 571 757 983 978 849 720 849 581 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 281 376 495 465 386 346 381 308 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 398 593 739 750 663 618 684 546 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 891 1,280 1,600 1,564 1,314 1,100 1,190 1,002 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 1,731 2,691 3,314 3,102 2,626 1,679 1,994 1,338 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 344 481 498 502 440 292 389 188 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 9,735 17,258 20,705 19,004 16,991 13,196 14,462 11,811 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 6,306 10,856 12,753 11,356 9,749 7,173 7,828 6,454 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 1,245 5,581 8,832 8,093 7,149 4,838 5,802 3,781 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 4,885 4,877 3,328 2,369 1,570 1,741 1,320 2,202 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 176 398 593 894 1,031 594 706 471 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 1,821 3,249 4,093 4,275 3,896 3,282 3,568 2,967 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 370 1,231 1,377 964 871 876 801 957 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 309 506 698 703 825 682 773 584 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 929 1,416 1,786 1,705 1,651 1,184 1,491 850 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 1,396 1,871 2,346 1,885 1,591 1,068 1,322 793 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 5,334 7,671 8,364 9,409 8,323 5,409 7,033 3,631 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 2,319 2,820 2,761 3,233 2,752 1,862 2,597 1,055 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 1,483 2,071 2,359 2,398 2,074 1,241 1,573 877 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 1,298 2,293 2,694 3,199 2,962 1,968 2,488 1,402 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 234 487 549 579 535 338 376 297 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 676 1,805 2,520 3,173 3,895 4,846 4,906 4,779 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 1,233 2,504 3,317 3,176 2,906 2,062 2,498 1,587 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 360 555 685 666 617 531 600 456 

Reading .......................................................... 110 42 69 85 119 147 145 154 134 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 1,910 808 935 2,055 1,003 162 181 141 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 330 368 417 513 410 207 275 133 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 243 631 967 1,051 952 663 820 491 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 349 1,001 1,581 2,056 2,092 2,226 2,087 2,378 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 1,988 5,303 7,122 7,654 6,793 1,856 2,669 964 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 31 156 270 427 446 320 397 234 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 1,957 5,147 6,851 7,226 6,347 1,537 2,272 730 

1 Value is less than or equal to 0.05.

13
Table 5. Size of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,

2009

Item

All

consumer

units

One

person

Two or more persons

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 ............................................... $62,857 $32,780 $75,006 $68,393 $76,545 $85,436 $80,132 

Age of reference person .......................................... 49.4 53.2 47.8 54.0 44.5 41.4 41.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ................................................................. 2.5 1.0 3.1 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.6 

Children under 18 .................................................. .6 n.a. .9 .1 .7 1.6 2.7 

Persons 65 and older ............................................ .3 .3 .3 .5 .2 .1 .1 

Earners .................................................................. 1.3 .6 1.6 1.2 1.7 1.9 2.1 

Vehicles ................................................................. 2.0 1.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.5 

Percent homeowner ................................................ 66 50 73 76 69 74 69 

Average annual expenditures .................................... $49,067 $29,405 $57,002 $51,650 $56,645 $65,503 $63,439 

Food ........................................................................ 6,372 3,460 7,544 6,308 7,506 8,730 10,034 

Food at home ........................................................ 3,753 1,953 4,477 3,631 4,454 5,187 6,324 

Cereals and bakery products ............................... 506 255 607 470 588 719 937 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................. 841 408 1,015 813 1,024 1,170 1,457 

Dairy products ..................................................... 406 214 483 391 472 568 689 

Fruits and vegetables .......................................... 656 352 779 664 778 860 1,048 

Other food at home .............................................. 1,343 724 1,592 1,293 1,592 1,871 2,194 

Food away from home ........................................... 2,619 1,507 3,067 2,677 3,052 3,543 3,710 

Alcoholic beverages ................................................ 435 355 467 537 381 486 336 

Housing ................................................................... 16,895 11,388 19,119 17,145 19,353 22,193 21,035 

Shelter ................................................................... 10,075 7,376 11,165 10,078 11,114 13,038 12,243 

Owned dwellings ................................................. 6,543 3,495 7,774 6,906 7,526 9,530 8,589 

Rented dwellings ................................................. 2,860 3,513 2,596 2,257 2,874 2,711 3,138 

Other lodging ....................................................... 672 368 795 916 714 797 516 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ......................... 3,645 2,298 4,189 3,740 4,233 4,658 4,951 

Household operations ............................................ 1,011 548 1,198 845 1,345 1,811 1,303 

Housekeeping supplies ......................................... 659 345 785 779 771 803 798 

Household furnishings and equipment .................. 1,506 821 1,782 1,702 1,891 1,884 1,741 

Apparel and services ............................................... 1,725 975 2,027 1,566 2,046 2,571 2,767 

Transportation ......................................................... 7,658 4,182 9,061 8,306 8,775 10,707 9,716 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............................. 2,657 1,441 3,148 3,039 2,659 4,004 3,065 

Gasoline and motor oil ........................................... 1,986 1,022 2,376 1,993 2,470 2,761 2,964 

Other vehicle expenses ......................................... 2,536 1,417 2,987 2,714 3,086 3,374 3,203 

Public transportation .............................................. 479 303 550 559 560 568 484 

Healthcare ............................................................... 3,126 2,007 3,578 4,021 3,273 3,300 2,960 

Entertainment .......................................................... 2,693 1,510 3,170 2,913 2,860 3,775 3,635 

Personal care products and services ...................... 596 345 697 646 719 779 717 

Reading ................................................................... 110 87 119 136 113 100 95 

Education ................................................................. 1,068 492 1,301 793 1,563 1,906 1,746 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................ 380 253 431 403 463 443 458 

Miscellaneous .......................................................... 816 565 918 838 942 1,115 872 

Cash contributions ................................................... 1,723 1,268 1,907 2,028 1,776 1,718 1,964 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................... 5,471 2,518 6,664 6,011 6,875 7,680 7,101 

Life and other personal insurance ......................... 309 118 386 393 409 371 350 

Pensions and Social Security ................................ 5,162 2,399 6,278 5,618 6,466 7,309 6,751 

n.a. Not applicable.

14
Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009

Item

Husband and wife consumer units

One

parent,

at least

one child

under 18

Single

person

and other

consumer

units

Total

Husband

and wife

only

Husband and wife with children Other

husband

and wife

consumer

units

Total

Oldest

child

under 6

Oldest

child

6 to 17

Oldest

child 18

or older

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 ........................................... $84,785 $75,876 $92,616 $81,821 $94,302 $95,867 $86,478 $35,845 $40,880 

Age of reference person ...................................... 49.7 57.7 42.6 32.6 40.4 51.6 48.6 38.0 50.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons .............................................................. 3.2 2.0 4.0 3.5 4.1 3.9 4.9 2.9 1.7 

Children under 18 .............................................. .9 n.a. 1.5 1.5 2.1 .6 1.4 1.7 .2 

Persons 65 and older ......................................... .4 .7 .1 1 ( ) 1 ( ) .2 .5 1 ( ) .3 

Earners .............................................................. 1.6 1.2 1.9 1.6 1.7 2.4 2.2 1.0 .9 

Vehicles ............................................................. 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.0 2.5 3.1 2.7 1.2 1.3 

Percent homeowner ............................................. 82 87 79 67 77 89 77 37 51 

Average annual expenditures ................................ $63,104 $56,777 $68,481 $62,138 $70,329 $69,089 $65,654 $36,763 $34,450 

Food ..................................................................... 8,264 6,906 9,369 7,813 9,827 9,525 9,182 5,348 4,352 

Food at home ..................................................... 4,827 3,975 5,451 4,833 5,606 5,567 5,868 3,480 2,568 

Cereals and bakery products ........................... 657 508 770 622 826 765 811 485 338 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......................... 1,069 887 1,167 930 1,198 1,262 1,522 837 583 

Dairy products .................................................. 530 427 615 599 637 587 588 350 273 

Fruits and vegetables ....................................... 853 748 921 859 951 908 1,040 542 448 

Other food at home .......................................... 1,718 1,404 1,977 1,824 1,993 2,045 1,908 1,266 926 

Food away from home ....................................... 3,436 2,930 3,917 2,980 4,221 3,958 3,314 1,868 1,785 

Alcoholic beverages ............................................. 511 582 470 507 485 422 345 177 382 

Housing ................................................................ 20,654 18,140 22,858 24,503 23,906 20,258 21,203 14,836 12,810 

Shelter ................................................................ 11,960 10,414 13,412 14,005 14,410 11,485 11,706 8,610 8,074 

Owned dwellings .............................................. 9,049 7,835 10,226 10,279 10,796 9,284 8,626 3,711 3,997 

Rented dwellings .............................................. 1,936 1,413 2,308 3,273 2,602 1,305 2,563 4,626 3,705 

Other lodging ................................................... 975 1,166 878 454 1,012 896 517 272 372 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ..................... 4,403 3,937 4,708 3,853 4,731 5,144 5,115 3,438 2,791 

Household operations ........................................ 1,336 873 1,784 3,537 1,716 928 1,176 1,215 608 

Housekeeping supplies ...................................... 886 916 851 796 867 858 943 583 410 

Household furnishings and equipment ............... 2,069 2,001 2,101 2,312 2,182 1,842 2,263 991 926 

Apparel and services ........................................... 2,170 1,630 2,600 2,281 2,844 2,387 2,597 1,708 1,220 

Transportation ...................................................... 10,021 9,202 10,487 9,889 9,988 11,673 11,750 5,337 5,224 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ........................... 3,504 3,460 3,406 3,650 3,190 3,618 4,323 1,679 1,800 

Gasoline and motor oil ....................................... 2,572 2,139 2,868 2,417 2,838 3,166 3,159 1,573 1,360 

Other vehicle expenses ..................................... 3,315 2,962 3,557 3,191 3,293 4,241 3,838 1,801 1,736 

Public transportation .......................................... 631 641 656 631 668 649 430 283 328 

Healthcare ............................................................ 4,182 4,852 3,556 2,884 3,460 4,082 4,282 1,381 2,127 

Entertainment ....................................................... 3,606 3,259 4,030 2,894 4,532 3,852 2,935 1,907 1,743 

Personal care products and services ................... 758 708 798 779 800 802 799 552 415 

Reading ................................................................ 135 160 118 78 122 133 106 62 86 

Education ............................................................. 1,478 840 2,105 378 2,096 3,071 1,207 874 617 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ............. 375 335 357 258 326 461 706 345 389 

Miscellaneous ...................................................... 1,016 923 1,014 860 1,091 971 1,540 613 611 

Cash contributions ............................................... 2,245 2,456 2,130 1,435 1,979 2,756 1,781 792 1,237 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................ 7,689 6,785 8,590 7,580 8,873 8,695 7,220 2,830 3,237 

Life and other personal insurance ...................... 481 512 464 292 488 521 410 123 134 

Pensions and Social Security ............................ 7,208 6,273 8,126 7,288 8,384 8,174 6,810 2,707 3,103 

1 Value is less than or equal to 0.05.

n.a. Not applicable.

15
Table 7. Number of earners in consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer

Expenditure Survey, 2009

Item

All

consumer

units

Single consumers Consumer units of two or more persons

No earner 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 ...................................... $62,857 $17,514 $42,723 $31,182 $56,147 $92,660 $106,232 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 68.2 43.5 64.3 47.5 43.8 46.2 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 1.0 1.0 2.3 3.1 3.0 4.4 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 n.a. n.a. .4 1.1 .8 1.0 

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .7 .1 1.2 .3 .1 .1 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 n.a. 1.0 n.a. 1.0 2.0 3.3 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 .9 1.2 1.7 1.9 2.5 3.2 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 56 46 75 66 76 79 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $21,768 $34,314 $36,882 $49,285 $64,241 $72,854 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 2,937 3,782 5,609 6,742 8,137 9,879 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 2,057 1,892 3,795 4,339 4,495 5,715 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 283 238 529 579 609 793 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 416 403 879 988 1,000 1,347 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 224 208 395 466 494 605 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 366 344 712 768 761 978 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 768 699 1,281 1,538 1,630 1,992 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 880 1,890 1,814 2,403 3,641 4,165 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 141 484 276 381 566 539 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 9,455 12,643 12,854 17,861 21,267 21,073 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 5,616 8,522 6,678 10,455 12,636 12,299 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 2,535 4,119 4,426 6,702 9,158 8,942 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 2,873 3,930 1,669 3,070 2,572 2,465 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 207 473 583 683 906 892 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 2,256 2,325 3,512 3,915 4,322 5,227 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 666 471 723 1,031 1,493 985 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 364 334 733 796 790 795 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 553 991 1,208 1,665 2,026 1,768 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 568 1,224 1,018 1,906 2,286 2,545 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 2,360 5,362 5,780 7,416 10,052 13,594 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 662 1,949 1,976 2,427 3,572 4,819 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 624 1,280 1,431 2,053 2,618 3,410 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 926 1,729 2,018 2,514 3,205 4,672 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 147 405 355 423 658 693 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 2,687 1,566 4,891 3,301 3,350 3,768 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 1,052 1,801 2,243 2,724 3,560 3,928 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 294 376 513 610 769 872 

Reading .......................................................... 110 83 90 121 103 126 126 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 183 693 422 974 1,498 2,463 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 199 288 345 398 445 570 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 398 672 557 739 1,052 1,300 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 1,211 1,306 1,829 1,641 2,007 2,336 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 202 4,027 424 4,489 9,126 9,863 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 118 119 305 318 429 494 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 84 3,907 1120 4,170 8,697 9,369 

1 Data are likely to have large sampling errors.

n.a. Not applicable.

16
Table 8. Housing tenure and type of area: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009

Item

All

consumer

units

Housing tenure Type of area

Homeowner

Renter

Urban

Rural

Total

Homeowner

with

mortgage

Homeowner

without

mortgage

Total Central

City

Other

Urban

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 ...................................... $62,857 $75,858 $88,237 $55,185 $37,329 $64,316 $55,385 $68,477 $47,692 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 53.3 47.8 62.5 41.7 49.0 46.6 50.1 53.7 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.1 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.4 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .6 .8 .3 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .4 .2 .7 .2 .3 .3 .3 .4 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.4 1.6 .9 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 2.4 2.5 2.2 1.2 1.9 1.5 2.1 2.6 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 100 100 100 n.a. 65 50 72 82 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $57,047 $64,493 $44,130 $33,404 $49,807 $43,962 $52,501 $41,325 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 7,198 7,682 6,125 4,753 6,435 5,922 6,662 5,675 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 4,214 4,377 3,837 2,849 3,757 3,407 3,911 3,707 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 566 594 501 390 508 456 530 494 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 932 966 852 663 844 797 865 803 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 459 478 415 302 404 360 423 429 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 744 760 704 486 658 614 677 638 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 1,514 1,580 1,366 1,008 1,343 1,181 1,414 1,344 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 2,984 3,306 2,288 1,904 2,678 2,515 2,752 1,968 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 477 525 370 352 448 458 444 289 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 18,901 22,846 12,287 12,958 17,356 16,058 17,953 12,110

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 10,733 14,050 5,193 8,783 10,483 10,060 10,681 5,828 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 9,761 13,059 4,254 223 6,731 5,095 7,493 4,589 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 60 48 80 8,359 3,063 4,374 2,452 753 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 912 943 859 202 690 591 736 486 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 4,276 4,554 3,811 2,406 3,650 3,245 3,838 3,592 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 1,217 1,424 873 607 1,056 929 1,116 542 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 804 804 803 374 652 533 704 738 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 1,872 2,015 1,607 788 1,515 1,292 1,615 1,409 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 1,857 2,085 1,371 1,466 1,762 1,777 1,755 1,328 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 9,089 10,005 7,568 4,849 7,623 6,273 8,249 8,028 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 3,247 3,554 2,734 1,499 2,611 1,950 2,920 3,130 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 2,276 2,555 1,809 1,419 1,964 1,563 2,151 2,218 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 3,023 3,288 2,589 1,579 2,545 2,180 2,711 2,446 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 544 608 436 353 503 580 467 234 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 3,944 3,627 4,478 1,520 3,105 2,423 3,422 3,352 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 3,256 3,578 2,655 1,588 2,716 2,269 2,920 2,453 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 693 744 599 404 613 555 639 413 

Reading .......................................................... 110 136 135 137 58 111 99 117 91 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 1,234 1,503 778 743 1,127 951 1,209 456 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 359 375 332 421 362 314 384 566 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 965 1,028 863 525 795 720 830 1,030 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 2,164 2,079 2,306 858 1,749 1,404 1,910 1,451 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 6,776 8,282 4,260 2,910 5,605 4,739 6,008 4,084 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 417 466 336 97 306 240 337 336 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 6,359 7,816 3,924 2,813 5,298 4,499 5,670 3,748 

n.a. Not applicable.

17
Table 9. Race of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009

Item

All

consumer

units

White and all other races, and Asian

Black or

AfricanTotal American

White and

all other

races1

Asian

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,847 106,187 101,604 4,584 14,659 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,857 $65,405 $64,898 $76,633 $44,397 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 49.7 49.9 45.1 47.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .6 .6 .6 .8 

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .3 .3 .3 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.5 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 69 70 57 46 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $50,957 $50,723 $56,308 $35,311 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 6,622 6,585 7,565 4,524 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 3,871 3,870 3,905 2,880 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 522 522 520 390 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 840 835 966 845 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 426 429 346 258 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 680 671 903 484 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 1,403 1,412 1,169 903 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 2,751 2,715 3,660 1,645 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 466 471 350 201 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 17,362 17,224 20,395 13,503 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 10,372 10,228 13,571 7,919 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 6,944 6,872 8,543 3,632 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 2,697 2,619 4,411 4,046 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 731 737 616 241 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 3,641 3,658 3,270 3,668 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 1,064 1,051 1,347 633 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 690 696 536 429 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 1,594 1,591 1,671 854 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 1,721 1,704 2,150 1,755 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 7,983 7,950 8,784 5,302 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 2,818 2,829 2,582 1,489 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 2,037 2,045 1,871 1,618 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 2,626 2,605 3,153 1,876 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 501 471 1,178 319 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 3,314 3,351 2,498 1,763 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 2,869 2,894 2,270 1,404 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 603 606 557 536 

Reading .......................................................... 110 118 119 111 46 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 1,134 1,080 2,327 591 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 400 413 122 230 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 843 853 611 626 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 1,784 1,799 1,452 1,280 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 5,736 5,674 7,117 3,550 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 319 321 283 235 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 5,417 5,353 6,834 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

Item

All

consumer

units

Hispanic

or Latino

Not 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 ...................................... $62,857 $49,930 $64,591 $67,784 $44,211 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 43.1 50.2 50.7 47.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 3.3 2.4 2.4 2.6 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 1.1 .6 .5 .8 

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .2 .3 .4 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.1 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 51 68 72 46 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $49,067 $41,981 $50,015 $52,320 $35,198 

Food ............................................................... 6,372 6,094 6,409 6,696 4,524 

Food at home ............................................... 3,753 3,784 3,749 3,882 2,875 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 506 479 510 529 388 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 841 955 826 823 846 

Dairy products ............................................ 406 403 406 429 258 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 656 734 646 671 483 

Other food at home .................................... 1,343 1,213 1,360 1,430 900 

Food away from home .................................. 2,619 2,310 2,660 2,814 1,649 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 435 267 457 496 201 

Housing .......................................................... 16,895 15,983 17,016 17,579 13,409 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,075 10,043 10,079 10,429 7,847 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,543 5,298 6,710 7,198 3,594 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,860 4,415 2,652 2,437 4,020 

Other lodging .............................................. 672 330 718 794 233 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,645 3,532 3,660 3,660 3,660 

Household operations .................................. 1,011 714 1,051 1,119 618 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 659 517 677 714 434 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,506 1,177 1,549 1,657 850 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,725 2,002 1,689 1,678 1,761 

Transportation ................................................ 7,658 7,156 7,725 8,109 5,269 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,657 2,333 2,700 2,897 1,446 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 1,986 2,104 1,971 2,026 1,614 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,536 2,309 2,566 2,670 1,896 

Public transportation ..................................... 479 410 489 516 313 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,126 1,568 3,335 3,581 1,762 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,693 1,664 2,829 3,050 1,406 

Personal care products and services ............. 596 532 604 614 536 

Reading .......................................................... 110 36 119 131 47 

Education ....................................................... 1,068 707 1,116 1,197 599 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 380 182 406 434 232 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 816 544 853 887 633 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,723 1,015 1,818 1,903 1,277 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,471 4,230 5,638 5,966 3,542 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 309 119 335 350 236 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,162 4,111 5,303 5,616 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 ...................................................... $62,857 $71,731 $59,908 $58,641 $65,332 

Age of reference person ................................................. 49.4 51.2 48.9 49.6 48.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ......................................................................... 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 

Children under 18 ......................................................... .6 .5 .6 .6 .7 

Persons 65 and older .................................................... .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 

Earners ......................................................................... 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 

Vehicles ........................................................................ 2.0 1.7 2.1 1.9 2.0 

Percent homeowner ........................................................ 66 65 68 68 62 

Average annual expenditures ........................................... $49,067 $53,868 $46,551 $45,749 $53,005 

Food ................................................................................ 6,372 6,975 6,031 5,944 6,903 

Food at home ................................................................ 3,753 4,043 3,682 3,481 4,023 

Cereals and bakery products ...................................... 506 563 510 469 516 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..................................... 841 919 762 829 875 

Dairy products ............................................................. 406 435 419 367 432 

Fruits and vegetables .................................................. 656 751 616 581 740 

Other food at home ..................................................... 1,343 1,374 1,375 1,235 1,461 

Food away from home .................................................. 2,619 2,932 2,349 2,463 2,880 

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................ 435 468 418 368 530 

Housing ........................................................................... 16,895 19,343 15,109 15,387 19,127 

Shelter ........................................................................... 10,075 11,944 8,756 8,524 12,378 

Owned dwellings ......................................................... 6,543 7,513 6,126 5,613 7,667 

Rented dwellings ......................................................... 2,860 3,507 1,986 2,361 4,021 

Other lodging .............................................................. 672 924 643 550 690 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................ 3,645 4,095 3,421 3,741 3,343 

Household operations ................................................... 1,011 1,196 780 969 1,164 

Housekeeping supplies ................................................. 659 640 682 667 638 

Household furnishings and equipment .......................... 1,506 1,467 1,471 1,485 1,605 

Apparel and services ...................................................... 1,725 1,782 1,461 1,786 1,844 

Transportation ................................................................. 7,658 8,108 7,649 7,400 7,711 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...................................... 2,657 2,754 2,921 2,612 2,380 

Gasoline and motor oil .................................................. 1,986 1,787 1,933 2,103 2,018 

Other vehicle expenses ................................................ 2,536 2,885 2,375 2,371 2,673 

Public transportation ..................................................... 479 682 420 314 640 

Healthcare ....................................................................... 3,126 3,132 3,272 3,030 3,128 

Entertainment .................................................................. 2,693 2,767 2,627 2,467 3,062 

Personal care products and services .............................. 596 601 538 593 653 

Reading ........................................................................... 110 141 112 85 121 

Education ........................................................................ 1,068 1,710 1,103 820 902 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ........................ 380 439 409 394 278 

Miscellaneous ................................................................. 816 821 798 768 910 

Cash contributions .......................................................... 1,723 1,568 1,684 1,692 1,941 

Personal insurance and pensions ................................... 5,471 6,013 5,340 5,015 5,894 

Life and other personal insurance ................................. 309 350 340 298 262 

Pensions and Social Security ....................................... 5,162 5,662 5,000 4,717 5,633 

20
Table 12. Occupation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009

Item

Selfemployed

workers

Wage and salary earners

Retired

All other,

including

not

reporting

Total

wage and

salary

earners

Managers

and

professionals

Technical,

sales and

clerical

workers

Service

workers

Construction

workers and

mechanics

Operators,

fabricators

and

laborers

Number of consumer units (in thousands) 5,824 77,087 29,707 21,239 12,844 4,163 9,133 21,163 16,772 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .............................. $81,240 $74,168 $103,040 $62,755 $49,816 $56,949 $48,895 $35,336 $39,211 

Age of reference person ......................... 48.3 43.6 44.8 42.5 42.7 43.4 43.8 73.8 45.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ................................................. 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.7 1.7 2.9 

Children under 18 ................................. .7 .7 .7 .7 .8 .8 .7 .1 .9 

Persons 65 and older ............................ .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 1.2 .2 

Earners ................................................. 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 .2 .7 

Vehicles ................................................ 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.0 1.8 2.4 2.1 1.6 1.6 

Percent homeowner ................................ 74 65 75 60 53 62 58 79 53 

Average annual expenditures ................... $57,073 $54,465 $70,143 $48,516 $41,759 $44,034 $39,904 $35,707 $38,382 

Food ........................................................ 7,198 6,857 8,212 6,298 5,683 5,935 5,801 4,816 5,839 

Food at home ........................................ 4,219 3,827 4,302 3,495 3,554 3,585 3,533 3,185 3,973 

Cereals and bakery products .............. 576 518 579 486 465 478 480 433 525 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ............. 912 856 896 804 865 812 849 696 931 

Dairy products ..................................... 457 413 472 368 372 396 385 340 441 

Fruits and vegetables .......................... 750 658 777 582 589 568 585 598 691 

Other food at home ............................. 1,525 1,383 1,578 1,254 1,263 1,331 1,233 1,118 1,385 

Food away from home .......................... 2,979 3,031 3,910 2,804 2,129 2,350 2,268 1,630 1,866 

Alcoholic beverages ................................ 546 502 664 411 308 486 451 275 294 

Housing ................................................... 18,173 18,525 23,699 16,552 14,951 14,813 13,016 12,863 14,053 

Shelter ................................................... 10,882 11,302 14,740 9,914 9,108 8,662 7,633 6,842 8,235 

Owned dwellings ................................. 7,303 7,431 10,574 6,051 5,290 5,213 4,441 4,527 4,738 

Rented dwellings ................................. 2,590 3,129 2,908 3,320 3,519 3,108 2,869 1,741 3,129 

Other lodging ...................................... 988 741 1,258 543 299 342 323 575 368 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ........ 3,966 3,790 4,247 3,587 3,476 3,636 3,290 3,260 3,348 

Household operations ........................... 1,001 1,143 1,737 907 733 738 525 834 632 

Housekeeping supplies ......................... 648 644 777 616 571 478 468 759 604 

Household furnishings and equipment .. 1,675 1,646 2,199 1,527 1,063 1,299 1,101 1,168 1,234 

Apparel and services .............................. 1,638 2,017 2,505 1,802 1,620 1,249 1,830 913 1,440 

Transportation ......................................... 7,585 8,709 10,722 8,100 6,776 7,449 6,869 5,291 5,844 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............. 1,979 3,097 3,897 2,985 2,164 2,550 2,319 1,926 1,791 

Gasoline and motor oil .......................... 2,263 2,230 2,419 2,081 2,022 2,357 2,192 1,239 1,716 

Other vehicle expenses ........................ 2,761 2,822 3,491 2,622 2,271 2,267 2,141 1,799 2,073 

Public transportation ............................. 583 560 915 413 318 276 218 327 265 

Healthcare ............................................... 3,723 2,798 3,496 2,616 2,096 2,396 2,119 4,800 2,316 

Entertainment .......................................... 3,183 2,962 3,958 2,537 2,183 2,600 1,970 2,061 2,087 

Personal care products and services ...... 595 651 855 617 490 404 414 517 441 

Reading ................................................... 134 109 163 91 66 62 63 142 61 

Education ................................................ 962 1,328 1,922 1,071 988 875 684 185 1,023 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies 331 400 275 441 433 710 521 210 518 

Miscellaneous ......................................... 1,542 889 1,124 877 621 663 634 555 563 

Cash contributions .................................. 2,176 1,737 2,442 1,362 1,196 1,375 1,243 2,039 1,102 

Personal insurance and pensions ........... 9,287 6,980 10,107 5,740 4,348 5,017 4,290 1,041 2,800 

Life and other personal insurance ......... 400 335 481 292 202 207 200 275 203 

Pensions and Social Security ............... 8,887 6,646 9,626 5,448 4,146 4,809 4,089 766 2,597 

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Table 13. Education of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2009

Item

All

consumer

units

Less than college graduate College graduate

Total

Less than

high

school

graduate

High

school

graduate

High

school

graduate

with

some

college

Associate’s

degree Total Bachelor’sdegree

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 ........................................ $62,857 $48,449 $33,262 $47,338 $53,065 $62,570 $97,390 $90,318 $110,998 

Age of reference person ................................... 49.4 50.0 53.8 51.8 46.1 48.0 48.0 46.5 51.0 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons .......................................................... 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 

Children under 18 ........................................... .6 .6 .8 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 

Persons 65 and older ..................................... .3 .3 .5 .4 .3 .2 .2 .2 .3 

Earners ........................................................... 1.3 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 

Vehicles .......................................................... 2.0 1.9 1.5 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 

Percent homeowner ......................................... 66 62 54 65 59 69 77 75 80 

Average annual expenditures ............................ $49,067 $40,520 $30,323 $38,693 $44,697 $50,446 $69,389 $65,908 $76,072 

Food ................................................................. 6,372 5,622 4,735 5,426 5,977 6,588 8,097 7,775 8,704 

Food at home ................................................. 3,753 3,476 3,343 3,439 3,547 3,598 4,386 4,275 4,595 

Cereals and bakery products ....................... 506 469 454 468 470 493 590 588 595 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...................... 841 810 856 826 797 728 912 931 876 

Dairy products .............................................. 406 370 333 363 387 400 488 472 519 

Fruits and vegetables ................................... 656 580 570 568 596 590 831 773 939 

Other food at home ...................................... 1,343 1,247 1,129 1,213 1,297 1,387 1,565 1,511 1,667 

Food away from home ................................... 2,619 2,146 1,392 1,987 2,430 2,991 3,711 3,500 4,110 

Alcoholic beverages ......................................... 435 325 213 298 384 424 686 676 705 

Housing ............................................................ 16,895 14,047 11,181 13,261 15,142 17,702 23,695 22,456 26,074 

Shelter ............................................................ 10,075 8,111 6,556 7,547 8,737 10,391 14,782 14,106 16,084 

Owned dwellings .......................................... 6,543 4,841 3,263 4,556 5,259 6,876 10,621 10,187 11,456 

Rented dwellings .......................................... 2,860 2,885 3,126 2,652 2,997 2,911 2,802 2,767 2,869 

Other lodging ................................................ 672 385 167 339 481 603 1,359 1,152 1,759 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................. 3,645 3,462 3,101 3,491 3,479 3,848 4,083 3,989 4,264 

Household operations .................................... 1,011 705 346 598 889 1,090 1,745 1,510 2,198 

Housekeeping supplies .................................. 659 573 414 568 607 723 854 741 1,067 

Household furnishings and equipment ........... 1,506 1,197 764 1,057 1,431 1,650 2,230 2,110 2,460 

Apparel and services ........................................ 1,725 1,452 1,454 1,369 1,432 1,742 2,358 2,385 2,308 

Transportation .................................................. 7,658 6,547 4,762 6,295 7,329 7,970 10,312 10,007 10,897 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ....................... 2,657 2,138 1,430 2,017 2,477 2,714 3,901 3,844 4,010 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................... 1,986 1,893 1,529 1,865 1,972 2,305 2,209 2,205 2,218 

Other vehicle expenses .................................. 2,536 2,242 1,611 2,149 2,581 2,595 3,229 3,146 3,390 

Public transportation ...................................... 479 273 193 264 299 356 972 812 1,279 

Healthcare ........................................................ 3,126 2,749 2,010 2,913 2,917 3,000 4,026 3,778 4,503 

Entertainment ................................................... 2,693 2,261 1,406 2,184 2,626 2,848 3,716 3,458 4,212 

Personal care products and services ............... 596 489 361 459 555 602 845 799 933 

Reading ............................................................ 110 78 40 70 98 107 186 157 241 

Education ......................................................... 1,068 648 236 447 1,039 907 2,074 1,833 2,538 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ......... 380 462 430 531 419 418 183 219 113 

Miscellaneous .................................................. 816 689 437 596 843 957 1,122 1,167 1,037 

Cash contributions ........................................... 1,723 1,193 784 1,123 1,354 1,600 2,993 2,734 3,491 

Personal insurance and pensions .................... 5,471 3,958 2,275 3,721 4,580 5,580 9,098 8,465 10,318 

Life and other personal insurance .................. 309 233 151 239 248 298 492 451 571 

Pensions and Social Security ......................... 5,162 3,725 2,124 3,482 4,332 5,282 8,607 8,014 9,746 

22