1

Consumer Expenditures 

in 2006 

U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

October 2008 October 2008

Report 1010 Report 1010

Consumer units1

 (CUs) spent $48,398, on average, in 2006, a 

4.3-percent increase over the previous year. This was a more 

moderate increase than the 6.9-percent growth in spending 

in 2005 and the 6.3-percent increase in 2004. The release of the 

2006 data marks the availability of 3 years of directly comparable 

income data that include imputed incomes for missing values. 

Consumer expenditures rose more than the 3.2-percent increase 

in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Items in 2006. This 

report shows the latest results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE).

Developments in 2006

The major components of spending—food, housing, apparel and 

services, transportation, health care, entertainment, and personal 

insurance and pensions—account for about 90 percent of total expenditures, and all but two (apparel and services, and entertainment) of these showed increases in 2006. (See table A.) Expenditures increased by 3.0 percent for food, by 7.9 percent for housing, 

by 2.0 percent for transportation, by 3.8 percent for health care, 

and by 1.3 percent for personal insurance and pensions, but decreased for apparel and services (–0.6 percent) and entertainment 

(–0.5 percent).

A 3.6-percent increase in spending on food at home followed 

a decrease of 1.5 percent in 2005. Spending on food away from 

home rose 2.3 percent in 2006, after increasing 8.2 percent in 2005. 

Thus, total food expenditures in 2006 rose 3.0 percent, which followed increases of 2.6 percent in 2005 and 8.3 percent in 2004. 

Across the four census regions—Northeast, Midwest, South, and 

West—changes on food spending in 2006 were quite varied. The 

most striking aspect was how much larger food expenditures increased in the West region, compared with the other regions and 

overall national fi gures. In the West in 2006, total food spending increased by 12.9 percent, food at home by 13.9 percent, and 

food away from home by 11.6 percent. In contrast, in the Northeast total food spending decreased by 4.2 percent, food at home 

decreased by 5.0 percent, and food away from home decreased 

by 3.3 percent. Expenditures on food in the Midwest remained 

relatively unchanged in 2006, with small changes in total food 

(0.2 percent), food at home (0.9 percent), and food away from 

home (–0.8 percent). Spending in the South increased moderately 

for total food (2.9 percent), food at home (4.1 percent), and food 

away from home (1.4 percent). 

Housing expenditures, the largest component of spending, rose 

7.9 percent in 2006, following a 9.0-percent increase in 2005. By 

comparison, housing expenditures rose just 3.6 percent in 2004 

and only 1.1 percent in 2003. The share of total expenditures allocated to housing increased over the last 3 years, from 32.1 percent 

in 2004, to 32.7 percent in 2005, and to 33.8 percent in 2006. 

(See table B.) There were increases across several of the housing expend-iture subcomponents in 2006. Spending on shelter 

increased 9.9 percent, which followed a 10.1-percent increase in 

2005. In the owned dwellings subcomponent of shelter, expenditures on mortgage interest and charges increased 13.1 percent 

in 2006, about the same as the increase in 2005 (13.0 percent). 

Expenditures for utilities, fuels, and public services increased 6.7 

percent, on top of an 8.8-percent rise in 2005. The increase in the 

CPI for fuels and utilities in 2006 was 8.8 percent. In 2006, housing expenditures in urban areas increased at almost twice the rate 

as those of rural areas (8.0 percent compared with 4.5 percent). 

The change in spending on shelter contributed to the difference 

in overall housing expenditures, with shelter costs increasing by 

10.2 percent in urban areas, but only 1.0 percent in rural areas. 

Also in 2006, the rate of increase in spending on utilities, fuels, 

and public services in urban areas (7.1 percent) was higher than 

the rate of increase in rural areas (2.7 percent).

Household operations expenditures, another subcomponent of 

housing, showed an increase of 18.4 percent, driven by a spending 

increase of 22.1 percent in the subcomponent of personal services, as well as a 15.9-percent increase in the “other household 

expenses” subcomponent. Expenditures on housekeeping supplies, the smallest component of housing, increased 4.7 percent in 

2006, but expenditures on household furnishings and equipment 

fell 3.3 percent. 

Expenditures on apparel and services decreased 0.6 percent in 

2006, after increases of 3.8 percent in 2005 and 10.7 percent in 

2004. While spending on men’s and boys’ apparel rose slightly 

(0.9 percent), spending on women’s and girls’ apparel dropped 0.3 

percent, and expenditures on other apparel products and services 

fell by 3.6 percent in 2006. Other apparel products and services 

include items such as jewelry, alterations, and drycleaning. 

Transportation spending rose just 2.0 percent in 2006, after an 

increase of 7.0 percent in 2005. Several subcomponents increased 

in 2006: gasoline and motor oil expenditures by 10.6 percent; 

maintenance and repairs by 2.6 percent; vehicle rentals, leases, 

licenses, and other charges by 5.4 percent; and public transportation by 12.7 percent. However, these increases were partially 

offset by decreases in spending on vehicle purchases (3.5 percent) 

and vehicle insurance (3.0 percent). Vehicle purchases, the largest 

subcomponent of transportation, are typically large and infrequent 

 expenditures, so it is common to see wide fl uctuations from year 1See the glossary at the end of this report for a defi nition of consumer unit.
2

to year because even small changes in the percentage of consumer 

units purchasing vehicles can affect the overall mean expenditure. 

The relatively large increase in public transportation spending 

resulted from increased expenditures on airline fares (17.5 percent) and ship fares (31.6 percent); this component also includes 

intracity and intercity mass transit and taxi fares. The increase in 

gasoline and motor oil expenditures (10.6 percent) was slightly 

less than the 12.9-percent rise in motor fuel prices as measured 

by the CPI. Looking at the data classifi ed by quintiles of income 

reveals that CUs in the fi rst, or lowest, income quintile had the 

largest increase in transportation expenditures (10.8 percent) in 

2006. Transportation expenditures decreased in the fourth income 

quintile (–3.7 percent) and the second income quintile (–1.0 percent). Those in the lowest income quintile and the fourth income 

quintile had the largest spending increase on gasoline and motor oil (12.4 percent). The second and third income quintiles had 

similar spending increases on gasoline and motor oil, 9.4 percent 

and 9.3 percent, respectively. All income quintiles, except for the 

second, increased spending on public transportation in 2006—the 

lowest quintile by 32.8 percent and the highest quintile by 7.2 

percent. 

Expenditures on health care increased 3.8 percent in 2006, 

similar to the 3.5-percent increase in 2005. Of the health care subcomponents, health insurance saw expenditures increase by 7.7 

percent, medical supplies by 11.5 percent. Although the increase 

in health insurance expenditures was much larger than the 2.2-

percent increase in 2005, it was similar to the increases of 6.4 

percent in 2004 and 7.2 percent in 2003. The 25- to 34-years age 

group showed the largest increase (8.5 percent) in health care expenditures in 2006, followed by the 55- to 64-years group (4.3 

percent) and the 65-years-and-older group (3.3 percent). Health 

insurance expenditures for the 65-and-older group rose 13.4 percent in 2006, driven mainly by an increase of 14.3 percent in 

Medicare payments and by the introduction of a new expenditure item, the Medicare prescription drug premium, in the second quarter of 2006. The 65-and-older group spent an average of 

$108 on the Medicare prescription drug premium in 2006. Other 

subcomponents of health care showed a decrease in expenditures, 

with medical services spending falling 1.0 percent and spending 

on drugs 1.4 percent. Out-of-pocket spending on prescription 

drugs fell 3.0 percent for all consumer units and decreased by 12.4 

percent among those 65 and older, likely due to the introduction 

of the Medicare prescription drug benefi t. In comparison, in 2005, 

expenditures on prescription drugs increased 16.0 percent for all 

consumer units and 10.3 percent for the 65-and-older group. 

The 0.5-percent decrease in entertainment spending in 2006 

followed a 7.7-percent increase in 2005. In 2006, expenditures for 

fees and admissions increased by 3.1 percent, while spending on 

audiovisual equipment and services rose by 2.1 percent. However, 

these increases were offset by decreases of 1.8 percent in spending on pets, toys, hobbies, and playground equipment and 8.4 

percent in spending on other entertainment supplies, equipment, 

and services. The latter component contains, among other things, 

items such as exercise equipment, recreational vehicles, boats, 

and campers, which are typically large and infrequent purchases. 

Hence, it is common to see volatility from year to year, because 

even small changes in the percentage of consumer units purchasing these items can affect the overall mean expenditure.

The fi nal major spending component, personal insurance and 

pensions, increased by just 1.3 percent in 2006, after a 7.9-percent 

increase in 2005 and an 18.9-percent increase in 2004. However, 

the large increase in 2004 was attributed to the introduction of 

imputed incomes into the CE. The pension and Social Security 

component is computed with the use of income data, and the 

change in 2004 was not strictly comparable to changes in prior 

years. In 2006, a 15.5-percent decrease in expenditures in the life 

and other personal insurance subcomponent was offset by a 2.6-

percent increase in expenditures in the larger subcomponent of 

pensions and Social Security. A decline in the percentage reporting—the proportion of consumer units reporting expenditures for 

a particular item—for “life insurance, endowment, annuity, and 

other personal insurance,” which is the largest item in the life and 

other personal insurance subcomponent, contributed to the 15.5-

percent decrease in expenditures. 

In other spending components, cash contributions increased by 

12.4 percent in 2006, following an increase of 18.1 percent in 

2005 and a more modest 2.8 percent in 2004. The 2006 increase 

was due largely to spending increases in contributions to churches 

and religious organizations (6.5 percent) and to educational institutions (199.8 percent). A relatively low percentage of CUs reports contributions to educational institutions, and the amounts 

contributed can be large; thus, expenditure changes in this category tend to be volatile.

Spending on personal care products and services rose 8.1 percent, which followed a drop of 6.9 percent in 2005 and a rise of 

10.2 percent in 2004, showing some volatility from year to year 

in this expenditure category. Expenditures on reading declined by 

7.1 percent in 2006, following a decrease of 3.1 percent in 2005. 

An increase in the availability of online reading material may be 

contributing to the drop in expenditures for this component. In 

2006, education spending fell 5.5 percent, after a 3.9-percent increase in 2005 and a 15.6-percent increase in 2004. The two major 

subcomponents in this expenditure category—college tuition and 

elementary and high school tuition—both declined in 2006, by 

7.1 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively. However, large expenditures, together with a low percentage reporting, by consumer 

units indicate volatility from year to year. Spending on alcoholic 

beverages has shown some volatility over the last few years: expenditures jumped 16.6 percent in 2006, following a decrease of 

7.2 percent in 2005 and an increase of 17.4 percent in 2004. Finally, spending on tobacco products and smoking supplies increased 

a modest 2.5 percent, after a large 10.8-percent increase in 2005. 

Brief description of the Consumer Expenditure Survey

The current CE program began in 1980. Its principal objective is 

to collect information on the buying habits of American consumers. 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 regular revision of the CPI.

The survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau 

for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consists of two components: 

a diary, or recordkeeping survey completed by participating con-
3

Table A. Average annual expenditures of all consumer units, and percent changes, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2004–06

 Percent change

 2004 2005 2004–05 

Number of consumer units (in thousands)............ 116,282 117,356 118,843 

Income before taxes1

 ............................................ $54,453 $58,712 $60,533 

Averages: 

 Age of reference person ..................................... 48.5 48.6 48.7 

 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 1.9 

Percent homeowner ............................................. 68 67 67 

Average annual expenditures ............................... $43,395 $46,409 $48,398 6.9 4.3

 Food ................................................................... 5,781 5,931 6,111 2.6 3.0

 Food at home ................................................... 3,347 3,297 3,417 –1.5 3.6

 Cereals and bakery products.......................... 461 445 446 –3.5 .2

 Meats, poultry, f sh, and eggs ......................... 880 764 797 –13.2 4.3

 Dairy products ................................................ 371 378 368 1.9 –2.6

 Fruits and vegetables ..................................... 561 552 592 –1.6 7.2

 Other food at home......................................... 1,075 1,158 1,212 7.7 4.7

 Food away from home ...................................... 2,434 2,634 2,694 8.2 2.3

 Alcoholic beverages............................................ 459 426 497 –7.2 16.7

 Housing ............................................................. 13,918 15,167 16,366 9.0 7.9

 Shelter ............................................................. 7,998 8,805 9,673 10.1 9.9

 Utilities, fuels, and public services .................... 2,927 3,183 3,397 8.7 6.7

 Household operations....................................... 753 801 948 6.4 18.4

 Housekeeping supplies .................................... 594 611 640 2.9 4.7

 Housefurnishings and equipment ..................... 1,646 1,767 1,708 7.4 –3.3

 Apparel and services .......................................... 1,816 1,886 1,874 3.9 –.6

 Transportation..................................................... 7,801 8,344 8,508 7.0 2.0

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ......................... 3,397 3,544 3,421 4.3 –3.5

 Gasoline and motor oil...................................... 1,598 2,013 2,227 26.0 10.6

 Other vehicle expenses .................................... 2,365 2,339 2,355 –1.1 .7

 Public transportation ......................................... 441 448 505 1.6 12.7

 Health care ......................................................... 2,574 2,664 2,766 3.5 3.8

 Entertainment ..................................................... 2,218 2,388 2,376 7.7 –.5

 Personal care products and services ................. 581 541 585 –6.9 8.1

 Reading .............................................................. 130 126 117 –3.1 –7.1

 Education............................................................ 905 940 888 3.9 -5.5

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies ............ 288 319 327 10.8 2.5

 Miscellaneous .................................................... 690 808 846 17.1 4.7

 Cash contributions .............................................. 1,408 1,663 1,869 18.1 12.4

 Personal insurance and pensions ...................... 4,823 5,204 5,270 7.9 1.3

 Life and other personal insurance .................... 390 381 322 –2.3 –15.5

 Pensions and Social Security ........................... 4,433 4,823 4,948 8.8 2.6

 1 Income imputation was introduced in 2004. For all consumer units, incomes are estimated for all missing values .

sumer units for two consecutive 1-week periods; and an interview 

survey, in which expenditures of consumer units are obtained in 

fi ve 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 or is not made at the time of purchase. Expenditure 

amounts include all sales and excise taxes for all items purchased 

by the consumer unit for itself or for others. Excluded from both 

surveys are all business-related expenditures, as well as expenditures for which the consumer unit is reimbursed.

Each component of the survey queries an independent sample 

of consumer units that is 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. Each consumer unit is interviewed 

once per quarter, for fi ve 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 large, such 

as expenditures for real property, automobiles, and major appliances, or occur on a regular basis, like 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, 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 diffi cult for respondents to recall. 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 for overnight travel) 

that the consumer unit incurs during the survey week.

2005–06 Item 2006
4

Table B. Percent distribution of total annual expenditures, by major 

category, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003–06

 Item 2003 2004 2005 2006

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

 Food ......................................................... 13.1 13.3 12.8 12.6

 Food at home ......................................... 7.7 7.7 7.1 7.1

 Food away from home ............................ 5.4 5.6 5.7 5.6

 Alcoholic beverages.................................. 1.0 1.1 .9 1.0

 Housing .................................................... 32.9 32.1 32.7 33.8

 Apparel and services ................................ 4.0 4.2 4.1 3.9

 Transportation........................................... 19.1 18.0 18.0 17.6

 Vehicles .................................................. 9.1 7.8 7.6 7.1

 Gasoline and motor oil............................ 3.3 3.7 4.3 4.6

 Other transportation................................ 6.7 6.5 6.0 5.9

 Health care ............................................... 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.7

 Entertainment ........................................... 5.0 5.1 5.1 4.9

 Personal care products and services ....... 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2

 Reading .................................................... .3 .3 .3 .2

 Education.................................................. 1.9 2.1 2.0 1.8

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies . . .7 .7 .7 .7 

 Miscellaneous ........................................... 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.7

 Cash contributions .................................... 3.4 3.2 3.6 3.9

 Personal insurance and pensions ............ 9.9 11.1 11.2 10.9

 Life and other personal insurance .......... 1.0 .9 .8 .7

 Pensions and Social Security ................. 9.0 10.2 10.4 10.2

Integrated data from the BLS Diary and Interview Surveys 

provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and income that neither survey alone is designed to do. 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.

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. Defi nitions 

of components also differ between the CE and CPI. For example, 

homeownership is treated differently in the two surveys: Actual 

expenditures of homeowners 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 specifi ed characteristics, regardless of whether a particular unit incurred an expense for a specifi c item during the recordkeeping period. The 

average expenditure for an item may be considerably lower than 

the expenditure by the CUs that purchased the item. The reason 

is that, the less frequently an item is purchased, the greater is the 

difference between the average for all consumer units and the average for those purchasing the item. Also, an individual CU 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 infl uence 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, rent, as measured by the CPI, rose 6.2 

percent between 2006 (annual average index) and December 2007 

(not seasonally adjusted).

In addition, sample surveys are subject to two types of error: sampling error and nonsampling error. 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 classifi ed 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 classifi cations published in previous reports and bulletins.

Tables for the aforementioned classifi cations, but with more 

detail than is given in this report, can be accessed via the BLS Web 

site (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 1984–2006. Other survey information available on 

the Web site 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. Many of the 

tables that are shown on the BLS Web site are published in biennial reports.

Other available data

The 2006 Diary and Interview Survey microdata—that is, data 

on individual consumer units—are available for purchase on CDROM. The Interview Survey fi les contain expenditure data in two 

different formats: MTAB fi les, which present monthly values in 

an item coding framework based on the CPI pricing scheme; and 

EXPN fi les, which organize expenditures by the section of the 

interview questionnaire in which they are collected. Expenditure 

values on EXPN fi les cover different periods, depending on the 
5

specifi c question asked; the fi les also contain relevant nonexpenditure information not found on the MTAB fi les. Currently 

available on CD-ROM are microdata fi les back to 1990 and for 

selected earlier years. 

The Consumer Expenditure Survey program also publishes CE 

anthologies, consisting of 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, 

2005, Report 981, was published in April 2005. The next anthology will be published in 2008. Additional data 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 

Surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3985, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20212-0001. Telephone: (202) 

691–6900. E-mail: cexinfo@bls.gov. Internet: 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.

Glossary

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 fi nancially 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 also are included 

in the sample as separate consumer units.

Reference person. The fi rst 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 

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; selfemployment income; Social Security and private and government 

retirement income; interest, dividends, and rental and other property income; unemployment and workers’ compensation and veterans’ benefi ts; 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 fi ve 

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.
Table 1. Quintiles of income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ....... 118,843 23,738 23,773 23,765 23,770 23,796 

Lower limit ........................................................ n.a. n.a. $18,370 $35,095 $56,222 $88,774

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $9,974 $26,657 $44,933 $70,975 $149,963 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 52.3 50.9 47.4 46.1 46.9 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 1.7 2.2 2.5 2.8 3.1 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 

Persons 65 and over .................................... .3 .4 .4 .3 .2 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 .5 1.0 1.4 1.8 2.1 

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 .9 1.5 1.9 2.5 2.9 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 42 56 67 80 91 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $20,410 $30,224 $41,431 $55,697 $94,150 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 3,193 4,307 5,614 7,195 10,243 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 2,138 2,647 3,210 3,903 5,186 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 276 354 413 516 673 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 532 631 749 902 1,172 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 227 291 358 426 540 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 370 464 547 649 933 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 733 907 1,144 1,410 1,867 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 1,055 1,660 2,404 3,292 5,058 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 213 294 474 534 971 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 8,128 10,973 14,204 18,428 30,071 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 4,805 6,405 8,269 10,847 18,025 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 1,719 3,003 4,928 7,949 14,968 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 2,946 3,240 3,032 2,369 1,363 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 140 162 310 529 1,694 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 2,090 2,782 3,307 3,901 4,902 

Household operations .................................. 948 310 443 668 916 2,398 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 331 437 552 779 1,097 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 591 906 1,406 1,985 3,649 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 845 1,193 1,680 2,101 3,548 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 3,038 5,277 7,662 10,120 16,426 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 987 1,954 2,940 3,774 7,442 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 991 1,624 2,182 2,829 3,508 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 879 1,489 2,188 2,968 4,248 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 182 211 352 549 1,228 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 1,485 2,456 2,647 3,154 4,086 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 879 1,271 1,898 2,720 5,105 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 262 385 513 713 1,050 

Reading .......................................................... 117 51 73 98 131 232 

Education ....................................................... 888 505 295 477 879 2,281 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 266 345 367 374 282 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 454 510 674 939 1,652 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 573 1,117 1,412 1,834 4,403 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 517 1,728 3,712 6,577 13,800 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 97 164 227 370 752 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 420 1,564 3,485 6,207 13,048 

n.a. Not applicable.

6
Table 2. Income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ...... 118,843 4,572 6,247 7,585 7,671 14,232 13,304 11,446 17,674 36,112 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .................................... $60,533 $439 $8,006 $12,551 $17,462 $24,905 $34,685 $44,620 $59,253 $125,688 

Age of reference person ............................... 48.7 43.2 50.7 56.9 56.1 51.1 48.2 47.5 46.6 46.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ...................................................... 2.5 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.8 3.0 

Children under 18 ....................................... .6 .3 .3 .4 .4 .6 .6 .6 .7 .8 

Persons 65 and over .................................. .3 .2 .3 .5 .5 .5 .3 .3 .2 .2 

Earners ....................................................... 1.3 .5 .5 .5 .6 .9 1.2 1.4 1.6 2.0 

Vehicles ...................................................... 1.9 .8 .7 1.0 1.2 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.3 2.8 

Percent homeowner ..................................... 67 36 32 47 53 55 60 68 75 88 

Average annual expenditures ......................... $48,398 $20,709 $16,751 $20,612 $24,422 $29,042 $35,108 $39,573 $50,086 $82,294 

Food ............................................................. 6,111 3,049 2,860 3,099 3,631 4,136 4,689 5,330 6,496 9,300 

Food at home ............................................. 3,417 1,802 1,894 2,159 2,476 2,605 2,719 3,061 3,603 4,798 

Cereals and bakery products .................... 446 239 248 277 319 357 346 406 463 627 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ................... 797 485 466 525 613 623 634 723 814 1,103 

Dairy products .......................................... 368 188 203 233 259 275 318 333 406 503 

Fruits and vegetables ............................... 592 293 328 378 428 471 462 537 597 841 

Other food at home ................................... 1,212 597 649 747 857 878 959 1,061 1,322 1,724 

Food away from home ................................ 2,694 1,246 966 940 1,155 1,531 1,970 2,269 2,892 4,502 

Alcoholic beverages ..................................... 497 220 192 202 227 254 384 427 505 833 

Housing ........................................................ 16,366 8,037 7,047 8,176 9,408 10,755 12,289 13,970 16,635 26,495 

Shelter ........................................................ 9,673 5,037 4,221 4,699 5,399 6,297 7,311 8,057 9,706 15,853 

Owned dwellings ...................................... 6,516 2,024 1,212 1,596 2,232 2,929 3,837 4,752 6,525 12,902 

Rented dwellings ...................................... 2,590 2,742 2,906 2,998 3,020 3,227 3,255 2,999 2,761 1,629 

Other lodging ............................................ 567 272 103 106 147 140 220 306 420 1,322 

Utilities, fuels, and public services .............. 3,397 1,827 1,811 2,201 2,531 2,763 2,972 3,275 3,747 4,579 

Household operations ................................. 948 307 217 361 394 405 513 696 797 1,923 

Housekeeping supplies .............................. 640 297 379 288 356 409 472 531 667 1,003 

Household furnishings and equipment ....... 1,708 570 419 627 729 881 1,021 1,410 1,717 3,137 

Apparel and services .................................... 1,874 1,255 883 670 860 1,133 1,297 1,573 1,981 3,078 

Transportation .............................................. 8,508 3,206 2,107 3,299 3,572 5,067 6,770 6,844 9,423 14,500 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ................... 3,421 1,161 485 1,261 961 1,866 2,781 2,229 3,597 6,331 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................ 2,227 966 794 980 1,278 1,580 1,897 2,147 2,599 3,319 

Other vehicle expenses .............................. 2,355 882 667 890 1,107 1,427 1,811 2,193 2,728 3,837 

Public transportation ................................... 505 197 162 167 225 193 280 275 499 1,013 

Healthcare .................................................... 2,766 1,041 948 1,738 2,221 2,411 2,498 2,616 3,006 3,791 

Entertainment ............................................... 2,376 856 765 833 1,103 1,158 1,579 1,864 2,344 4,371 

Personal care products and services ........... 585 230 201 256 346 355 450 481 629 949 

Reading ........................................................ 117 48 41 55 65 71 80 99 116 201 

Education ...................................................... 888 1,046 441 462 240 285 398 412 681 1,838 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ..... 327 239 265 243 302 331 383 364 382 311 

Miscellaneous ............................................... 846 544 330 515 412 559 572 584 871 1,412 

Cash contributions ........................................ 1,869 482 359 547 1,222 961 1,181 1,280 1,743 3,580 

Personal insurance and pensions ................ 5,270 456 311 517 813 1,564 2,537 3,729 5,275 11,635 

Life and other personal insurance .............. 322 75 79 108 129 168 171 235 314 629 

Pensions and Social Security ..................... 4,948 381 232 409 684 1,396 2,365 3,494 4,961 11,005 

7
Table 3. Higher income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,

2006

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) ....... 118,843 82,730 6,956 10,241 18,915 6,300 5,357 7,258 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $32,093 $74,647 $88,763 $164,452 $108,417 $132,682 $236,545 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 49.7 45.5 46.2 46.9 46.1 46.3 48.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.2 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.2 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .6 .7 .7 .8 .9 .8 .9 

Persons 65 and over .................................... .3 .4 .2 .2 .2 .1 .2 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.1 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 1.6 2.5 2.7 2.9 2.7 2.9 3.1 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 58 82 85 92 89 92 95 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $33,490 $57,352 $65,810 $100,386 $78,129 $88,647 $128,681 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 4,660 7,094 8,491 10,547 9,310 10,159 12,029 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 2,784 3,977 4,482 5,269 4,875 5,169 5,736 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 364 515 605 680 607 706 733 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 657 970 1,054 1,179 1,184 1,112 1,224 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 307 419 472 551 499 557 597 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 479 665 733 963 802 971 1,117 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 978 1,408 1,618 1,897 1,782 1,823 2,065 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 1,875 3,118 4,009 5,278 4,435 4,990 6,293 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 344 562 600 1,059 905 781 1,419 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 11,927 18,832 21,242 32,157 24,337 28,672 41,579 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 6,976 11,260 12,565 19,323 14,564 17,280 24,963 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 3,729 8,675 9,870 16,098 11,787 14,715 20,861 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 3,009 2,074 1,957 1,288 1,622 1,150 1,101 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 238 511 738 1,937 1,155 1,415 3,000 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 2,881 3,921 4,088 5,087 4,525 4,865 5,738 

Household operations .................................. 948 522 975 1,274 2,623 1,523 1,928 4,090 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 473 722 953 1,134 940 1,039 1,399 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 1,075 1,953 2,362 3,990 2,784 3,560 5,388 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 1,331 2,035 2,405 3,824 2,775 3,596 4,983 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 5,891 10,921 12,206 17,059 13,601 15,661 21,097 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 2,151 4,322 5,155 7,706 5,502 6,805 10,284 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 1,751 2,909 3,138 3,568 3,318 3,598 3,763 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 1,707 3,115 3,229 4,432 3,732 4,206 5,209 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 282 574 684 1,353 1,049 1,052 1,841 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 2,318 3,216 3,345 4,244 3,699 3,889 4,984 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 1,500 2,804 3,225 5,568 4,187 4,434 7,606 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 422 747 794 1,107 915 1,054 1,322 

Reading .......................................................... 117 80 137 160 247 191 228 309 

Education ....................................................... 888 472 843 1,050 2,631 1,704 1,907 3,974 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 334 363 348 271 319 290 216 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 599 957 1,065 1,768 1,381 1,379 2,390 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 1,122 1,931 2,171 4,949 3,904 3,208 7,141 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 2,491 6,910 8,709 14,956 10,903 13,388 19,633 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 188 373 453 819 571 568 1,218 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 2,303 6,537 8,256 14,138 10,332 12,819 18,415 

8
Table 4. Age of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ....... 118,843 8,167 20,071 23,950 24,696 18,952 23,007 11,764 11,243 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $29,057 $57,208 $75,613 $77,043 $64,425 $37,982 $46,064 $29,525 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 21.5 29.6 39.7 49.3 59.1 75.2 69.1 81.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.0 2.9 3.2 2.7 2.0 1.7 1.9 1.5 

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

Persons 65 and over .................................... .3 1 ( ) 1 ( ) 1 ( ) 1 ( ) .1 1.4 1.4 1.3 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.3 .5 .7 .2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 1.2 1.8 2.1 2.4 2.1 1.6 1.9 1.2 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 20 50 68 75 80 80 83 77 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $28,181 $47,582 $57,476 $57,563 $50,789 $35,058 $40,960 $28,904 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 3,919 6,104 7,331 7,328 6,132 4,319 5,172 3,437 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 1,946 3,186 4,128 4,036 3,518 2,659 3,062 2,244 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 240 406 553 510 453 370 413 325 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 434 746 962 972 801 611 723 495 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 219 352 452 420 370 293 330 256 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 319 537 671 683 656 507 572 439 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 734 1,144 1,490 1,451 1,238 878 1,024 729 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 1,973 2,918 3,203 3,292 2,613 1,659 2,110 1,193 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 473 657 496 612 477 263 339 184 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 9,355 17,139 20,303 18,377 16,529 11,787 13,273 10,236 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 5,923 10,725 12,445 10,896 9,199 6,281 6,934 5,597 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 1,405 6,132 8,965 8,024 6,866 4,210 5,151 3,224 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 4,315 4,286 2,938 2,064 1,460 1,630 1,191 2,090 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 203 307 541 807 873 441 592 284 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 1,781 3,093 3,854 3,912 3,640 3,008 3,297 2,705 

Household operations .................................. 948 374 1,130 1,380 793 934 720 718 722 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 295 531 761 727 739 554 660 445 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 982 1,660 1,864 2,050 2,017 1,224 1,664 767 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 1,464 2,152 2,368 2,176 1,892 930 1,212 639 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 5,667 9,047 9,977 10,111 8,676 5,658 7,481 3,751 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 2,396 3,912 4,057 3,983 3,165 2,301 3,273 1,284 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 1,637 2,346 2,636 2,693 2,288 1,359 1,766 934 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 1,413 2,342 2,725 2,819 2,638 1,584 1,972 1,179 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 221 448 559 616 584 414 471 354 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 706 1,652 2,284 2,757 3,556 4,331 4,379 4,282 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 1,348 2,237 2,966 2,770 2,666 1,584 2,049 1,099 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 348 547 688 696 586 475 527 421 

Reading .......................................................... 117 46 82 112 133 147 136 143 129 

Education ....................................................... 888 1,259 710 857 1,736 662 219 274 162 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 286 318 354 433 370 171 241 97 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 388 615 943 971 1,105 762 966 549 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 632 1,070 1,707 2,118 2,266 2,579 2,121 3,058 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 2,291 5,252 7,090 7,346 5,726 1,844 2,782 862 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 42 172 364 413 458 299 365 231 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 2,249 5,079 6,726 6,933 5,267 1,545 2,417 631 

1 Value less than 0.05.

9
Table 5. Size of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,

2006

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) ................. 118,843 35,221 83,621 37,650 18,445 16,484 11,043 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ............................................... $60,533 $31,557 $72,738 $65,632 $72,418 $82,996 $82,190 

Age of reference person .......................................... 48.7 52.5 47.1 53.1 44.2 40.7 41.2 

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 .8 1.6 2.7 

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

Earners .................................................................. 1.3 .6 1.6 1.3 1.8 2.0 2.2 

Vehicles ................................................................. 1.9 1.1 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.5 

Percent homeowner ................................................ 67 52 74 76 70 76 71 

Average annual expenditures .................................... $48,398 $29,374 $56,361 $50,652 $56,382 $63,897 $64,654 

Food ........................................................................ 6,111 3,249 7,287 6,203 7,195 8,543 9,334 

Food at home ........................................................ 3,417 1,728 4,109 3,328 4,010 4,833 5,880 

Cereals and bakery products ............................... 446 224 538 430 504 654 790 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................. 797 367 974 768 941 1,120 1,508 

Dairy products ..................................................... 368 188 443 358 429 537 615 

Fruits and vegetables .......................................... 592 307 710 593 689 818 982 

Other food at home .............................................. 1,212 643 1,446 1,179 1,447 1,703 1,985 

Food away from home ........................................... 2,694 1,521 3,178 2,875 3,185 3,710 3,454 

Alcoholic beverages ................................................ 497 428 526 586 537 483 367 

Housing ................................................................... 16,366 11,067 18,590 16,507 18,751 21,311 21,361 

Shelter ................................................................... 9,673 7,187 10,721 9,569 10,767 12,148 12,441 

Owned dwellings ................................................. 6,516 3,651 7,723 6,732 7,645 9,375 8,765 

Rented dwellings ................................................. 2,590 3,235 2,318 2,058 2,465 2,180 3,163 

Other lodging ....................................................... 567 300 680 778 656 593 513 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ......................... 3,397 2,153 3,921 3,501 3,990 4,347 4,602 

Household operations ............................................ 948 430 1,165 780 1,328 1,777 1,293 

Housekeeping supplies ......................................... 640 330 766 708 698 842 961 

Household furnishings and equipment .................. 1,708 967 2,017 1,949 1,968 2,197 2,064 

Apparel and services ............................................... 1,874 950 2,254 1,877 2,319 2,710 2,796 

Transportation ......................................................... 8,508 4,433 10,224 8,805 10,471 11,836 12,239 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............................. 3,421 1,558 4,205 3,409 4,424 5,024 5,335 

Gasoline and motor oil ........................................... 2,227 1,188 2,665 2,263 2,707 3,146 3,253 

Other vehicle expenses ......................................... 2,355 1,324 2,789 2,531 2,813 3,147 3,093 

Public transportation .............................................. 505 363 564 603 528 520 558 

Healthcare ............................................................... 2,766 1,827 3,161 3,641 2,868 2,824 2,516 

Entertainment .......................................................... 2,376 1,464 2,758 2,576 2,580 3,232 2,965 

Personal care products and services ...................... 585 361 678 619 703 750 735 

Reading ................................................................... 117 91 128 145 111 127 97 

Education ................................................................. 888 477 1,061 632 1,260 1,453 1,602 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................ 327 227 369 360 394 347 392 

Miscellaneous .......................................................... 846 662 924 887 990 921 935 

Cash contributions ................................................... 1,869 1,611 1,977 2,211 1,693 1,725 2,032 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................... 5,270 2,528 6,425 5,602 6,509 7,634 7,283 

Life and other personal insurance ......................... 322 136 400 386 395 446 392 

Pensions and Social Security ................................ 4,948 2,391 6,024 5,216 6,114 7,188 6,891 

n.a. Not applicable.

10
Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ............. 59,428 25,306 29,381 5,763 15,166 8,452 4,741 7,225 52,190 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ........................................... $82,195 $73,032 $89,351 $81,372 $89,792 $93,999 $86,765 $34,852 $39,422 

Age of reference person ...................................... 48.8 56.8 42.0 32.1 40.2 52.0 48.1 38.3 50.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons .............................................................. 3.2 2.0 3.9 3.5 4.1 3.9 5.0 2.9 1.6 

Children under 18 .............................................. .9 n.a. 1.6 1.5 2.1 .6 1.5 1.7 .2 

Persons 65 and over .......................................... .3 .6 .1 1 ( ) 1 ( ) .2 .5 1 ( ) .3 

Earners .............................................................. 1.7 1.2 2.0 1.6 1.8 2.5 2.3 1.0 1.0 

Vehicles ............................................................. 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.1 2.6 3.2 2.7 1.2 1.3 

Percent homeowner ............................................. 83 87 81 73 80 87 78 43 53 

Average annual expenditures ................................ $62,503 $55,631 $68,354 $63,416 $69,157 $70,234 $63,614 $35,491 $33,997 

Food ..................................................................... 7,920 6,745 8,864 7,121 9,211 9,356 8,836 5,139 4,114 

Food at home ..................................................... 4,423 3,571 5,032 4,053 5,088 5,578 5,571 3,046 2,279 

Cereals and bakery products ........................... 580 461 674 509 708 715 681 412 294 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......................... 1,031 816 1,152 788 1,150 1,401 1,535 725 531 

Dairy products .................................................. 483 385 556 518 573 548 590 315 241 

Fruits and vegetables ....................................... 780 650 869 737 868 957 990 446 390 

Other food at home .......................................... 1,549 1,260 1,782 1,500 1,788 1,957 1,775 1,148 824 

Food away from home ....................................... 3,497 3,175 3,831 3,068 4,123 3,777 3,265 2,093 1,835 

Alcoholic beverages ............................................. 562 628 500 476 506 502 581 232 456 

Housing ................................................................ 20,283 17,652 22,502 24,837 22,728 20,522 20,599 13,840 12,233 

Shelter ................................................................ 11,635 10,116 12,957 14,092 13,493 11,221 11,548 8,055 7,664 

Owned dwellings .............................................. 9,094 7,838 10,260 11,083 10,681 8,943 8,579 3,926 3,939 

Rented dwellings .............................................. 1,702 1,303 1,939 2,483 2,100 1,281 2,364 3,938 3,414 

Other lodging ................................................... 839 976 758 527 713 997 605 190 311 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ..................... 4,139 3,680 4,432 3,731 4,488 4,811 4,776 3,331 2,561 

Household operations ........................................ 1,334 816 1,793 3,485 1,585 1,013 1,245 969 505 

Housekeeping supplies ...................................... 863 793 926 754 942 1,011 871 423 404 

Household furnishings and equipment ............... 2,312 2,246 2,392 2,775 2,219 2,466 2,158 1,063 1,099 

Apparel and services ........................................... 2,381 1,878 2,805 2,666 2,852 2,828 2,607 1,863 1,281 

Transportation ...................................................... 11,388 9,674 12,787 11,188 12,769 13,909 11,868 5,504 5,644

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ........................... 4,745 3,803 5,553 5,211 5,587 5,725 4,764 1,917 2,121 

Gasoline and motor oil ....................................... 2,901 2,419 3,246 2,609 3,246 3,680 3,331 1,697 1,534 

Other vehicle expenses ..................................... 3,087 2,733 3,381 2,909 3,326 3,800 3,155 1,628 1,621 

Public transportation .......................................... 655 718 608 459 610 705 618 261 367 

Healthcare ............................................................ 3,713 4,435 3,133 2,726 3,038 3,583 3,446 1,306 1,887 

Entertainment ....................................................... 3,124 2,938 3,378 2,879 3,738 3,064 2,552 1,859 1,590 

Personal care products and services ................... 749 685 813 747 783 921 727 460 410 

Reading ................................................................ 149 172 137 105 144 146 101 63 88 

Education ............................................................. 1,236 646 1,769 570 1,633 2,826 1,086 754 510 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ............. 332 315 311 215 319 361 559 259 330 

Miscellaneous ...................................................... 969 915 944 774 964 1,026 1,413 644 733 

Cash contributions ............................................... 2,312 2,681 2,083 1,347 2,116 2,525 1,764 733 1,521 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................ 7,383 6,266 8,330 7,766 8,356 8,666 7,475 2,835 3,201 

Life and other personal insurance ...................... 487 475 501 363 522 557 468 150 158 

Pensions and Social Security ............................ 6,895 5,790 7,829 7,403 7,834 8,109 7,007 2,686 3,043 

1 Value less than 0.05.

n.a. Not applicable.

11
Table 7. Number of earners in consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer

Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ....... 118,843 13,017 22,205 10,000 24,022 39,222 10,377 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $16,195 $40,562 $29,936 $55,796 $86,421 $101,491 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 68.7 43.1 65.3 46.9 42.9 46.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 n.a. n.a. .4 1.1 .9 1.0 

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

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 .8 1.2 1.7 1.9 2.5 3.2 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 57 49 78 68 75 81 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $21,694 $33,939 $35,594 $48,901 $62,364 $71,597 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 2,415 3,771 5,253 6,560 7,687 9,820 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 1,616 1,798 3,440 3,912 4,061 5,640 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 223 225 471 500 541 701 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 345 380 844 944 924 1,428 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 182 191 359 426 445 575 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 307 306 623 675 693 979 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 559 695 1,142 1,367 1,458 1,958 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 798 1,973 1,813 2,648 3,626 4,179 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 186 579 363 374 620 707 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 8,572 12,533 12,276 17,217 20,489 20,731 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 5,144 8,384 6,107 9,940 12,058 11,918 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 2,325 4,428 4,074 6,566 9,014 9,037 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 2,660 3,572 1,618 2,741 2,306 2,059 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 159 383 415 633 738 822 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 2,087 2,192 3,296 3,718 3,991 4,729 

Household operations .................................. 948 441 424 740 1,032 1,442 838 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 330 330 646 693 807 926 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 570 1,203 1,488 1,833 2,191 2,320 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 578 1,179 1,258 2,004 2,519 2,907 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 2,918 5,322 5,839 8,539 11,250 14,480 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 1,154 1,795 2,268 3,432 4,651 6,177 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 690 1,479 1,477 2,274 2,910 3,793 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 824 1,618 1,672 2,354 3,056 3,868 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 250 429 422 478 633 643 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 2,490 1,439 4,607 2,988 2,935 3,021 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 937 1,776 1,691 2,360 3,171 3,159 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 291 404 480 569 743 900 

Reading .......................................................... 117 81 97 128 109 138 131 

Education ....................................................... 888 371 539 226 759 1,186 2,091 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 167 262 232 357 384 472 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 641 673 755 802 970 1,197 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 1,893 1,446 2,001 1,795 1,943 2,505 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 155 3,918 486 4,468 8,329 9,477 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 130 140 287 327 449 496 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 125 3,778 199 4,141 7,881 8,981 

1 Data are likely to have large sampling errors.

n.a. Not applicable.

12
Table 8. Housing tenure and type of area: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ....... 118,843 80,035 51,190 28,845 38,808 108,771 35,782 72,990 10,071 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $72,988 $85,146 $51,412 $34,847 $61,634 $53,520 $65,612 $48,646 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 52.2 46.5 62.3 41.5 48.4 46.6 49.3 51.7 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 

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

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

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.4 1.7 .9 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 2.3 2.5 2.1 1.1 1.9 1.5 2.1 2.5 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 100 100 100 n.a. 66 51 73 84 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $56,212 $64,374 $41,292 $32,275 $49,285 $43,780 $51,966 $38,855 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 6,843 7,384 5,639 4,597 6,188 5,755 6,391 5,300 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 3,787 4,017 3,265 2,651 3,439 3,199 3,551 3,181 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 501 530 437 333 448 407 467 431 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 874 930 745 639 804 786 813 723 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 411 436 354 280 368 328 387 370 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 656 683 593 462 602 574 615 494 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 1,345 1,438 1,135 938 1,217 1,103 1,270 1,163 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 3,056 3,367 2,374 1,946 2,749 2,556 2,840 2,119 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 542 612 386 405 516 500 523 297 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 18,585 22,570 11,478 11,787 16,836 15,312 17,579 11,285

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 10,495 13,769 4,687 7,978 10,088 9,459 10,396 5,197 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 9,623 12,846 3,903 109 6,737 5,062 7,558 4,134 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 120 138 86 7,684 2,760 3,906 2,198 755 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 753 784 697 185 591 491 640 309 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 4,014 4,307 3,494 2,124 3,408 2,991 3,612 3,278 

Household operations .................................. 948 1,189 1,363 879 449 975 846 1,038 654 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 768 786 725 374 639 579 667 642 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 2,118 2,344 1,693 862 1,726 1,436 1,865 1,513 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 2,067 2,328 1,520 1,475 1,940 1,889 1,964 1,169 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 9,961 11,440 7,332 5,511 8,547 7,024 9,293 8,091 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 4,030 4,686 2,867 2,164 3,438 2,736 3,782 3,236 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 2,560 2,901 1,954 1,542 2,188 1,756 2,400 2,652 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 2,778 3,209 2,009 1,483 2,386 1,978 2,587 2,015 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 594 644 503 321 534 554 524 188 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 3,414 3,102 3,975 1,431 2,735 2,231 2,982 3,103 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 2,886 3,261 2,203 1,322 2,390 2,101 2,530 2,219 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 681 754 533 385 603 545 631 385 

Reading .......................................................... 117 141 148 130 67 120 107 126 89 

Education ....................................................... 888 1,018 1,229 636 620 938 751 1,030 343 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 307 333 260 367 317 279 336 431 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 991 1,066 854 547 866 783 906 634 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 2,298 2,113 2,627 983 1,925 1,886 1,944 1,261 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 6,478 8,033 3,718 2,778 5,364 4,618 5,730 4,246 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 428 489 321 103 325 252 360 294 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 6,049 7,544 3,396 2,675 5,040 4,366 5,370 3,952 

n.a. Not applicable.

13
Table 9. Race of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ....... 118,843 104,577 100,479 4,098 14,265 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $63,179 $62,661 $75,865 $41,142 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 49.1 49.2 45.3 46.2 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 

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

Persons 65 and over .................................... .3 .3 .3 .3 .2 

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.7 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 70 70 63 49 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $50,287 $49,994 $57,544 $34,583 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 6,329 6,289 7,411 4,530 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 3,503 3,486 3,947 2,796 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 458 455 524 366 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 791 782 1,022 845 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 387 390 298 237 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 615 605 884 432 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 1,253 1,254 1,219 916 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 2,826 2,802 3,463 1,735 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 537 545 302 210 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 16,859 16,676 21,332 12,754 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 9,986 9,791 14,782 7,378 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 6,914 6,781 10,168 3,600 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 2,458 2,409 3,655 3,555 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 614 600 958 223 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 3,388 3,395 3,221 3,461 

Household operations .................................. 948 1,003 1,003 1,005 545 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 661 665 557 482 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 1,820 1,822 1,767 888 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 1,889 1,881 2,117 1,762 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 8,832 8,796 9,722 6,130 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 3,565 3,555 3,823 2,362 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 2,294 2,298 2,191 1,740 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 2,439 2,435 2,519 1,742 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 535 508 1,189 286 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 2,940 2,967 2,262 1,497 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 2,540 2,564 1,941 1,172 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 594 587 772 519 

Reading .......................................................... 117 127 128 100 46 

Education ....................................................... 888 941 885 2,332 495 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 346 353 181 187 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 887 896 670 544 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 1,935 1,950 1,568 1,384 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 5,531 5,478 6,837 3,354 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 333 330 410 245 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 5,198 5,148 6,428 3,109 

1 All other races includes Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and

approximately 1.2 percent reporting more than one race.

14
Table 10. Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person: Average annual expenditures and

characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ....... 118,843 13,664 105,178 91,049 14,129 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $60,533 $48,108 $62,148 $65,417 $41,080 

Age of reference person ................................. 48.7 42.0 49.6 50.1 46.3 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 3.2 2.4 2.3 2.6 

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

Persons 65 and over .................................... .3 .2 .3 .3 .2 

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 1.6 2.0 2.1 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 67 50 70 73 49 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,398 $43,053 $49,093 $51,351 $34,571 

Food ............................................................... 6,111 6,170 6,103 6,351 4,522 

Food at home ............................................... 3,417 3,719 3,377 3,470 2,787 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 446 427 449 462 365 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 797 999 771 759 844 

Dairy products ............................................ 368 384 366 387 235 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 592 735 574 596 430 

Other food at home .................................... 1,212 1,173 1,217 1,265 913 

Food away from home .................................. 2,694 2,451 2,726 2,881 1,735 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 497 326 520 568 212 

Housing .......................................................... 16,366 15,412 16,490 17,070 12,755 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,673 9,639 9,678 10,035 7,379 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,516 5,355 6,667 7,142 3,607 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,590 4,031 2,403 2,225 3,548 

Other lodging .............................................. 567 253 608 668 224 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,397 3,224 3,419 3,413 3,464 

Household operations .................................. 948 661 985 1,053 545 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 640 529 654 681 482 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,708 1,359 1,754 1,889 885 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,874 2,278 1,821 1,829 1,767 

Transportation ................................................ 8,508 8,286 8,537 8,913 6,110 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 3,421 3,400 3,423 3,590 2,349 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,227 2,319 2,216 2,289 1,740 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,355 2,152 2,381 2,481 1,741 

Public transportation ..................................... 505 414 516 553 280 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,766 1,659 2,910 3,129 1,501 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,376 1,568 2,481 2,684 1,175 

Personal care products and services ............. 585 537 591 602 517 

Reading .......................................................... 117 43 127 139 46 

Education ....................................................... 888 633 921 986 499 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 327 150 350 375 189 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 846 575 881 934 541 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,869 1,343 1,937 2,023 1,385 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,270 4,074 5,425 5,747 3,352 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 322 151 344 360 244 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 4,948 3,923 5,081 5,387 3,108 

15
Table 11. Region of residence: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

Item

All

consumer

units

Northeast Midwest South West

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ........................ 118,843 22,757 27,206 42,457 26,423 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................................... $60,533 $64,232 $57,980 $56,190 $66,955 

Age of reference person ................................................. 48.7 49.7 48.8 48.9 47.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

Persons 65 and over ..................................................... .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 

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

Vehicles ........................................................................ 1.9 1.6 2.1 1.9 2.1 

Percent homeowner ........................................................ 67 65 70 70 63 

Average annual expenditures ........................................... $48,398 $49,164 $45,085 $44,501 $57,486 

Food ................................................................................ 6,111 6,220 5,763 5,649 7,158 

Food at home ................................................................ 3,417 3,463 3,260 3,134 4,018 

Cereals and bakery products ...................................... 446 477 433 407 499 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..................................... 797 818 738 764 899 

Dairy products ............................................................. 368 380 365 328 429 

Fruits and vegetables .................................................. 592 635 530 512 758 

Other food at home ..................................................... 1,212 1,153 1,193 1,123 1,433 

Food away from home .................................................. 2,694 2,757 2,503 2,515 3,140 

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................ 497 519 523 366 667 

Housing ........................................................................... 16,366 17,682 14,660 14,457 20,061 

Shelter ........................................................................... 9,673 11,035 8,220 7,876 12,885 

Owned dwellings ......................................................... 6,516 7,291 5,868 5,347 8,395 

Rented dwellings ......................................................... 2,590 3,042 1,812 2,143 3,719 

Other lodging .............................................................. 567 701 540 387 770 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................ 3,397 3,584 3,283 3,554 3,101 

Household operations ................................................... 948 932 926 863 1,120 

Housekeeping supplies ................................................. 640 583 606 660 691 

Household furnishings and equipment .......................... 1,708 1,548 1,624 1,504 2,264 

Apparel and services ...................................................... 1,874 2,057 1,700 1,737 2,126 

Transportation ................................................................. 8,508 7,819 7,502 8,497 10,156 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...................................... 3,421 2,894 2,730 3,643 4,230 

Gasoline and motor oil .................................................. 2,227 1,910 2,142 2,356 2,382 

Other vehicle expenses ................................................ 2,355 2,386 2,225 2,182 2,741 

Public transportation ..................................................... 505 629 405 316 804 

Healthcare ....................................................................... 2,766 2,591 2,816 2,775 2,853 

Entertainment .................................................................. 2,376 2,346 2,261 2,096 2,970 

Personal care products and services .............................. 585 557 537 571 681 

Reading ........................................................................... 117 132 129 85 144 

Education ........................................................................ 888 1,080 951 707 948 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ........................ 327 331 355 336 279 

Miscellaneous ................................................................. 846 883 805 727 1,051 

Cash contributions .......................................................... 1,869 1,470 1,902 1,762 2,350 

Personal insurance and pensions ................................... 5,270 5,477 5,179 4,736 6,042 

Life and other personal insurance ................................. 322 334 344 313 304 

Pensions and Social Security ....................................... 4,948 5,144 4,835 4,423 5,738 

16
Table 12. Occupation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) 5,491 78,242 29,597 21,770 12,796 4,868 9,212 20,186 14,923 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .............................. $87,362 $69,402 $94,686 $61,161 $46,562 $54,552 $47,220 $32,411 $42,202 

Age of reference person ......................... 47.8 42.9 44.4 42.4 41.8 40.5 42.4 73.7 45.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ................................................. 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7 1.7 2.8 

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

Persons 65 and over ............................. .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 1.2 .2 

Earners ................................................. 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 .2 .7 

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

Percent homeowner ................................ 74 66 76 63 53 61 58 81 56 

Average annual expenditures ................... $62,226 $52,938 $67,541 $49,056 $38,717 $45,382 $39,193 $33,858 $39,375 

Food ........................................................ 7,752 6,582 7,758 6,303 5,396 6,162 5,430 4,312 5,577 

Food at home ........................................ 4,255 3,509 3,943 3,323 3,112 3,298 3,259 2,704 3,613 

Cereals and bakery products .............. 547 456 525 437 379 410 412 363 476 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ............. 1,019 811 841 779 750 801 873 633 870 

Dairy products ..................................... 446 378 433 364 314 366 333 293 394 

Fruits and vegetables .......................... 804 596 707 535 537 559 507 513 606 

Other food at home ............................. 1,439 1,268 1,437 1,208 1,131 1,162 1,134 902 1,266 

Food away from home .......................... 3,497 3,073 3,814 2,980 2,284 2,864 2,170 1,609 1,965 

Alcoholic beverages ................................ 716 570 760 504 367 527 427 308 311 

Housing ................................................... 19,419 17,781 22,646 16,519 13,561 14,674 12,707 11,483 14,445 

Shelter ................................................... 11,356 10,703 13,853 9,715 8,178 8,824 7,418 5,957 8,682 

Owned dwellings ................................. 8,177 7,319 10,405 6,402 4,501 5,635 4,374 4,031 5,059 

Rented dwellings ................................. 2,329 2,765 2,447 2,786 3,391 2,885 2,807 1,523 3,209 

Other lodging ...................................... 849 619 1,001 527 286 303 236 404 413 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ........ 3,870 3,503 3,900 3,408 3,102 3,328 3,102 3,008 3,193 

Household operations ........................... 1,096 1,074 1,538 1,054 608 568 543 663 617 

Housekeeping supplies ......................... 1,001 642 823 604 502 434 485 595 561 

Household furnishings and equipment .. 2,095 1,859 2,531 1,739 1,171 1,520 1,160 1,260 1,392 

Apparel and services .............................. 2,336 2,095 2,587 1,960 1,599 1,816 1,695 970 1,801 

Transportation ......................................... 10,006 9,551 11,398 9,326 7,210 8,930 7,742 5,617 6,399 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............. 3,895 3,891 4,660 3,966 2,814 3,471 2,966 2,286 2,314 

Gasoline and motor oil .......................... 2,717 2,489 2,698 2,410 2,136 2,657 2,405 1,353 1,859 

Other vehicle expenses ........................ 2,758 2,627 3,185 2,504 1,945 2,480 2,155 1,573 1,841 

Public transportation ............................. 636 544 855 446 315 322 216 405 384 

Healthcare ............................................... 3,249 2,421 2,981 2,376 1,793 1,988 1,829 4,305 2,321 

Entertainment .......................................... 3,026 2,629 3,541 2,397 1,690 2,256 1,764 1,625 1,828 

Personal care products and services ...... 725 635 836 607 491 393 405 457 451 

Reading ................................................... 155 117 175 104 66 64 62 133 81 

Education ................................................ 1,082 1,026 1,602 862 604 440 462 235 974 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies 359 344 238 351 368 527 538 194 404 

Miscellaneous ......................................... 1,207 872 1,112 786 612 878 654 824 608 

Cash contributions .................................. 2,742 1,817 2,656 1,403 1,012 1,558 1,355 2,331 1,194 

Personal insurance and pensions ........... 9,452 6,498 9,250 5,557 3,948 5,169 4,122 1,064 2,981 

Life and other personal insurance ......... 450 340 487 297 208 206 224 273 248 

Pensions and Social Security ............... 9,002 6,158 8,763 5,260 3,740 4,963 3,898 791 2,733 

17
Table 13. Education of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006

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) ......... 118,843 85,598 17,747 31,134 25,135 11,582 33,244 21,277 11,967 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ........................................ $60,533 $48,219 $31,775 $45,962 $53,809 $67,353 $92,241 $82,860 $108,918 

Age of reference person ................................... 48.7 49.2 53.5 50.5 45.5 47.1 47.5 45.7 50.6 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

Earners ........................................................... 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 

Vehicles .......................................................... 1.9 1.9 1.4 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 

Percent homeowner ......................................... 67 64 55 66 63 75 77 74 82 

Average annual expenditures ............................ $48,398 $40,813 $28,760 $39,305 $45,891 $52,272 $67,836 $63,864 $74,906 

Food ................................................................. 6,111 5,544 4,381 5,432 6,046 6,516 7,531 7,353 7,850 

Food at home ................................................. 3,417 3,244 2,853 3,251 3,395 3,491 3,847 3,739 4,041 

Cereals and bakery products ....................... 446 421 362 423 433 475 510 483 559 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...................... 797 804 742 827 795 853 780 776 788 

Dairy products .............................................. 368 341 297 337 368 364 436 425 455 

Fruits and vegetables ................................... 592 532 503 524 557 546 742 690 836 

Other food at home ...................................... 1,212 1,146 948 1,139 1,242 1,253 1,379 1,365 1,404 

Food away from home ................................... 2,694 2,300 1,529 2,181 2,652 3,025 3,684 3,614 3,809 

Alcoholic beverages ......................................... 497 390 214 356 483 545 764 721 843 

Housing ............................................................ 16,366 13,712 10,398 13,195 15,100 17,166 23,181 21,818 25,606 

Shelter ............................................................ 9,673 7,894 6,006 7,568 8,742 9,822 14,255 13,412 15,754 

Owned dwellings .......................................... 6,516 4,926 2,854 4,699 5,643 7,159 10,611 9,820 12,017 

Rented dwellings .......................................... 2,590 2,640 3,037 2,599 2,638 2,147 2,460 2,594 2,222 

Other lodging ................................................ 567 328 116 270 461 516 1,185 998 1,516 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................. 3,397 3,218 2,790 3,242 3,301 3,628 3,858 3,724 4,095 

Household operations .................................... 948 668 333 560 821 1,142 1,668 1,452 2,052 

Housekeeping supplies .................................. 640 557 462 540 597 663 843 781 955 

Household furnishings and equipment ........... 1,708 1,374 807 1,285 1,640 1,911 2,556 2,449 2,749 

Apparel and services ........................................ 1,874 1,618 1,171 1,513 1,850 2,074 2,519 2,442 2,656 

Transportation .................................................. 8,508 7,562 5,043 7,412 8,634 9,495 10,943 10,648 11,467 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ....................... 3,421 3,057 1,956 2,979 3,627 3,720 4,356 4,193 4,647 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................... 2,227 2,119 1,575 2,131 2,288 2,553 2,507 2,510 2,502 

Other vehicle expenses .................................. 2,355 2,061 1,326 2,028 2,324 2,703 3,111 3,073 3,177 

Public transportation ...................................... 505 324 186 274 395 519 968 872 1,141 

Healthcare ........................................................ 2,766 2,479 1,991 2,575 2,498 2,923 3,504 3,349 3,781 

Entertainment ................................................... 2,376 1,910 1,134 1,842 2,250 2,542 3,570 3,366 3,933 

Personal care products and services ............... 585 493 311 489 532 692 818 803 844 

Reading ............................................................ 117 84 43 76 104 122 203 171 258 

Education ......................................................... 888 562 151 413 882 897 1,725 1,514 2,101 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ......... 327 394 390 445 385 288 153 164 132 

Miscellaneous .................................................. 846 708 409 680 835 973 1,200 988 1,578 

Cash contributions ........................................... 1,869 1,325 879 1,177 1,561 1,893 3,269 2,898 3,928 

Personal insurance and pensions .................... 5,270 4,032 2,245 3,700 4,731 6,147 8,456 7,628 9,928 

Life and other personal insurance .................. 322 256 148 241 308 352 491 426 607 

Pensions and Social Security ......................... 4,948 3,776 2,098 3,459 4,422 5,795 7,965 7,202 9,321 

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