Consumer units spent $50,486, on average, in 2008, a 1.7-percent increase over the previous year. This was a more moderate increase than the 2.6-percent growth in spending in 2007 

and the 4.3-percent increase in 2006. The increase in consumer 

expenditures in 2008 was lower than the 3.8-percent increase in 

the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Items in 2008. The increase in spending was the smallest increase since the 0.3-percent 

increase in 2003. This report provides the latest results from the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Survey 

(CE).

Developments in 2008

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

services, transportation, healthcare, entertainment, and personal 

insurance and pensions—account for about 90 percent of total expenditures, and all but two (apparel and services, transportation) 

increased in 2008. (See table A.) Expenditures increased by 5.1 

percent for food, 1.1 percent for housing, 4.3 percent for healthcare, 5.1 percent for entertainment, and 5.0 percent for personal 

insurance and pensions, but decreased by 4.3 percent for apparel 

and services and by 1.8 percent for transportation. 

An 8.1-percent increase in spending on food at home in 2008 

followed an increase of 1.4 percent in 2007. Spending on food 

away from home rose 1.1 percent in 2008, after decreasing by 1.0 

percent in 2007. Thus, total food expenditures in 2008 rose 5.1 

percent, which followed 0.4-percent and 3.0-percent increases in 

2007 and 2006, respectively. 

Across the four regions of the U.S. Census—Northeast, Midwest, South, and West—changes in food spending in 2008 were 

quite varied. The West region had the highest dollar expenditure 

amount relative to the other regions. An increase of 8.3 percent in 

spending on food at home and a decrease of 3.0 percent in spending on food away from home led to the overall 3.3-percent increase in food expenditures for the West. However, the Northeast 

region experienced the largest overall increase in food expenditures (8.4 percent), with spending on food at home increasing by 

11.8 percent and spending on food away from home increasing by 

4.0 percent. In the South, a 5.7-percent increase in total food expenditures in 2008 followed a 2.3-percent increase in 2007. Also, 

spending on food at home rose by 5.5 percent and spending on 

food away from home rose by 5.9 percent. The 3.0-percent increase in food spending in the Midwest was the smallest overall 

gain for any of the regions. This relatively small increase was the 

result of a 4.1-percent decrease in spending on food away from 

home, partially offsetting an 8.5-percent increase in spending on 

food at home. 

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

Consumer Expenditures in 2008

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisitics

March 2010

Report 1023

1

BLS

Housing expenditures, the largest component of spending, rose 

1.1 percent in 2008, following a 3.4-percent increase in 2007. By 

comparison, housing expenditures rose 7.9 percent in 2006 and 

9.0 percent in 2005. In 2008, the share of total expenditures allocated to housing (33.9 percent) was close to the 2007 level (34.1 

percent). Housing shares of total expenditures were 33.8 percent 

in 2006 and 32.7 percent in 2005. There were increases in the 

expenditure levels across several of the housing subcomponents 

in 2008. Spending on shelter increased 1.6 percent in 2008, following an increase of 3.6 percent in 2007. In the owned dwellings 

subcomponent, expenditures on mortgage interest and charges 

decreased 1.6 percent, following a 3.7-percent increase in 2007. 

Spending on the other subcomponents of shelter rose 4.7 percent 

for rented dwellings and 1.0 percent for other lodging in 2008, 

compared with the increases of 0.5 percent for rented dwellings 

and 21.9 percent for other lodging in 2007. Expenditures for utilities, fuels, and public services increased 4.9 percent, up from the 

2.4-percent increase in 2007. The 9.7-percent increase in the CPI 

for fuels and utilities in 2008 was more than the increase in spending.

In 2008, the increase in housing expenditures in rural areas 

(3.6 percent) was higher than the increase in urban areas (1.0 percent). Despite the larger spending increase in rural areas in 2008, 

urban consumer units continued to spend a larger share of their 

overall expenditures on housing than did rural consumer units. 

There were also differences in the way urban and rural consumer 

units allocated their expenditures among the housing components, 

particularly for shelter. Chart 1 illustrates shares of expenditures 

for each housing component out of total expenditures for rural 

and urban consumer units, respectively.

The CE also collects the estimated market value of owned 

homes. In 2008, the estimated market value of owned homes 

dropped 6.9 percent, reflecting the downturn in the economy at 

that time. This followed a decrease of 0.5 percent in 2007 and an 

increase of 11.2 percent in 2006. By region, the average market 

value of housing decreased the most in the West (11.6 percent), 

followed by the South (4.6 percent).

Spending on household furnishings and equipment, another 

subcomponent of housing, fell 9.6 percent in 2008, after a 5.2-percent increase in 2007. The decrease in 2008 was broad-based, 

with large decreases in three of the subcomponents of household 

furnishings and equipment: furniture spending decreased 13.0 

percent, miscellaneous household equipment spending fell 10.8 

percent, and major appliance spending decreased 11.7 percent. 

Items such as lamps and lighting fixtures, lawn and garden equipment, and telephones and accessories, are included in the miscellaneous household equipment subcomponent. Personal services, 

a subcomponent of household operations, decreased 7.7 percent 
Table A. Average annual expenditures of all consumer units and percent changes, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006–08 

Item 2006 2007 2008 Percent change

2006–07 2007–08

Number of consumer units (in thousands)..................................... 118,843 120,171 120,770 ... ...

Income before taxes ...................................................................... $60,533 $63,091 $63,563 ... ...

Averages: ... ...

 Age of reference person............................................................... 48.7 48.8 49.1 ... ...

 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 1.9 2.0 ... ...

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

Average annual expenditures ........................................................ $48,398 $49,638 $50,486 2.6 1.7

 Food............................................................................................. 6,111 6,133 6,443 .4 5.1

 Food at home............................................................................. 3,417 3,465 3,744 1.4 8.1

 Cereals and bakery products ................................................... 446 460 507 3.1 10.2

 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................................................. 797 777 846 –2.5 8.9

 Dairy products.......................................................................... 368 387 430 5.2 11.1

 Fruits and vegetables............................................................... 592 600 657 1.4 9.5

 Other food at home .................................................................. 1,212 1,241 1,305 2.4 5.2

 Food away from home ............................................................... 2,694 2,668 2,698 –1.0 1.1

 Alcoholic beverages ..................................................................... 497 457 444 –8.0 –2.8

 Housing ....................................................................................... 16,366 16,920 17,109 3.4 1.1

 Shelter........................................................................................ 9,673 10,023 10,183 3.6 1.6

 Utilities, fuels, and public services ............................................. 3,397 3,477 3,649 2.4 4.9

 Household operations ................................................................ 948 984 998 3.8 1.4

 Housekeeping supplies.............................................................. 640 639 654 –.2 2.3

 Household furnishings and equipment....................................... 1,708 1,797 1,624 5.2 –9.6

 Apparel and services.................................................................... 1,874 1,881 1,801 .4 –4.3

 Transportation .............................................................................. 8,508 8,758 8,604 2.9 –1.8

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay)................................................... 3,421 3,244 2,755 –5.2 –15.1

 Gasoline and motor oil ............................................................... 2,227 2,384 2,715 7.0 13.9

 Other vehicle expenses.............................................................. 2,355 2,592 2,621 10.1 1.1

 Public transportation .................................................................. 505 538 513 6.5 –4.6

 Healthcare.................................................................................... 2,766 2,853 2,976 3.1 4.3

 Entertainment............................................................................... 2,376 2,698 2,835 13.6 5.1

 Personal care products and services........................................... 585 588 616 .5 4.8

 Reading........................................................................................ 117 118 116 .9 –1.7

 Education ..................................................................................... 888 945 1,046 6.4 10.7

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies ..................................... 327 323 317 –1.2 –1.9

 Miscellaneous ............................................................................. 846 808 840 –4.5 4.0

 Cash contributions ....................................................................... 1,869 1,821 1,737 –2.6 –4.6

 Personal insurance and pensions................................................ 5,270 5,336 5,605 1.3 5.0

 Life and other personal insurance.............................................. 322 309 317 –4.0 2.6

 Pensions and Social Security..................................................... 4,948 5,027 5,288 1.6 5.2

Table B. Percent distribution of total annual expenditures by major category, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2005–08

Item 2005 2006 2007 2008

Average annual expenditures................................................................... 100 100 100 100

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

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

 Food away from home.......................................................................... 5.7 5.6 5.4 5.3

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

 Housing .................................................................................................. 32.7 33.8 34.1 33.9

 Apparel and services .............................................................................. 4.1 3.9 3.8 3.6

 Transportation......................................................................................... 18 17.6 17.6 17

 Vehicles ................................................................................................ 7.6 7.1 6.5 5.5

 Gasoline and motor oil.......................................................................... 4.3 4.6 4.8 5.4

 Other transportation.............................................................................. 6.0 5.9 6.3 6.2

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

 Entertainment ......................................................................................... 5.1 4.9 5.4 5.6

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

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

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

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

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

 Cash contributions.................................................................................. 3.6 3.9 3.7 3.4

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

 Life and other personal insurance ........................................................ .8 .7 .6 .6

 Pensions and Social Security............................................................... 10.4 10.2 10.1 10.5

2
in 2008. This followed a 5.6-percent increase in personal services 

spending in 2007. The leading contributor to the decrease in personal service spending is the 8.8-percent decrease in expenditures 

on daycare centers, nursery schools, and preschools. 

Expenditures on apparel and services fell by 4.3 percent in 

2008, following an increase of 0.4 percent in 2007 and a decrease 

of 0.6 percent in 2006. Spending on women’s and girls’ apparel 

decreased 4.1 percent in 2008, while men’s and boys’ apparel expenditures fell 1.8 percent. The 4.0-percent decrease in footwear 

spending in 2008 followed a 7.6-percent increase in 2007. Expenditures on other apparel products fell by 10.1 percent in 2008. 

Other apparel products and services include items such as jewelry, 

alterations, and drycleaning.

Transportation spending fell by 1.8 percent in 2008, following increases of 2.9 percent and 2.0 percent in 2007 and 2006, 

respectively. The mix of spending among the subcomponents 

of transportation varied in 2008: public transportation spending 

was down 4.6 percent, vehicle insurance expenditures increased 

3.9 percent, and maintenance and repairs spending decreased 0.9 

percent. Vehicle purchases, the largest subcomponent of transportation spending, fell by 15.1 percent. Spending on new cars 

and new trucks, a subcomponent of vehicle purchases, decreased 

17.0 percent. Specifically, new car expenditures rose 5.6 percent, 

whereas new truck expenditures fell 35.7 percent. Vehicle purchases typically consist of large expenditures made infrequently, 

so it is common to see fluctuations from year to year because 

even small changes in the percentage of consumer units purchasing vehicles can affect the mean expenditure for that category; 

nevertheless, compared with the 3.5-percent drop in 2006 and the 

5.2-percent drop in 2007, the change in 2008 was large. The increase in gasoline and motor oil (13.9 percent) was less than the 

17.0-percent rise in motor fuel prices as measured by the CPI. 

Across the income quintiles, only the lowest income quintile experienced an increase in transportation spending (5.8 percent). 

Those in the fourth income quintile had the largest decrease in 

transportation spending, at 5.3 percent. The lowest income quintile also witnessed the largest increase in gasoline and oil expenditures and public transportation expenditures, with 18.8-percent 

and 28.7-percent increases, respectively. 

Expenditures on healthcare increased 4.3 percent in 2008, 

compared with the 3.1-percent increase in 2007 and the 3.8-percent increase in 2006. As one would expect, the percent of total 

expenditures allocated to healthcare increases with age. Chart 

2 shows the shares of total expenditures for healthcare in 1998 

and 2008 by age group. Over that period, expenditure shares increased for most groups.

Of the healthcare subcomponents, health insurance (7.0 percent), medical services (2.5 percent), and drugs (0.2 percent) posted spending increases. The increase in health insurance was larger 

than the 5.5-percent increase in 2007 but smaller than the increase 

of 7.6 percent in 2006. The 55-to-64-year-old group showed the 

largest increase (10.0 percent) in healthcare expenditures in 2008, 

followed by the 35-to-45-year-old group (7.9 percent) and the 

45-to-54-year-old group (4.9 percent). The under-25 age group 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

34.4

3.2 3.4

1.8 1.3 1.3 2.0

8.6

7.1

13.2

20.7

28.3

Chart 1. Shares of total expenditures for housing, by type of area, Consumer Expenditure 

Survey, 2008

Housing Household 

furnishings 

and 

equipment

Housekeeping 

supplies

Household 

operations

Utilities, 

fuels, and 

public 

services

Shelter

Urban

Rural

3
experienced a decrease of 14.8 percent in healthcare spending 

in 2008, the largest for any age group. While medical services 

spending rose a relatively small percentage across all consumer 

units, spending by the 55-to-64-year-old group increased by 15.7 

percent, and the 75-years-and-older age group increased by 11.8 

percent. Health insurance premiums rose substantially for middle aged consumer units; specifically, those age 45 to 54 years 

(9.9 percent) and aged 55 to 64 years (11.1 percent). Healthcare 

drug expenses remained almost constant for all consumer units 

in 2008. The increases in drug spending were mostly seen in the 

younger population: the under-25 age group increased 13.6 percent, the 25-to-34-year-old group increased 5.9 percent, and the 

35-to-44-year-old group increased 15.2 percent. Those increases 

were nearly offset by the decreases in drug spending among the 

older population: the 45-to-54-year-old group decreased 13.3 

percent, and the 65-and-older age group decreased 4.4 percent. 

Prescription drug spending dropped 2.1 percent for those 65 years 

and older. This is likely due to increased participation in the 

Medicare prescription drug benefit program that began in 2006. 

For the same age group, prescription drug spending dropped by 

7.3 percent in 2007 and by 12.4 percent in 2006.

The 5.1-percent increase in entertainment spending in 2008 

followed a 13.6-percent increase in 2007. In 2008, expenditures 

for pets, toys, hobbies, and playground equipment rose by 25.7 

percent. The only other subcomponent of entertainment spending 

to increase in 2008 was audio and visual equipment and services, 

which increased 5.0 percent. Other entertainment supplies, equipment, and services spending decreased by 2.8 percent in 2008, 

compared with an increase of 9.3 percent in 2007. This subcomponent includes items such as recreational vehicles, boats, and 

campers, which are typically large and infrequent purchases. 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 mean expenditure for the subcomponent.

Spending on personal insurance and pensions increased by 5.0 

percent in 2008, up from the 1.3-percent increase in 2007. In 

2008, an increase of 2.6 percent in life insurance and other personal insurance spending coincided with the 5.2-percent increase 

in pensions and Social Security spending.

In regards to other spending components, expenditures on cash 

contributions decreased 4.6 percent in 2008, following a decrease 

of 2.6 percent in 2007 and an increase of 12.4 percent in 2006. 

The 2008 decrease was due largely to decreases in contributions 

to charities and other organizations (38.8 percent), in child support expenditures (6.6 percent), and gifts of stocks, bonds, and 

mutual funds to those who are not members of the consumer unit 

(66.1 percent), all of which reflected the recession going on in 

the U.S. economy in 2008. Also, a relatively low percentage of 

consumer units report gifts of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds 

to people who are not members of the consumer unit, and the 

amounts contributed can be large; thus, expenditure changes in 

this category tend to be volatile.

Spending on personal care products and services increased by 

4.8 percent in 2008, which followed an increase of 0.5 percent in 

2007 and an increase of 8.1 percent in 2006. Reading expenditures decreased 1.7 percent in 2008, following an increase of 0.9 

percent in 2007. In 2008, education spending increased by 10.7 

percent, after an increase of 6.4 percent in 2007 and a decrease of 

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

12.5

11.9

7.0

5.8

4.8 4.8

4.2 4.0

3.6 3.4

2.3 2.3

5.9

5.4

Chart 2. Shares of total expenditures for healthcare, by age group, Consumer Expenditure 

Survey, 1998 and 2008

All 

Consumer 

Units

Under 25 

years

25-34 years

1998

2008

35-44 years 45-54 years 54-64 years 65 years and 

older

4
5.5 percent in 2006. The two subcomponents of education that accounted for most of the increase in 2008 were college tuition (11.3 

percent) and elementary and high school tuition (24.1 percent). 

These large expenditures with low percent reporting by consumer 

units display volatility from year to year. Spending on alcoholic 

beverages also has shown some volatility over the 2006–08 period: expenditures fell by 2.8 percent in 2008, following a decrease 

of 8.0 percent in 2007, and an increase of 16.7 percent in 2006. 

Spending on tobacco products and smoking supplies decreased by 

1.9 percent in 2008, after a decrease of 1.2 percent in 2007. 

In May 2008, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) started mailing Economic Stimulus Payments (also called tax rebates) to an 

estimated 130 million income tax filers. Through questions added 

to the Interview survey, the CE collected data on the amount received from the tax rebate, the method by which it was received, 

and how it was used by recipients. The average amount received 

by all consumer units who reported receiving the tax rebate was 

$958. For those respondents that were asked how they used their 

rebates, the largest percentage reported using it mostly for paying off debt (49.1 percent), followed by those using it mostly for 

spending (30.2 percent). For further information on the tax rebate 

data, see the report on the CE section of the BLS Web site (http://

www.bls.gov/cex/taxrebate.htm). 

Brief description of the Consumer Expenditure Survey

The current Consumer Expenditure Survey (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 the regular revision of the CPI market basket.

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 consumer units for two consecutive 1-week periods and an interview 

survey through which expenditures of consumer units are obtained in five interviews conducted at 3-month intervals. Results 

in this report are based on integrated data from both surveys.

Survey participants record dollar amounts for goods and services purchased during the reporting period, regardless of whether or not payment is made at the time of purchase. Expenditure 

amounts include all sales and excise taxes for all items purchased 

by the consumer unit. 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 5 consecutive quarters. Data are collected on 

an ongoing basis in 91 areas of the United States.

The Interview Survey is designed to capture expenditure data 

that respondents can reasonably recall for a period of 3 months or 

longer. In general, these expenditures are relatively large, such as 

expenditures for real property, automobiles, and major appliances, or they 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, it is estimated that about 95 percent of expenditures are covered in the Interview Survey. Nonprescription 

drugs, household supplies, and personal care items are excluded. 

The Diary Survey is designed to capture expenditures on small, 

frequently purchased items that are normally difficult for respondents to recall. 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.

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. Because of the overlap in the item coverage between the 

two surveys, the survey source is periodically reviewed and statistical methods are used to select the best source. 

The population coverage of the CE differs from that of the CPI. 

The CE data cover the total population, whereas the CPI covers 

only the population in urban and metropolitan areas. Definitions 

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

homeownership is treated differently in the two surveys: actual 

expenditures of homeownership are reported in the CE, whereas 

the CPI uses a rental-equivalence approach that estimates the 

change in the cost of obtaining, in the rental marketplace, services 

equivalent to those provided by owner-occupied homes.

Interpreting the data

Expenditures are averages for consumer units with specified characteristics, regardless of whether a particular unit incurred an expense for a specific item during the recordkeeping period. The average expenditure for an item may be considerably lower than the 

expenditure by the consumer units that purchased the item. The 

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

between the average for all consumer units and the average for 

those purchasing the item. Also, an individual consumer unit may 

spend more or less than the average, depending on its particular 

characteristics. Factors such as income, age of family members, 

geographic location, and personal preference also influence expenditures. Furthermore, even within groups with similar char5
acteristics, 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 2.3 percent between 2008 (annual average index) and October 2009 (not 

seasonally adjusted).

In addition, sample surveys are subject to two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. Sampling errors occur because 

the data are collected from a sample representing the population, 

rather than from the entire population. Nonsampling errors result 

from the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, differences in interviewers’ abilities, mistakes in 

recording or coding, and other processing errors.

Tables and data 

Tables in this report include integrated data from both the Diary 

and Interview components of the CE, enabling data users to associate the full range of expenditures with consumers’ demographic 

characteristics. Tables show data classified by income quintile, income class, age of the reference person, size of the consumer unit, 

composition of the consumer unit, number of earners, housing 

tenure, type of area (urban or rural), race, Hispanic origin, region 

of residence, occupation, and education. These are the same classifications published in previous reports and bulletins.

Tables for the aforementioned classifications, but with more 

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

section of 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, crosstabulated by either income or age; and 3) selected Metropolitan 

Statistical Areas (MSAs). Data are available for 1984–2008. 

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 2008 Diary and Interview Survey microdata—that is, data 

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

different formats: MTAB files, which present monthly values in 

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

EXPN files, which organize expenditures by the section of the 

interview questionnaire in which they are collected. Expenditure 

values on EXPN files cover different periods, depending on the 

specific question asked; the files also contain relevant nonexpenditure information not found on the MTAB files. Currently 

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

selected earlier years. For years prior to 1996 the microdata are 

available in ASCII text format (column parametered). Beginning 

in 1996 the microdata are available in either ASCII text format 

(column parametered) or PC SAS datasets. Beginning in 2007 the 

microdata are available in column-parametered ASCII, commadelimited ASCII, PC SAS, SPSS, and STATA datasets.

The Consumer Expenditure Survey also publishes Consumer 

Expenditure Survey anthologies. These reports include analyses 

of expenditure data as they apply to various topics of interest, as 

well as methodological and research articles pertaining to a number of survey topics. The most recent of these reports, Consumer 

Expenditure Survey Anthology, 2008, Report 1009, was published 

in December 2008. Additional data also are presented in articles 

in the Monthly Labor Review. 

For more detailed information on the availability of current 

and earlier data, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure 

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

(202) 691-6900. Email: 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.

6
Consumer unit. Members of a household consisting of a) occupants related by blood, marriage, adoption, or some other legal arrangement; b) a single person living alone or sharing a household 

with others, but who is financially independent; or c) two or more 

persons living together who share responsibility for at least 2 out 

of 3 major types of expenses—food, housing, and other expenses. 

Students living in university-sponsored housing are also included 

in the sample as separate consumer units.

Reference person. The first member mentioned by the respondent 

when asked to “start with the name of the person or one of the 

persons who owns or rents the home.” It is with respect to this 

person that the relationship of other consumer unit members is 

determined.

Total expenditures. The transaction costs, including excise and 

sales taxes, of goods and services acquired during the interview 

Glossary

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 old 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’ benefits; public assistance, Supplemental Security Income, 

and food stamps; rent or meals as pay; and regular contributions 

for support, such as alimony and child-support payments.

Quintiles of income before taxes. Categories of income reporters, 

ranked in ascending order of income, and divided into five equal 

groups. The lower limit shown in the quintiles of income before 

taxes indicates the amount of income before taxes of the lowest 

ranked consumer unit in each income quintile.

7
Table 1. Quintiles of income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Lowest

20

percent

Second

20

percent

Third

20

percent

Fourth

20

percent

Highest

20

percent

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 24,122 24,143 24,172 24,157 24,177 

Lower limit ........................................................ n.a. n.a. $19,065 $36,271 $59,087 $93,358

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $10,263 $27,442 $47,196 $74,090 $158,652 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 51.6 51.6 47.9 46.9 47.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 1.7 2.2 2.6 2.8 3.2 

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

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

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 .5 .9 1.4 1.7 2.0 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.4 2.8 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 39 56 67 79 91 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $22,304 $31,751 $42,659 $58,632 $97,003 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 3,473 4,560 5,602 7,589 10,982 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 2,369 2,929 3,436 4,340 5,645 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 330 380 461 598 764 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 542 715 809 956 1,209 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 280 329 386 489 664 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 409 524 583 753 1,015 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 808 982 1,196 1,543 1,994 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 1,103 1,631 2,167 3,249 5,336 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 183 275 350 539 873 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 8,900 11,583 14,917 19,327 30,791 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 5,287 6,743 8,743 11,307 18,820 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 1,856 3,169 5,346 8,318 15,098 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 3,259 3,311 3,045 2,352 1,657 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 173 263 351 637 2,066 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 2,238 3,019 3,580 4,229 5,177 

Household operations .................................. 998 351 510 692 1,142 2,291 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 373 454 553 759 1,132 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 651 857 1,351 1,890 3,371 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 962 1,151 1,361 2,037 3,490 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 3,430 5,657 7,834 10,469 15,614 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 845 1,672 2,490 3,304 5,457 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 1,243 2,019 2,704 3,418 4,186 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 1,122 1,740 2,340 3,263 4,636 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 220 226 300 483 1,335 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 1,624 2,457 2,886 3,518 4,391 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 1,082 1,716 2,422 3,276 5,673 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 306 402 512 702 1,157 

Reading .......................................................... 116 55 73 101 128 225 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 625 361 498 843 2,899 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 268 311 354 382 268 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 297 512 758 954 1,675 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 567 915 1,315 2,042 3,839 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 532 1,778 3,748 6,825 15,126 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 83 146 236 350 767 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 449 1,632 3,512 6,475 14,358 

n.a. Not applicable.

8
Table 2. Income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Less

than

$5,000

$5,000

to

$9,999

$10,000

to

$14,999

$15,000

to

$19,999

$20,000

to

$29,999

$30,000

to

$39,999

$40,000

to

$49,999

$50,000

to

$69,999

$70,000

and

more

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ...... 120,770 4,463 5,340 7,883 7,625 14,700 12,198 11,287 18,287 38,987 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .................................... $63,563 - $1,092 $8,003 $12,662 $17,461 $24,896 $34,708 $44,733 $59,319 $128,930 

Age of reference person ............................... 49.1 41.9 48.9 56.2 55.6 52.5 49.4 47.9 47.0 47.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ...................................................... 2.5 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.3 2.5 2.7 3.1 

Children under 18 ....................................... .6 .4 .3 .4 .4 .5 .6 .6 .7 .8 

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

Earners ....................................................... 1.3 .5 .4 .5 .6 .9 1.1 1.3 1.6 1.9 

Vehicles ...................................................... 2.0 .9 .8 1.0 1.2 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.7 

Percent homeowner ..................................... 66 29 29 42 50 56 60 64 73 88 

Average annual expenditures ......................... $50,486 $23,036 $19,125 $21,120 $25,536 $30,367 $35,778 $40,527 $50,465 $83,700 

Food ............................................................. 6,443 3,872 3,184 3,320 3,556 4,209 5,130 5,446 6,388 9,884 

Food at home ............................................. 3,744 2,493 2,166 2,286 2,474 2,751 3,243 3,338 3,762 5,253 

Cereals and bakery products .................... 507 355 281 330 343 361 425 437 508 720 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ................... 846 557 537 532 540 669 791 794 848 1,133 

Dairy products .......................................... 430 292 253 261 310 299 379 371 417 612 

Fruits and vegetables ............................... 657 437 391 391 421 492 570 556 662 929 

Other food at home ................................... 1,305 853 704 771 860 930 1,079 1,181 1,327 1,859 

Food away from home ................................ 2,698 1,379 1,018 1,035 1,081 1,458 1,887 2,108 2,626 4,631 

Alcoholic beverages ..................................... 444 269 175 190 137 230 317 374 445 749 

Housing ........................................................ 17,109 9,020 7,640 8,657 10,083 11,241 12,541 14,599 17,056 26,789 

Shelter ........................................................ 10,183 5,908 4,595 4,879 5,874 6,502 7,266 8,590 10,062 16,171 

Owned dwellings ...................................... 6,760 2,424 1,323 1,593 2,267 2,984 3,673 5,080 6,789 12,788 

Rented dwellings ...................................... 2,724 3,203 3,147 3,135 3,453 3,258 3,292 3,183 2,759 1,858 

Other lodging ............................................ 698 280 125 151 153 260 301 328 514 1,525 

Utilities, fuels, and public services .............. 3,649 1,859 1,967 2,359 2,595 2,971 3,244 3,488 3,876 4,875 

Household operations ................................. 998 259 234 374 483 505 541 620 940 1,878 

Housekeeping supplies .............................. 654 309 280 420 388 443 515 533 630 1,007 

Household furnishings and equipment ....... 1,624 685 564 625 744 819 975 1,369 1,548 2,858 

Apparel and services .................................... 1,801 1,006 845 983 929 1,105 1,381 1,241 1,713 2,945 

Transportation .............................................. 8,604 3,088 2,931 2,987 4,457 5,591 6,436 7,225 9,359 13,805 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ................... 2,755 430 810 606 1,346 1,770 2,069 2,098 3,093 4,615 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................ 2,715 1,225 1,090 1,179 1,464 1,922 2,310 2,620 3,033 3,967 

Other vehicle expenses .............................. 2,621 1,131 755 1,006 1,494 1,688 1,803 2,248 2,841 4,192 

Public transportation ................................... 513 303 277 196 153 211 254 259 393 1,031 

Healthcare .................................................... 2,976 1,384 1,207 1,660 2,108 2,403 2,696 2,741 3,229 4,087 

Entertainment ............................................... 2,835 1,393 917 961 1,169 1,629 1,874 2,122 2,936 4,875 

Personal care products and services ........... 616 379 254 277 336 378 467 503 591 994 

Reading ........................................................ 116 51 40 50 73 74 77 91 118 190 

Education ...................................................... 1,046 1,059 839 489 286 316 406 495 613 2,171 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ..... 317 227 241 305 264 313 317 347 392 307 

Miscellaneous ............................................... 840 358 191 236 441 440 623 693 899 1,414 

Cash contributions ........................................ 1,737 533 362 545 834 865 1,106 1,188 1,529 3,262 

Personal insurance and pensions ................ 5,605 397 299 461 865 1,573 2,406 3,462 5,197 12,228 

Life and other personal insurance .............. 317 94 47 98 83 142 181 211 282 625 

Pensions and Social Security ..................... 5,288 303 252 363 782 1,431 2,226 3,251 4,915 11,603 

9
Table 3. Higher income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,

2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Less

than

$70,000

$70,000

to

$79,999

$80,000

to

$99,999

$100,000

and

more

$100,000

to

$119,999

$120,000

to

$149,999

$150,000

and

more

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 81,783 7,354 10,017 21,615 7,136 5,777 8,702 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $32,401 $74,486 $88,839 $166,035 $108,630 $132,531 $235,348 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 50.0 46.1 46.9 47.5 46.8 47.2 48.3 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.2 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.2 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .5 .8 .8 .8 .8 .9 .8 

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

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.0 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 

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

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 56 82 84 92 89 93 93 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $34,687 $58,742 $67,180 $100,065 $77,586 $91,590 $124,678 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 4,818 7,503 8,760 11,302 9,773 10,969 13,011 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 3,033 4,312 5,062 5,690 5,390 5,755 5,940 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 407 593 718 766 743 782 778 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 711 952 1,092 1,220 1,183 1,194 1,279 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 344 484 601 664 627 680 690 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 529 735 878 1,025 946 991 1,132 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 1,043 1,548 1,773 2,015 1,891 2,107 2,061 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 1,784 3,191 3,698 5,611 4,383 5,214 7,071 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 300 507 584 919 761 904 1,083 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 12,499 19,617 21,360 31,784 25,002 28,058 39,909 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 7,328 11,633 12,396 19,465 15,095 16,754 24,848 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 3,887 8,824 9,567 15,629 12,179 13,792 19,679 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 3,137 2,194 2,087 1,638 1,587 1,400 1,838 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 304 615 742 2,198 1,330 1,562 3,332 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 3,065 4,257 4,536 5,242 4,632 5,083 5,848 

Household operations .................................. 998 578 1,097 1,367 2,381 1,487 2,033 3,345 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 488 728 898 1,165 1,147 1,097 1,238 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 1,039 1,902 2,163 3,531 2,642 3,091 4,631 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 1,260 1,813 2,351 3,643 2,734 3,122 4,886 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 6,127 10,449 12,227 15,674 13,424 15,720 17,486 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 1,868 3,114 3,916 5,450 4,546 5,764 5,984 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 2,118 3,528 3,770 4,208 3,954 4,237 4,396 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 1,875 3,296 3,932 4,612 4,106 4,568 5,048 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 266 512 608 1,404 818 1,151 2,058 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 2,446 3,503 3,695 4,471 4,037 4,316 4,931 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 1,866 3,261 3,982 5,869 4,306 6,363 6,835 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 436 700 788 1,198 947 1,138 1,472 

Reading .......................................................... 116 81 128 145 233 197 210 278 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 509 808 1,179 3,096 1,662 1,934 5,044 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 321 385 354 258 322 244 217 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 566 929 1,012 1,767 1,278 1,612 2,277 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 1,009 2,200 2,318 4,061 2,357 3,054 6,127 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 2,448 6,939 8,425 15,791 10,785 13,945 21,120 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 170 366 402 816 503 686 1,160 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 2,278 6,573 8,023 14,974 10,282 13,259 19,961 

10
Table 4. Age of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Under

25

years

25-34

years

35-44

years

45-54

years

55-64

years

65 years

and older

65-74

years

75 years

and older

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 8,227 20,208 22,834 25,614 19,826 24,062 12,580 11,481 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $28,127 $59,878 $77,582 $81,844 $71,653 $39,341 $45,232 $32,886 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 21.5 29.6 39.7 49.4 59.3 75.0 69.0 81.6 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.0 2.8 3.3 2.7 2.1 1.7 1.8 1.5 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .4 1.0 1.4 .6 .2 1 ( ) .1 1 ( )

Persons 65 and older ................................... .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 .4 .6 .2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 1.2 1.7 2.1 2.4 2.2 1.6 1.8 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 15 46 67 75 81 79 81 76 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $29,325 $48,159 $58,808 $61,179 $54,783 $36,844 $41,433 $31,692 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 4,447 6,229 7,849 7,696 6,357 4,692 5,338 3,935 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 2,330 3,393 4,509 4,452 3,710 3,075 3,421 2,667 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 281 454 620 600 492 435 473 390 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 573 742 1,014 1,018 845 687 781 576 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 256 395 518 506 419 362 406 309 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 370 583 754 779 682 577 616 531 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 851 1,219 1,603 1,549 1,272 1,015 1,145 863 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 2,117 2,836 3,340 3,244 2,646 1,617 1,917 1,268 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 448 491 462 505 525 251 343 144 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 9,975 17,318 20,649 19,562 17,611 12,993 13,845 12,035 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 6,530 10,935 12,689 11,629 10,122 6,933 7,281 6,553 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 1,383 5,873 9,056 8,606 7,387 4,685 5,334 3,974 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 4,940 4,734 3,013 2,037 1,607 1,658 1,294 2,057 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 206 328 621 986 1,128 590 652 522 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 1,875 3,152 4,130 4,247 3,974 3,314 3,538 3,067 

Household operations .................................. 998 326 1,137 1,376 964 879 884 750 1,032 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 303 594 664 765 743 627 747 485 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 942 1,499 1,789 1,956 1,894 1,235 1,529 898 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 1,351 1,965 2,235 2,228 1,622 1,092 1,381 755 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 5,464 8,699 9,797 10,691 9,377 5,620 6,740 4,392 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 1,988 3,149 3,122 3,351 2,999 1,502 1,920 1,044 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 1,974 2,754 3,347 3,298 2,818 1,629 2,045 1,173 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 1,273 2,380 2,798 3,414 2,921 2,039 2,261 1,793 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 229 416 530 628 638 450 513 382 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 682 1,737 2,499 2,930 3,825 4,605 4,779 4,413 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 1,608 2,766 3,603 3,297 3,036 1,914 2,418 1,349 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 370 547 728 736 630 512 559 456 

Reading .......................................................... 116 48 79 102 124 157 142 152 132 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 1,691 759 953 2,012 867 272 345 192 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 251 298 354 437 354 161 227 88 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 280 726 862 957 1,316 588 659 507 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 427 1,036 1,550 2,152 2,163 2,156 2,033 2,291 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 2,283 5,510 7,165 7,853 6,943 1,846 2,616 1,003 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 37 155 284 394 519 330 461 187 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 2,246 5,354 6,881 7,458 6,424 1,516 2,155 815 

1 Value is less than or equal to 0.05.

11
Table 5. Size of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,

2008

Item

All

consumer

units

One

person

Two or more persons

Total Two

persons

Three

persons

Four

persons

Five or

more

persons

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ................. 120,770 35,064 85,706 39,629 17,982 16,514 11,580 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ............................................... $63,563 $32,994 $76,068 $68,168 $77,032 $87,390 $85,464 

Age of reference person .......................................... 49.1 52.6 47.6 53.9 44.0 41.1 41.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

Children under 18 .................................................. .6 n.a. .9 .1 .8 1.6 2.7 

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

Earners .................................................................. 1.3 .6 1.6 1.2 1.7 1.9 2.2 

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

Percent homeowner ................................................ 66 49 74 75 69 75 72 

Average annual expenditures .................................... $50,486 $30,120 $58,786 $53,320 $59,488 $65,955 $66,262 

Food ........................................................................ 6,443 3,620 7,581 6,276 7,598 9,172 9,805 

Food at home ........................................................ 3,744 1,975 4,457 3,626 4,508 5,279 6,061 

Cereals and bakery products ............................... 507 262 606 476 599 754 854 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................. 846 421 1,017 821 1,042 1,153 1,451 

Dairy products ..................................................... 430 234 508 411 507 622 683 

Fruits and vegetables .......................................... 657 365 775 654 791 884 1,007 

Other food at home .............................................. 1,305 693 1,551 1,264 1,569 1,866 2,066 

Food away from home ........................................... 2,698 1,645 3,124 2,650 3,090 3,892 3,743 

Alcoholic beverages ................................................ 444 374 473 527 439 429 402 

Housing ................................................................... 17,109 11,507 19,396 17,330 19,660 22,266 21,961 

Shelter ................................................................... 10,183 7,511 11,276 10,143 11,267 13,138 12,513 

Owned dwellings ................................................. 6,760 3,686 8,018 6,931 7,824 10,036 9,162 

Rented dwellings ................................................. 2,724 3,480 2,415 2,204 2,647 2,398 2,805 

Other lodging ....................................................... 698 345 843 1,008 796 704 546 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ......................... 3,649 2,265 4,216 3,798 4,214 4,635 5,050 

Household operations ............................................ 998 511 1,197 884 1,293 1,667 1,447 

Housekeeping supplies ......................................... 654 347 778 691 775 910 900 

Household furnishings and equipment .................. 1,624 873 1,930 1,815 2,111 1,916 2,050 

Apparel and services ............................................... 1,801 922 2,156 1,710 2,376 2,494 2,847 

Transportation ......................................................... 8,604 4,439 10,305 9,225 10,758 11,515 11,602 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............................. 2,755 1,217 3,384 2,987 3,849 3,538 3,800 

Gasoline and motor oil ........................................... 2,715 1,384 3,259 2,789 3,280 3,805 4,057 

Other vehicle expenses ......................................... 2,621 1,523 3,067 2,829 3,062 3,609 3,151 

Public transportation .............................................. 513 314 595 620 568 563 594 

Healthcare ............................................................... 2,976 1,821 3,448 3,972 2,944 3,039 3,022 

Entertainment .......................................................... 2,835 1,655 3,315 3,178 3,070 3,714 3,612 

Personal care products and services ...................... 616 388 708 638 733 805 777 

Reading ................................................................... 116 88 128 144 123 115 98 

Education ................................................................. 1,046 602 1,227 866 1,404 1,626 1,617 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................ 317 214 359 326 421 350 385 

Miscellaneous .......................................................... 840 558 955 955 1,005 946 888 

Cash contributions ................................................... 1,737 1,314 1,909 2,079 1,873 1,603 1,821 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................... 5,605 2,620 6,826 6,095 7,084 7,881 7,426 

Life and other personal insurance ......................... 317 108 402 421 399 380 376 

Pensions and Social Security ................................ 5,288 2,511 6,424 5,674 6,685 7,501 7,050 

n.a. Not applicable.

12
Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

Husband and wife consumer units

One

parent,

at least

one child

under 18

Single

person

and other

consumer

units

Total

Husband

and wife

only

Husband and wife with children Other

husband

and wife

consumer

units

Total

Oldest

child

under 6

Oldest

child

6 to 17

Oldest

child 18

or older

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ............. 61,244 26,919 29,804 5,343 15,479 8,982 4,521 6,977 52,550 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ........................................... $85,829 $75,312 $94,697 $81,190 $97,616 $97,702 $89,986 $37,100 $41,125 

Age of reference person ...................................... 49.4 57.6 42.2 32.1 40.1 51.7 48.7 38.8 50.0 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons .............................................................. 3.2 2.0 4.0 3.5 4.2 3.9 4.9 2.9 1.6 

Children under 18 .............................................. .9 n.a. 1.6 1.5 2.2 .6 1.4 1.8 .2 

Persons 65 and older ......................................... .4 .7 .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 2.7 2.1 2.5 3.2 2.8 1.1 1.3 

Percent homeowner ............................................. 83 86 81 67 82 88 78 40 51 

Average annual expenditures ................................ $65,016 $58,164 $71,308 $63,194 $72,724 $73,809 $64,445 $37,129 $35,278 

Food ..................................................................... 8,255 6,772 9,478 7,512 9,856 10,043 9,105 5,162 4,480

Food at home ..................................................... 4,806 3,913 5,478 4,488 5,664 5,777 5,752 3,210 2,567 

Cereals and bakery products ........................... 660 516 770 576 814 813 812 448 334 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......................... 1,072 871 1,201 826 1,246 1,358 1,432 762 592 

Dairy products .................................................. 559 455 644 560 674 642 628 360 286 

Fruits and vegetables ....................................... 858 732 950 858 955 997 1,020 458 446 

Other food at home .......................................... 1,656 1,339 1,914 1,667 1,974 1,966 1,860 1,181 909 

Food away from home ....................................... 3,449 2,859 4,000 3,024 4,192 4,267 3,352 1,953 1,913 

Alcoholic beverages ............................................. 500 550 465 424 444 528 428 193 411 

Housing ................................................................ 20,974 18,256 23,369 24,705 24,087 21,345 21,385 14,892 12,891 

Shelter ................................................................ 12,097 10,485 13,549 13,901 14,462 11,767 12,120 8,936 8,118 

Owned dwellings .............................................. 9,329 7,811 10,744 10,187 11,749 9,345 9,037 4,347 4,087 

Rented dwellings .............................................. 1,752 1,417 1,952 3,271 1,880 1,292 2,429 4,288 3,650 

Other lodging ................................................... 1,016 1,257 853 443 833 1,130 653 301 381 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ..................... 4,465 4,025 4,754 3,869 4,818 5,172 5,172 3,313 2,744 

Household operations ........................................ 1,310 871 1,720 3,398 1,648 846 1,213 1,095 621 

Housekeeping supplies ...................................... 881 782 965 971 883 1,108 920 520 405 

Household furnishings and equipment ............... 2,222 2,092 2,380 2,567 2,276 2,452 1,960 1,028 1,003 

Apparel and services ........................................... 2,280 1,696 2,838 2,472 2,973 2,834 2,088 1,855 1,232 

Transportation ...................................................... 11,450 10,202 12,436 10,500 12,046 14,294 12,378 5,912 5,637 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ........................... 3,723 3,272 4,056 3,655 3,954 4,470 4,218 1,883 1,742 

Gasoline and motor oil ....................................... 3,563 3,005 3,983 3,299 3,994 4,373 4,113 2,085 1,810 

Other vehicle expenses ..................................... 3,474 3,185 3,738 3,075 3,459 4,647 3,454 1,661 1,748 

Public transportation .......................................... 690 740 659 471 640 804 593 283 338 

Healthcare ............................................................ 3,984 4,725 3,407 2,593 3,366 3,964 3,374 1,530 1,992 

Entertainment ....................................................... 3,798 3,621 4,124 3,461 4,597 3,705 2,702 1,832 1,840 

Personal care products and services ................... 786 710 868 692 857 998 703 533 427 

Reading ................................................................ 147 166 134 100 134 155 113 57 88 

Education ............................................................. 1,403 835 1,956 441 1,758 3,200 1,139 657 681 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ............. 327 300 318 230 301 402 542 245 314 

Miscellaneous ...................................................... 1,004 951 1,034 809 1,024 1,186 1,120 629 675 

Cash contributions ............................................... 2,282 2,578 2,094 1,367 2,119 2,481 1,762 741 1,233 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................ 7,827 6,802 8,786 7,888 9,162 8,673 7,604 2,891 3,376 

Life and other personal insurance ...................... 496 534 465 288 491 523 476 139 132 

Pensions and Social Security ............................ 7,331 6,267 8,322 7,600 8,671 8,150 7,129 2,753 3,244 

1 Value is less than or equal to 0.05.

n.a. Not applicable.

13
Table 7. Number of earners in consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer

Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Single consumers Consumer units of two or more persons

No earner One earner No earner One earner Two earners

Three or

more

earners

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 13,365 21,699 10,762 25,011 40,395 9,540 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $17,682 $42,426 $31,513 $58,601 $92,124 $104,141 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 69.0 42.4 65.3 47.5 43.3 46.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 n.a. n.a. .3 1.0 .9 1.0 

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

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 .9 1.2 1.8 1.9 2.5 3.2 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 58 44 77 67 75 80 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $21,824 $35,202 $37,908 $50,348 $66,344 $73,159 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 2,788 4,119 5,479 6,669 8,166 10,202 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 1,923 2,006 3,788 4,213 4,500 5,812 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 274 255 511 581 603 806 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 410 428 874 989 1,004 1,341 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 230 237 439 477 522 621 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 365 364 686 747 772 978 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 643 722 1,278 1,419 1,599 2,066 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 865 2,113 1,691 2,456 3,665 4,390 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 149 508 286 352 577 587 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 9,561 12,704 12,879 18,044 21,472 21,563 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 5,574 8,704 6,609 10,521 12,770 12,196 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 2,647 4,326 4,432 7,084 9,308 9,049 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 2,716 3,950 1,488 2,752 2,501 2,216 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 211 428 689 685 961 931 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 2,292 2,248 3,584 3,916 4,308 5,322 

Household operations .................................. 998 635 434 766 1,085 1,452 895 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 346 348 712 745 759 1,042 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 715 969 1,207 1,777 2,184 2,109 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 628 1,100 1,116 1,935 2,491 2,576 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 2,564 5,591 6,793 7,960 11,744 14,416 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 447 1,692 2,224 2,367 4,008 4,714 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 835 1,723 1,966 2,739 3,594 4,663 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 1,070 1,799 2,088 2,375 3,465 4,397 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 212 378 515 479 676 642 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 2,443 1,438 5,010 3,183 3,164 3,586 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 1,134 1,972 2,122 2,746 3,963 3,477 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 341 415 517 606 781 905 

Reading .......................................................... 116 87 89 140 111 132 140 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 333 768 313 887 1,442 2,244 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 151 253 276 328 361 518 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 319 704 595 803 1,152 926 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 1,182 1,396 1,833 1,827 1,918 2,175 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 144 4,144 550 4,896 8,981 9,843 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 104 111 258 391 429 477 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 140 4,034 293 4,504 8,552 9,365 

1 Data are likely to have large sampling errors.

n.a. Not applicable.

14
Table 8. Housing tenure and type of area: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Housing tenure Type of area

Homeowner

Renter

Urban

Rural

Total

Homeowner

with

mortgage

Homeowner

without

mortgage

Total Central

City

Other

Urban

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 80,278 51,084 29,194 40,492 110,103 34,690 75,413 10,668 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $76,973 $88,957 $56,003 $36,976 $64,788 $55,651 $68,991 $50,917 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 52.9 47.2 62.8 41.5 48.7 46.6 49.7 53.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.5 

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

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

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 2.0 2.4 2.5 2.2 1.1 1.9 1.5 2.1 2.5 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 100 100 100 n.a. 65 50 72 81 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $58,801 $66,689 $44,545 $33,984 $51,148 $45,843 $53,574 $43,572 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 7,196 7,757 5,983 4,942 6,522 6,218 6,657 5,566 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 4,159 4,385 3,656 2,918 3,765 3,601 3,837 3,514 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 568 594 509 386 510 471 527 475 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 916 962 814 707 848 859 843 828 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 484 503 442 321 429 387 448 434 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 735 764 670 502 665 648 672 569 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 1,457 1,563 1,221 1,003 1,314 1,236 1,348 1,207 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 3,037 3,372 2,327 2,023 2,757 2,618 2,820 2,052 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 483 543 353 366 463 500 448 233 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 19,442 23,382 12,525 12,479 17,571 16,144 18,223 12,336

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 11,093 14,487 5,154 8,379 10,611 10,051 10,868 5,769 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 10,099 13,426 4,277 142 6,978 5,249 7,774 4,511 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 51 35 81 8,024 2,909 4,215 2,308 823 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 943 1,027 796 213 724 587 787 436 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 4,323 4,569 3,892 2,314 3,640 3,216 3,835 3,741 

Household operations .................................. 998 1,232 1,380 972 533 1,040 934 1,089 557 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 781 789 763 402 641 577 669 800 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 2,013 2,156 1,744 852 1,639 1,365 1,762 1,468 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 1,993 2,196 1,574 1,417 1,847 1,865 1,840 1,298 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 10,085 11,269 7,995 5,665 8,541 7,078 9,211 9,249 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 3,201 3,647 2,420 1,870 2,700 2,215 2,922 3,325 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 3,147 3,518 2,497 1,859 2,674 2,098 2,939 3,137 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 3,123 3,443 2,542 1,622 2,632 2,199 2,827 2,503 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 614 660 536 314 535 566 522 284 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 3,753 3,489 4,220 1,435 2,938 2,405 3,182 3,371 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 3,410 3,875 2,524 1,692 2,830 2,572 2,949 2,887 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 716 782 586 416 629 591 647 474 

Reading .......................................................... 116 143 143 142 64 118 111 121 101 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 1,182 1,373 842 776 1,093 994 1,139 554 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 291 299 277 367 300 263 317 488 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 997 1,065 876 528 847 756 889 756 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 2,157 1,981 2,465 904 1,749 1,477 1,874 1,612 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 6,953 8,536 4,183 2,933 5,698 4,872 6,078 4,648 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 426 488 319 99 317 226 359 312 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 6,526 8,048 3,864 2,833 5,381 4,645 5,719 4,335 

n.a. Not applicable.

15
Table 9. Race of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics,

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

White and all other races, and Asian

Black or

AfricanTotal American

White and

all other

races1

Asian

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 105,938 101,329 4,609 14,832 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $66,340 $65,905 $75,917 $43,722 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 49.4 49.6 43.5 46.9 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

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

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

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 69 70 55 46 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $52,397 $52,265 $55,430 $36,721 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 6,693 6,676 7,089 4,594 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 3,868 3,865 3,943 2,825 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 524 522 562 382 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 846 839 1,010 848 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 452 457 326 263 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 685 678 852 447 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 1,361 1,368 1,193 886 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 2,824 2,811 3,147 1,768 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 476 484 300 205 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 17,574 17,456 20,138 13,770 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 10,491 10,345 13,703 7,985 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 7,155 7,095 8,471 3,940 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 2,579 2,484 4,680 3,762 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 756 766 552 282 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 3,656 3,674 3,275 3,598 

Household operations .................................. 998 1,052 1,057 931 610 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 680 688 494 461 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 1,694 1,693 1,735 1,116 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 1,776 1,767 1,997 1,983 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 8,895 8,889 9,049 6,520 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 2,865 2,885 2,414 1,969 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 2,779 2,790 2,539 2,257 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 2,703 2,698 2,815 2,033 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 548 515 1,280 261 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 3,169 3,211 2,233 1,595 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 3,022 3,007 3,447 1,478 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 628 630 584 528 

Reading .......................................................... 116 126 127 90 47 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 1,121 1,096 1,676 508 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 330 337 166 223 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 878 884 736 565 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 1,816 1,845 1,165 1,171 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 5,895 5,856 6,760 3,532 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 326 325 332 254 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 5,570 5,531 6,428 3,278 

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

approximately 1 percent reporting more than one race.

16
Table 10. Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person: Average annual expenditures and

characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Hispanic

or Latino

Not Hispanic or Latino

Total

White and

all other

races

Black

or

AfricanAmerican

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ....... 120,770 13,975 106,795 92,214 14,580 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $63,563 $49,317 $65,427 $68,842 $43,826 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.1 43.1 49.9 50.3 47.0 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 3.2 2.4 2.4 2.5 

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

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

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

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

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

Average annual expenditures ........................... $50,486 $43,052 $51,457 $53,773 $36,685 

Food ............................................................... 6,443 6,596 6,423 6,706 4,566 

Food at home ............................................... 3,744 4,039 3,707 3,842 2,813 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 507 509 507 526 380 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 846 1,039 822 818 844 

Dairy products ............................................ 430 429 430 455 262 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 657 789 640 670 444 

Other food at home .................................... 1,305 1,274 1,309 1,373 882 

Food away from home .................................. 2,698 2,556 2,716 2,864 1,753 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 444 297 463 502 208 

Housing .......................................................... 17,109 15,582 17,307 17,868 13,743 

Shelter .......................................................... 10,183 9,688 10,248 10,611 7,953 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,760 5,334 6,947 7,425 3,921 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,724 4,065 2,549 2,360 3,745 

Other lodging .............................................. 698 289 752 826 286 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,649 3,457 3,674 3,685 3,610 

Household operations .................................. 998 797 1,024 1,090 602 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 654 542 669 700 461 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,624 1,098 1,692 1,782 1,117 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,801 2,119 1,760 1,728 1,973 

Transportation ................................................ 8,604 7,986 8,684 9,025 6,525 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,755 2,554 2,781 2,911 1,961 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,715 2,717 2,715 2,787 2,259 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,621 2,335 2,658 2,755 2,041 

Public transportation ..................................... 513 380 530 573 264 

Healthcare ...................................................... 2,976 1,571 3,160 3,406 1,596 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,835 1,787 2,971 3,203 1,480 

Personal care products and services ............. 616 545 625 641 520 

Reading .......................................................... 116 38 126 139 48 

Education ....................................................... 1,046 669 1,095 1,186 516 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 317 143 339 357 225 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 840 586 873 921 567 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,737 1,010 1,832 1,935 1,178 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,605 4,124 5,799 6,156 3,542 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 317 116 343 357 255 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,288 4,007 5,456 5,799 3,287 

17
Table 11. Region of residence: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Northeast Midwest South West

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ........................ 120,770 22,348 27,786 43,696 26,941 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................................... $63,563 $70,436 $61,063 $58,881 $68,031 

Age of reference person ................................................. 49.1 51.0 48.6 49.2 47.7 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

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

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

Percent homeowner ........................................................ 66 65 68 68 63 

Average annual expenditures ........................................... $50,486 $54,918 $47,846 $46,823 $55,453 

Food ................................................................................ 6,443 6,959 5,966 6,109 7,037 

Food at home ................................................................ 3,744 4,021 3,528 3,494 4,140 

Cereals and bakery products ...................................... 507 579 483 472 528 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..................................... 846 920 750 843 888 

Dairy products ............................................................. 430 461 421 392 473 

Fruits and vegetables .................................................. 657 725 591 580 792 

Other food at home ..................................................... 1,305 1,336 1,283 1,207 1,459 

Food away from home .................................................. 2,698 2,938 2,438 2,615 2,897 

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................ 444 455 450 389 518 

Housing ........................................................................... 17,109 19,525 15,550 15,276 19,682 

Shelter ........................................................................... 10,183 12,023 8,923 8,479 12,721 

Owned dwellings ......................................................... 6,760 7,889 6,282 5,643 8,130 

Rented dwellings ......................................................... 2,724 3,068 2,000 2,297 3,880 

Other lodging .............................................................. 698 1,066 641 539 711 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................ 3,649 4,117 3,527 3,661 3,369 

Household operations ................................................... 998 1,177 863 911 1,128 

Housekeeping supplies ................................................. 654 665 678 646 635 

Household furnishings and equipment .......................... 1,624 1,543 1,559 1,580 1,829 

Apparel and services ...................................................... 1,801 1,974 1,618 1,772 1,888 

Transportation ................................................................. 8,604 8,898 8,418 8,482 8,745 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...................................... 2,755 2,687 2,872 2,726 2,737 

Gasoline and motor oil .................................................. 2,715 2,386 2,664 2,937 2,679 

Other vehicle expenses ................................................ 2,621 3,059 2,472 2,488 2,623 

Public transportation ..................................................... 513 765 410 331 706 

Healthcare ....................................................................... 2,976 3,035 3,049 2,849 3,057 

Entertainment .................................................................. 2,835 2,960 2,758 2,512 3,333 

Personal care products and services .............................. 616 638 551 580 721 

Reading ........................................................................... 116 141 118 87 140 

Education ........................................................................ 1,046 1,585 1,029 797 1,019 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ........................ 317 324 357 324 257 

Miscellaneous ................................................................. 840 952 725 743 1,020 

Cash contributions .......................................................... 1,737 1,485 1,705 1,744 1,966 

Personal insurance and pensions ................................... 5,605 5,987 5,552 5,158 6,067 

Life and other personal insurance ................................. 317 384 306 321 265 

Pensions and Social Security ....................................... 5,288 5,602 5,246 4,837 5,803 

18
Table 12. Occupation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

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) 5,629 78,486 30,518 21,583 12,664 4,352 9,369 21,174 15,481 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .............................. $89,675 $73,261 $101,521 $61,308 $48,020 $60,607 $48,739 $34,585 $44,534 

Age of reference person ......................... 48.1 43.2 44.8 41.7 41.8 42.5 43.8 73.5 45.7 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ................................................. 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.6 1.7 2.9 

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

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

Earners ................................................. 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 .2 .7 

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

Percent homeowner ................................ 78 64 75 59 52 63 59 80 55 

Average annual expenditures ................... $62,031 $55,606 $70,194 $51,584 $41,430 $46,526 $40,936 $36,003 $40,525 

Food ........................................................ 7,420 6,949 8,050 6,931 5,555 6,374 5,624 4,806 5,909 

Food at home ........................................ 4,387 3,823 4,215 3,831 3,189 3,664 3,491 3,178 3,912 

Cereals and bakery products .............. 581 514 559 527 430 482 475 444 531 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ............. 930 860 911 850 753 914 846 711 930 

Dairy products ..................................... 536 435 497 434 357 385 369 365 454 

Fruits and vegetables .......................... 829 657 751 623 545 601 619 595 680 

Other food at home ............................. 1,511 1,356 1,498 1,398 1,105 1,282 1,182 1,063 1,317 

Food away from home .......................... 3,032 3,126 3,835 3,100 2,366 2,711 2,134 1,627 1,997 

Alcoholic beverages ................................ 546 512 602 544 422 429 309 274 319 

Housing ................................................... 19,872 18,585 23,471 17,081 14,543 15,490 13,072 12,828 14,517 

Shelter ................................................... 11,851 11,308 14,535 10,270 8,816 9,106 7,580 6,778 8,531 

Owned dwellings ................................. 8,935 7,524 10,393 6,550 5,048 5,536 4,696 4,529 5,148 

Rented dwellings ................................. 2,128 3,009 2,818 3,144 3,468 3,139 2,643 1,640 2,981 

Other lodging ...................................... 787 774 1,324 576 299 432 241 609 402 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ........ 4,074 3,765 4,177 3,565 3,417 3,800 3,337 3,299 3,387 

Household operations ........................... 1,156 1,096 1,602 982 618 801 496 821 679 

Housekeeping supplies ......................... 798 670 823 619 518 459 612 639 557 

Household furnishings and equipment .. 1,994 1,745 2,335 1,643 1,174 1,324 1,047 1,291 1,362 

Apparel and services .............................. 1,838 2,046 2,647 1,784 1,705 1,520 1,442 1,042 1,636 

Transportation ......................................... 9,287 9,752 11,278 9,630 7,579 8,731 8,482 5,675 6,581 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............. 2,466 3,242 3,800 3,274 2,387 2,617 2,795 1,604 1,964 

Gasoline and motor oil .......................... 3,152 3,040 3,288 2,918 2,631 3,353 2,921 1,667 2,340 

Other vehicle expenses ........................ 3,047 2,912 3,259 3,050 2,269 2,409 2,574 1,953 1,947 

Public transportation ............................. 623 558 930 388 292 352 192 451 330 

Healthcare ............................................... 3,894 2,619 3,331 2,437 1,910 2,049 1,946 4,571 2,268 

Entertainment .......................................... 3,268 3,171 4,051 3,054 2,172 2,622 2,207 2,036 2,121 

Personal care products and services ...... 652 669 875 650 495 419 403 520 472 

Reading ................................................... 135 114 169 101 65 63 56 145 79 

Education ................................................ 1,168 1,250 2,037 1,051 530 470 483 274 1,024 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies 284 338 245 354 381 532 454 172 419 

Miscellaneous ......................................... 1,117 920 1,150 865 751 848 564 594 667 

Cash contributions .................................. 2,599 1,682 2,296 1,351 1,139 1,490 1,265 1,953 1,405 

Personal insurance and pensions ........... 9,953 6,998 9,990 5,751 4,182 5,488 4,629 1,113 3,107 

Life and other personal insurance ......... 446 338 470 275 275 233 184 253 252 

Pensions and Social Security ............... 9,507 6,660 9,520 5,476 3,907 5,256 4,445 860 2,856 

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Table 13. Education of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2008

Item

All

consumer

units

Less than college graduate College graduate

Total

Less than

high

school

graduate

High

school

graduate

High

school

graduate

with

some

college

Associate’s

degree Total Bachelor’sdegree

Master’s,

professional,

doctoral

degree

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ......... 120,770 85,845 17,600 30,761 26,386 11,097 34,925 22,428 12,498 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ........................................ $63,563 $49,375 $32,909 $48,364 $55,403 $63,964 $98,434 $88,888 $115,564 

Age of reference person ................................... 49.1 49.6 54.1 51.4 45.0 48.2 47.8 46.5 50.2 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

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

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

Percent homeowner ......................................... 66 62 53 66 59 70 78 75 81 

Average annual expenditures ............................ $50,486 $42,205 $29,903 $40,850 $47,205 $53,385 $70,858 $66,221 $79,198 

Food ................................................................. 6,443 5,777 4,692 5,583 6,143 7,087 8,086 7,798 8,614 

Food at home ................................................. 3,744 3,526 3,195 3,486 3,567 4,045 4,284 4,192 4,456 

Cereals and bakery products ....................... 507 477 433 480 475 540 581 571 599 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...................... 846 833 837 839 794 905 880 878 884 

Dairy products .............................................. 430 398 355 386 404 488 507 493 531 

Fruits and vegetables ................................... 657 595 553 573 605 699 810 780 865 

Other food at home ...................................... 1,305 1,223 1,016 1,208 1,290 1,413 1,507 1,469 1,577 

Food away from home ................................... 2,698 2,251 1,498 2,097 2,576 3,042 3,802 3,606 4,159 

Alcoholic beverages ......................................... 444 343 163 326 419 473 694 669 739 

Housing ............................................................ 17,109 14,218 10,952 13,559 15,749 17,576 24,217 22,541 27,228 

Shelter ............................................................ 10,183 8,197 6,125 7,627 9,354 10,314 15,065 14,037 16,910 

Owned dwellings .......................................... 6,760 5,015 2,989 4,691 5,835 7,180 11,050 10,247 12,491 

Rented dwellings .......................................... 2,724 2,779 3,007 2,543 2,976 2,600 2,592 2,624 2,532 

Other lodging ................................................ 698 403 129 393 543 534 1,424 1,166 1,887 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................. 3,649 3,457 3,084 3,536 3,447 3,854 4,122 4,012 4,319 

Household operations .................................... 998 701 365 681 840 955 1,727 1,458 2,211 

Housekeeping supplies .................................. 654 584 572 546 598 680 828 784 911 

Household furnishings and equipment ........... 1,624 1,280 807 1,169 1,510 1,773 2,474 2,251 2,877 

Apparel and services ........................................ 1,801 1,521 1,275 1,357 1,746 1,818 2,491 2,464 2,536 

Transportation .................................................. 8,604 7,712 5,293 7,735 8,341 9,954 10,795 10,260 11,763 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ....................... 2,755 2,452 1,544 2,461 2,650 3,399 3,499 3,408 3,662 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................... 2,715 2,585 2,020 2,620 2,703 3,099 3,035 3,014 3,073 

Other vehicle expenses .................................. 2,621 2,381 1,545 2,402 2,622 3,038 3,211 3,018 3,564 

Public transportation ...................................... 513 295 184 253 366 417 1,050 820 1,463 

Healthcare ........................................................ 2,976 2,657 2,008 2,733 2,788 3,158 3,761 3,477 4,270 

Entertainment ................................................... 2,835 2,272 1,318 2,129 2,700 3,146 4,220 4,048 4,530 

Personal care products and services ............... 616 506 329 479 585 664 887 860 934 

Reading ............................................................ 116 82 43 76 100 118 200 168 258 

Education ......................................................... 1,046 602 146 419 1,013 853 2,137 1,889 2,582 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ......... 317 379 384 427 331 351 164 184 127 

Miscellaneous .................................................. 840 675 291 734 799 814 1,244 1,251 1,232 

Cash contributions ........................................... 1,737 1,302 774 1,273 1,548 1,638 2,804 2,371 3,581 

Personal insurance and pensions .................... 5,605 4,159 2,234 4,020 4,943 5,736 9,159 8,242 10,805 

Life and other personal insurance .................. 317 244 142 237 271 358 496 456 569 

Pensions and Social Security ......................... 5,288 3,915 2,091 3,782 4,671 5,378 8,663 7,787 10,236 

20