Consumer Expenditures in 2010:

Lingering Effects of the Great Recession

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

August 2012

Report 1037

BLS

Consumer spending decreased for the second year in a row in the United States, according to 2010 data from 

the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE). Average annual expenditures of consumer units (CUs) dropped from $49,067 

in 2009 to $48,109 in 2010. This 2.0-percent decline comes 

after a 2.8-percent drop in average annual expenditures from 

2008 to 2009, due in part to falling incomes. Average annual 

income before taxes decreased 0.6 percent, from $62,857 in 

2009 to $62,481 in 2010, while U.S. prices, as measured by 

the average annual change in the Consumer Price Index for 

All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items), 

began to rise again. Following a decrease of 0.4 percent in 

2009, prices rose by 1.6 percent in 2010. This report details 

the results of the 2010 CE.

Developments in 2010

Although the 18-month recession that began in December 2007 

had officially ended in June 2009,1 consumers across the United 

States continued to feel the effects of this economic downturn 

throughout 2010. Of the seven major components of spending—

food, housing, apparel and services, transportation, healthcare, 

entertainment, and personal insurance and pensions—five components continued a downward trend from 2009. Expenditures 

decreased by 3.8 percent for total food (a combination of food 

consumed at home and food consumed away from home), 2.0 

percent for housing, 1.4 percent for apparel and services, 7.0 

percent for entertainment, and 1.8 percent for personal insurance and pensions. Only the transportation and healthcare 

components experienced increases in expenditures from 2009 

to 2010, with spending rising by 0.2 percent and 1.0 percent, 

respectively. (See table A.) The increase in transportation expenditures can be traced largely to a rebound in gasoline and 

motor oil expenditures. From 2008 to 2009, expenditures on 

gasoline and motor oil dropped 26.9 percent,2 a stark difference 

from the 7.4-percent rise from 2009 to 2010. 

Following the recession, CUs spent less of their total income, on average. In 2010, consumers spent 77.0 percent of 

their annual income before taxes, down from 78.1 percent in 

2009. Although the average income before taxes dropped 0.6 

percent in that time, overall expenditures declined 2.0 percent. 

This gap shows a continuing lack of consumer confidence 

brought on by the recession. According to the Nielsen Company, consumer confidence remained low in 2010, with the 

Consumer Confidence Index reaching a low of 81 in the final 

two quarters of that year.3 (Levels of 100 and higher reflect 

consumer optimism.) 

A portion of this pessimism can be attributed to a persisting high unemployment rate and a slumping housing market. According to the Current Population Survey (CPS), the 

monthly national unemployment rate was above 9.4 percent 

throughout 2010, the first time since the CPS began collecting employment data in 1948 that the monthly unemployment 

rate was above 9.0 for an entire calendar year. The number of 

long-term unemployed individuals (those who are out of work 

for more than 26 weeks) also rose, from 4.5 million in 2009 to 

6.4 million in 2010. In the housing market, sales of both new 

and existing homes declined again, while foreclosures were 

levied on a record 2.9 million U.S. properties.4

Housing. Expenditures on housing, the largest component of 

consumer expenditures (see table B), decreased across all income quintiles in 2010.The second-lowest quintile (average 

annual income of $18,439–$35,208) had the biggest decrease 

in housing expenditures, from $11,829 in 2009 to $11,369 in 

2010. This is a decrease of -3.9 percent, the largest decrease 

in percent-change across all quintiles. Expenditures on mortgage interest and charges, a subcategory of housing, have 

been declining since 2007 for homeowners in the CE. Homeowners spent 11.7 percent less on this component of housing 

in 2010 ($5,042) than they did in 2007 ($5,799), likely the 

result of lower interest rates. In addition, there is an overall 

trend of fewer CUs owning homes: the CE measured 79.5 

million homeowners in 2010, compared with 80.2 million in 

2007. This decrease is evidence that some homeowners have 

dropped out of the housing market (through preference, fore- 1

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the recession 

began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. For more information on 

U.S. business cycles, see “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions,” (National Bureau of Economic Research, Sept, 20, 2010), http://

www.nber.org/cycles.html. 2The Bureau of Economic Analysis measured a similar decrease (-27.1 

percent) in gasoline expenditures from 2009 to 2010. For more information, 

see “National Data: National Income and Product Accounts Tables,” (Bureau of Economic Analysis, updated regularly), http://www.bea.gov/iTable/

iTable.cfm?ReqID=9&step=1&acrdn=2.

3For more information, see http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2011-Reports/GlobalConsumerConfidenceReport_Q42010.pdf?wwparam=1319752536. 4For more information, see “Record 2.9 million U.S. Properties Receive Foreclosure Filings in 2010 Despite 30-Month Low in December,” Realty Trends 

(RealtyTrac, October 2011), http://www.realtytrac.com/content/pressreleases/record-29-million-us-properties-receive-foreclosure-filings-in2010-despite-30-month-low-in-december-6309?wwparam=1320935470. 
Table A. Average annual expenditures by major category of all consumer units and percent changes, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 

2007–2010

Item 2007 2008 2009 2010

Percent change

2007–

2008

2008–

2009

2009–

2010

Number of consumer units (in thousands) 120,171 120,770 120,847 121,107

Average income before taxes $63,091 $63,563 $62,857 $62,481 0.7 -1.1 -0.6

Averages:

 Age of reference person 48.8 49.1 49.4 49.4

 Number of persons in consumer unit 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5

 Number of earners 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

 Number of vehicles 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9

Percenthomeowner 67 66 66 66

Average annual expenditures $49,638 $50,486 $49,067 $48,109 1.7 -2.8 -2.0

 Food 6,133 6,443 6,372 6,129 5.1 -1.1 -3.8

 Food at home 3,465 3,744 3,753 3,624 8.1 0.2 -3.4

 Cereals and bakery products 460 507 506 502 10.2 -0.2 -0.8

 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs 777 846 841 784 8.9 -0.6 -6.8

 Dairy products 387 430 406 380 11.1 -5.6 -6.4

 Fruits and vegetables 600 657 656 679 9.5 -0.2 3.5

 Other food at home 1,241 1,305 1,343 1,278 5.2 2.9 -4.8

 Food away from home 2,668 2,698 2,619 2,505 1.1 -2.9 -4.4

 Alcoholic beverages 457 444 435 412 -2.8 -2 -5.3

 Housing 16,920 17,109 16,895 16,557 1.1 -1.3 -2.0

 Shelter 10,023 10,183 10,075 9,812 1.6 -1.1 -2.6

 Utilities, fuels, and public services 3,477 3,649 3,645 3,660 4.9 -0.1 0.4

 Household operations 984 998 1011 1,007 1.4 1.3 -0.4

 Housekeeping supplies 639 654 659 612 2.3 0.8 -7.1

 Household furnishings and equipment 1,797 1,624 1,506 1,467 -9.6 -7.3 -2.6

 Apparel and services 1,881 1,801 1,725 1,700 -4.3 -4.2 -1.4

 Transportation 8,758 8,604 7,658 7,677 -1.8 -11 0.2

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay) 3,244 2,755 2,657 2,588 -15.1 -3.6 -2.6

 Gasoline and motor oil 2,384 2,715 1,986 2,132 13.9 -26.9 7.4

 Other vehicle expenses 2,592 2,621 2,536 2,464 1.1 -3.2 -2.8

 Public transportation 538 513 479 493 -4.6 -6.6 2.9

 Healthcare 2,853 2,976 3,126 3,157 4.3 5 1.0

 Entertainment 2,698 2,835 2,693 2,504 5.1 -5 -7.0

 Personal care products and services 588 616 596 582 4.8 -3.2 -2.3

 Reading 118 116 110 100 -1.7 -5.2 -9.1

 Education 945 1,046 1,068 1,074 10.7 2.1 0.6

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies 323 317 380 362 -1.9 19.9 -4.7

 Miscellaneous 808 840 816 849 4 -2.9 4.0

 Cash contributions 1,821 1,737 1,723 1,633 -4.6 -0.8 -5.2

 Personal insurance and pensions 5,336 5,605 5,471 5,373 5 -2.4 -1.8

 Life and other personal insurance 309 317 309 318 2.6 -2.5 2.9

 Pensions and Social Security 5,027 5,288 5,162 5,054 5.2 -2.4 -2.1

2
closure, strategic default, or another reason). Concurrently, 

the CE measured an increase in renters, from 39.9 million in 

2007 to 41.7 million in 2010. According to the CPI-U, rents 

for primary residences have increased 6.2 percent since 2007. 

During that same time, the average spent on rent for all CUs 

reporting it increased 8.1 percent, further reflecting an increase in demand for rental units. 

Motor fuel and vehicles. Expenditures on motor fuel increased 

in 2010, following a steep decline in 2009. CUs spent 7.4 percent more on gasoline and motor oil in 2010 ($2,132) than 

they did in 2009 ($1,986). Despite this increase, expenditures 

on gasoline and motor oil remained well below their peak of 

$2,715 in 2008. Chart 1 shows the correlation between expenditures on motor fuel and the price of motor fuel. For the 

most part, consumers’ expenditures on motor fuel coincide 

with price fluctuations; as the price of motor fuel increases, consumers spend more, and as the price of motor fuel 

drops,consumers spend less. From 2006 to 2009, consumers’ expenditures on motor fuel rose and fell by roughly the 

same percent-change as the price of motor fuel; therefore, the 

quantity consumed remained relatively unchanged during that 

time. However, in 2010 consumers increased their expenditures on motor fuel (7.4 percent) by less than half of the percent-change in price (18.4 percent), representing a decrease in 

the quantity consumed. This behavior is a departure from the 

typically inelastic nature of motor fuel consumption.

Chart 1 also shows the correlation between the price of vehicles and expenditures on vehicle purchases, the largest component of transportation. Expenditures on vehicle purchases 

continued the category’s downward trend, decreasing another 

2.6 percent, on average, from 2009 to 2010. Average consumer spending on vehicle purchases has decreased 24.3 percent 

over the last 5 years, while vehicle prices have remained relatively steady during that time.5

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

2007–2010

Spending Category 2007 2008 2009 2010

Average annual expenditures 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 Food 12.4 12.8 13.0 12.7

 Food at home 7.0 7.4 7.6 7.5

 Food away from home. 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.2

 Alcoholic beverages 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9

 Housing 34.1 33.9 34.4 34.4

 Shelter 20.2 20.2 20.5 20.4

 Utilities, fuels, and public services 7.0 7.2 7.4 7.6

 Household operations 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1

 Housekeeping supplies 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

 Household furnishings and equipment 3.6 3.2 3.1 3.0

 Apparel and services 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.5

 Transportation 17.6 17.0 15.6 16.0

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay) 6.5 5.5 5.4 5.4

 Gasoline and motor oil 4.8 5.4 4.0 4.4

 Other vehicle expenses 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.1

 Public transportation 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0

 Healthcare 5.7 5.9 6.4 6.6

 Entertainment 5.4 5.6 5.5 5.2

 Personal care products and services 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

 Reading 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

 Education 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.2

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies. 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.8

 Miscellaneous 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8

 Cash contributions 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.4

 Personal insurance and pensions 10.7 11.1 11.2 11.2

 Life and other personal insurance 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7

 Pensions and Social Security 10.1 10.5 10.5 10.5

5Price data come from the Consumer Price Index. For more information 

visit www.bls.gov/cpi.

3
Food. Although food expenditures continued their downward 

trend in most income quintiles in 2010, the middle income 

quintile increased their spending on food. Whereas all other 

income quintiles spent less on overall food expenditures, the 

middle income quintile spent $5,596 in 2010 and $5,483 in 

2009, an increase of 2.1 percent. Within the lowest income 

quintile, a negligible increase in expenditures for food away 

from home (0.1 percent) was overwhelmed by a 7.8-percent 

decrease in expenditures for food at home, equating to an 

overall 5.5-percent drop in food expenditures. Similarly, the 

highest income quintile increased its expenditures for food 

at home by 1.0 percent, but decreased expenditures on food 

away from home by 3.1 percent, leading to an overall 1.0-percent decrease in total food expenditures for that quintile from 

2009 to 2010. 

An examination of the population by age group indicates 

that there was a decline in food expenditures across all age 

groups. The two youngest age groups (younger than 25 years 

old and 25 to 34 years old) were the only age groups to increase their spending on food away from home. Interestingly, 

this increase was coupled with declines in the groups’ spending on food at home, an unusual development in times of slow 

economic growth. All other age groups decreased their spending on food away from home, while decreasing or negligibly 

increasing their expenditures on food at home. 

Race and ethnicity. CE data show remarkable differences in 

spending patterns of Hispanics and non-Hispanics in nearly 

all major categories. (See chart 2.) Both groups decreased 

spending from 2009 to 2010; however, the decrease by Hispanics was half that of non-Hispanics ($525 compared with 

$983). Non-Hispanics spent 5.1 percent less on total food, and 

Hispanics increased their total food spending by 6.4 percent. 

This difference from 2009 to 2010 was observed in both of 

the main components of total food: food at home and food 

away from home, with increased spending by Hispanics and 

decreased spending by non-Hispanics.

The most notable differences in spending among Hispanics and non-Hispanics were in transportation and healthcare. 

In 2010, Hispanics spent $527 (7.4 percent) less, on average, 

on transportation than they did in 2009. Non-Hispanics, however, spent $97 (1.3 percent) more on transportation in 2010 

than in 2009. In 2010, non-Hispanics’ healthcare expenditures 

increased $4 (0.1 percent), on average, from the year before. 

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Gas and motor oil Vehicle purchases

CPI-U motor fuel CPI-U new and used motor vehicles

Chart 1. Transportation Trends: Spending and price changes in gas and motor oil and vehicle purchases, 2006–2010

Annual average price index

NOTE: CPI-U motor fuel on a 1982-84=100 base. CPI-U new and used motor vehicles on a December 1997=100 base.

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Annual average expenditure

NOTE: CPI-U motor fuel on a 1982-84=100 base. CPI-U new and used motor vehicles on a December 1997=100 base.

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

4
In contrast, Hispanics spent, on average, $274 more on healthcare expenditures in 2010 than they did in 2009, an increase 

of 17.5 percent.

Among the various demographics within the non-Hispanic 

population, there were many differences. The Black nonHispanic population earned an increase in pretax income (1.7 

percent) and raised its total expenditures (1.0 percent) from 

2009 to 2010. Black non-Hispanics increased their spending 

on food at home, food away from home, housing, and cash 

contributions,6 categories in which other non-Hispanics visibly decreased their spending. Most notably, the Black nonHispanic population spent 18.9 percent less on apparel and 

apparel services from 2009 to 2010, while their non-Black 

non-Hispanic counterparts spent 1.1 percent more. An interesting development occurred with cash contributions and personal insurance and pensions: Hispanics (by $59, an increase 

of 5.8 percent) and Black non-Hispanics ($56, 4.4 percent) 

both increased their spending on cash contributions, on average, from 2009 to 2010. From 2009 to 2010, these two groups 

decreased their spending on personal insurance and pensions, 

by 5.1 percent ($216) for Hispanics and 4.9 percent ($173) 

for Black non-Hispanics. By contrast, from 2009 to 2010, the 

non-Black non-Hispanic population decreased its cash contributions by 6.9 percent ($132); although this group’s personal 

insurance and pensions also decreased, they decreased by a 

much smaller margin of 1.0 percent ($58). CE data clearly 

indicate differences in expenditures across racial and ethnic 

groups.

Brief description of the Consumer Expenditure 

Survey

The current CE began in 1980 and has been conducted continually since then, with the principal objective of collecting 

information on the buying habits of Americans. Consumer expenditure data are used in a variety of research endeavors by 

government, business, labor, and academic analysts. In addition, the data are required for the regular revision of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) market basket. The survey, which is 

conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), consists of two components: a diary (or 

recordkeeping) survey, completed by participating consumer 

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

6Cash contributions include support for college students, alimony expenditures, child support expenditures, gifts to non-CU members of stocks, 

bonds and mutual funds, contributions to charities and other organizations, 

contributions to church and religious organizations, contributions to educational institutions, and contributions to political organizations.

-20.0

-15.0

-10.0

-5.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

Total 

expenditures

Housing Transportation Food Personal 

insurance and 

pensions

Healthcare Entertainment Apparel

All consumer units

Hispanic

Black non-Hispanic

White and other non-Hispanic

Chart 2. Percent change in major components of expenditures by Hispanic origin, 2009 to 2010

Percent change

NOTE: Expenditure categories ordered largest to smallest by share of 2010 expenditures for all consumer units.

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

NOTE: Expenditure categories ordered largest to smallest by share of 2010 expenditures for all consumer units.

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

5
survey, by which expenditures of consumer units are obtained 

in five interviews conducted at 3-month intervals. The results 

presented in this report are from integrated data from both 

surveys. Survey participants record dollar amounts for goods 

and services purchased during the reporting period, regardless of whether payment is made at the time of purchase. Expenditure amounts include all sales and excise taxes for items 

purchased by the CU. All business-related expenditures are 

excluded from both surveys, as are expenditures for which the 

consumer unit is reimbursed. 

Each component of the survey queries an independent sample of consumer units that are representative of the U.S. population. The Interview sample surveys about 7,000 consumer 

units each quarter. The sample is a rotating panel, meaning 

that some consumer units drop out of the survey each quarter, 

while other consumer units come into the survey. Each consumer unit is interviewed once per quarter, for 5 consecutive 

quarters. Data are collected on an ongoing basis in 91 areas of 

the United States. The Interview Survey is designed to capture 

expenditure data that respondents can reasonably recall for a 

period of 3 months or longer. In general, these expenditures 

are relatively large, such as expenditures for real property, automobiles, and major appliances, or they occur on a regular 

basis, such as rent, utility payments, and insurance premiums. 

The Interview Survey also collects data on expenditures incurred on leisure trips. It is estimated that about 95 percent of 

expenditures are covered in the Interview Survey, including 

global estimates of spending for food. Nonprescription drugs, 

household supplies, and personal care items are excluded. 

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 Diary Survey is designed to capture expenditures on 

small, frequently purchased items that are normally difficult 

for respondents to recall buying. Detailed records of expenses 

are kept for food and beverages—consumed either at home 

or in eating places—and for tobacco, housekeeping supplies, 

nonprescription drugs, and personal care products and services. Expenditures incurred by members of the consumer unit 

while away from home overnight or longer are excluded from 

the Diary Survey. Although this survey was designed to collect 

information on expenditures that could not be recalled easily 

over an extended period, respondents are asked to report all 

expenses (except those spent while traveling overnight) that 

the consumer unit incurs during the survey week. 

Integrated data from the BLS Diary and Interview Surveys 

provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and 

income that neither survey is designed to do on its own. Data 

on some expenditure items are collected in only one of the 

surveys. For example, the Diary Survey does not collect data 

on expenditures for overnight travel or information on reimbursements, whereas the Interview Survey does. The Diary 

Survey excludes some expenditures for which reimbursements are excluded, such as for 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. As a result, some items are selected 

from the Interview Survey, others from the Diary Survey. 

When data are available from both surveys, the more reliable 

data (as determined by statistical methods) are selected. 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. For source selection details, see “CE Source Selection for Publication Tables” 

in the Consumer Expenditure Survey Anthology, 2011 (BLS 

Report 1030). 

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 in the CE 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, therefore, may be considerably lower than the expenditure by the 

consumer units that purchased the item. The less frequently 

an item is purchased, the greater the difference is between 

the average cost for all consumer units and the average cost 

for those purchasing the item. Similarly, an individual consumer unit may spend more or less than the average, depending on its particular characteristics. Factors such as income, 

age of family members, geographic location, and personal 

preference also influence expenditures. Furthermore, even 

within groups with similar characteristics, the distribution of 

expenditures varies substantially. These variations should be 

considered when comparing reported averages to individual 

circumstances. 

CE data users should know that prices for many goods and 

services change after the survey is conducted. For example, 

gasoline (all types), as measured by the CPI-U, rose 18.8 

percent between 2009 (annual average index) and October 

2010 (not seasonally adjusted). In addition, sample surveys 

are subject to two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. 

Sampling errors occur because the data are collected from a 

sample representing the population, rather than from the entire population. Nonsampling errors result from the inability 

or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, differences in interviewers’ abilities, mistakes in recording or coding, and other processing errors.

6
Tables and data

Tables in this report include integrated data from both the Diary and Interview Survey components of the CE, enabling data 

users to associate the full range of expenditures with consumers’ demographic characteristics. Tables show data classified 

by income quintile, income class, age of the reference person, 

size of the consumer unit, composition of the consumer unit, 

number of earners, housing tenure, type of area (urban or rural), race, Hispanic origin, region of residence, occupation, 

and education. These are the same classifications published in 

previous reports and bulletins. Tables for the aforementioned 

classifications, but with more detail than is given in this report, can be accessed on the CE page of the BLS website 

(http://www.bls.gov/cex). Also available are tables showing 

average annual data over a 2-year period for a) income before 

taxes, cross-tabulated by age, consumer unit size, or region; 

b) single consumers by sex, cross-tabulated by either income 

or age; and c) selected metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). 

Data are available for 1984–2010. Other survey information 

available on the website includes answers to frequently asked 

questions, a glossary of terms, and order forms for survey 

products. Beginning with the 2000 data, estimates of standard 

errors for integrated Diary and Interview Survey data are also 

available.

Other available data

The 2010 Diary and Interview Survey microdata—that is, 

data on individual consumer units—are available for free 

electronic download at http://www.bls.gov/cex/pumdhome.

htm. The Interview Survey microdata 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. EXPN files contain expenditure values that cover 

different periods, depending on the specific question asked, 

and as well as the relevant nonexpenditure information that 

is not found on the MTAB files. Microdata files for previous 

years are currently available for purchase on CD-ROM. For 

years prior to 1996, the microdata are available in ASCII text 

format (column parametered). Beginning in 1996, the microdata are available in either ASCII text format (column parametered) or PC SAS datasets. Beginning in 2007, the microdata 

are available in column-parametered ASCII, comma-delimited ASCII, PC SAS, SPSS, and STATA datasets. Ordering 

information for the public use microdata can be found here: 

http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxform.pdf.

The CE also publishes Beyond the Numbers articles and 

reports known as 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, 2011 (BLS Report 1030), was published 

in July 2011. Additional data also are presented in articles 

in the Monthly Labor Review. These reports can be found at 

http://www.bls.gov/cex/home.htm#publications. For more 

detailed information on the availability of current and earlier 

data, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure Survey, 

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

691-6900. Email: cexinfo@bls.gov. Online at http://www.

bls.gov/cex. 

Material in this publication is in the public domain and, 

with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission. Information in this report is available upon request to 

sensory-impaired individuals: Voice phone: (202) 691-5200, 

Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

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

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

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) ....... 121,107 24,210 24,277 24,175 24,215 24,231 

Lower limit ........................................................ n.a. n.a. $18,439 $35,209 $57,340 $91,931 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $9,906 $26,777 $45,552 $72,794 $157,369 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 51.0 51.7 49.3 47.3 47.8 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 1.7 2.3 2.6 2.9 3.2 

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

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

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 .9 1.5 2.0 2.4 2.8 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 40 54 67 78 89 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $20,953 $30,285 $41,212 $55,212 $92,870 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 3,309 4,214 5,596 6,843 10,676 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 2,270 2,816 3,433 3,917 5,683 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 315 400 465 552 775 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 519 608 762 854 1,179 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 230 291 355 414 611 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 410 539 615 711 1,122 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 796 977 1,236 1,385 1,996 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 1,039 1,398 2,164 2,926 4,993 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 153 211 359 466 869 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 8,667 11,369 14,508 18,625 29,615 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 5,167 6,586 8,496 10,912 17,897 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 1,739 2,929 4,960 7,663 14,096 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 3,262 3,421 3,184 2,657 1,974 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 167 236 353 592 1,827 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 2,216 3,053 3,603 4,185 5,242 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 373 513 733 1,147 2,270 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 343 423 525 713 1,054 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 568 794 1,151 1,668 3,152 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 774 1,154 1,372 1,737 3,461 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 2,868 5,002 7,160 9,432 13,924 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 627 1,583 2,320 3,373 5,040 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 1,009 1,598 2,180 2,634 3,240 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 1,082 1,585 2,347 2,967 4,337 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 150 235 313 457 1,307 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 1,524 2,649 3,068 3,715 4,827 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 1,018 1,450 1,984 2,792 5,277 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 277 386 488 642 1,117 

Reading .......................................................... 100 45 66 84 107 197 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 635 408 510 813 3,005 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 323 375 421 420 272 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 356 461 797 1,169 1,461 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 559 981 1,392 1,927 3,307 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 446 1,560 3,473 6,523 14,861 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 89 148 215 364 775 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 357 1,412 3,258 6,159 14,086 

n.a. Not applicable.

8
Table 2. Income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

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) ...... 121,107 4,858 5,280 8,114 8,177 14,729 13,022 11,446 17,368 38,113 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .................................... $62,481 $-1,104 $8,082 $12,606 $17,483 $25,001 $34,762 $44,734 $59,253 $129,151 

Age of reference person ............................... 49.4 43.1 47.9 55.1 54.5 52.6 50.3 49.0 48.1 47.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ...................................................... 2.5 1.6 1.7 1.6 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.1 

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

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

Earners ....................................................... 1.3 .5 .5 .4 .6 .8 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.9 

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

Percent homeowner ..................................... 66 28 32 43 51 53 62 66 72 86 

Average annual expenditures ......................... $48,109 $20,748 $18,297 $19,909 $24,935 $29,158 $35,556 $40,616 $47,966 $80,708 

Food ............................................................. 6,129 3,316 3,073 3,133 3,691 4,008 4,883 5,515 6,304 9,452 

Food at home ............................................. 3,624 2,058 2,169 2,244 2,531 2,797 3,036 3,393 3,690 5,122 

Cereals and bakery products .................... 502 289 302 307 354 402 424 446 507 712 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ................... 784 433 523 504 589 611 657 769 814 1,069 

Dairy products .......................................... 380 225 225 221 253 296 306 348 388 550 

Fruits and vegetables ............................... 679 381 382 412 456 531 585 589 663 992 

Other food at home ................................... 1,278 730 737 800 879 957 1,064 1,241 1,319 1,801 

Food away from home ................................ 2,505 1,258 904 889 1,160 1,211 1,847 2,122 2,614 4,330 

Alcoholic beverages ..................................... 412 237 132 128 159 174 304 330 455 728 

Housing ........................................................ 16,557 8,629 7,634 8,347 10,047 11,049 12,804 14,351 16,720 25,968 

Shelter ........................................................ 9,812 5,554 4,535 4,914 5,746 6,356 7,414 8,449 9,891 15,528 

Owned dwellings ...................................... 6,277 1,998 1,062 1,679 2,267 2,664 3,957 4,836 6,396 11,952 

Rented dwellings ...................................... 2,900 3,322 3,262 3,122 3,349 3,444 3,188 3,321 2,968 2,185 

Other lodging ............................................ 635 234 211 114 130 248 269 293 527 1,391 

Utilities, fuels, and public services .............. 3,660 1,832 1,921 2,225 2,777 3,035 3,321 3,530 3,926 4,903 

Household operations ................................. 1,007 372 284 378 457 487 614 713 928 1,900 

Housekeeping supplies .............................. 612 296 333 343 365 427 438 546 593 965 

Household furnishings and equipment ....... 1,467 576 561 487 702 744 1,016 1,112 1,382 2,671 

Apparel and services .................................... 1,700 644 972 606 907 1,139 1,253 1,381 1,554 2,885 

Transportation .............................................. 7,677 2,535 2,314 2,606 3,827 4,882 6,229 7,099 7,782 12,682 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ................... 2,588 580 451 526 880 1,585 2,141 2,289 2,389 4,668 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................ 2,132 870 905 979 1,252 1,553 1,879 2,152 2,455 3,055 

Other vehicle expenses .............................. 2,464 936 812 972 1,511 1,523 1,937 2,371 2,532 3,949 

Public transportation ................................... 493 148 147 129 184 221 272 287 406 1,010 

Healthcare .................................................... 3,157 1,330 955 1,673 2,045 2,659 2,928 2,938 3,405 4,472 

Entertainment ............................................... 2,504 1,033 854 981 1,193 1,382 1,703 1,917 2,468 4,438 

Personal care products and services ........... 582 237 271 248 336 391 415 484 565 964 

Reading ........................................................ 100 59 30 42 53 66 78 78 94 167 

Education ...................................................... 1,074 950 873 474 382 395 449 478 642 2,247 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ..... 362 320 334 314 344 375 402 432 412 323 

Miscellaneous ............................................... 849 435 221 428 380 428 570 860 1,062 1,329 

Cash contributions ........................................ 1,633 674 352 512 792 850 1,202 1,419 1,607 2,878 

Personal insurance and pensions ................ 5,373 349 281 417 780 1,361 2,336 3,335 4,896 12,175 

Life and other personal insurance .............. 318 90 53 83 133 125 200 203 292 635 

Pensions and Social Security ..................... 5,054 259 227 333 647 1,236 2,137 3,132 4,604 11,540 

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

2010

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) ....... 121,107 82,994 7,250 10,098 20,766 6,749 5,865 8,151 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $31,865 $74,602 $89,140 $167,651 $108,503 $132,750 $241,739 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 50.4 47.1 46.4 47.9 47.0 47.9 48.8 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.3 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.2 

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

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

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 1.6 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 56 79 84 90 88 89 91 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $33,269 $57,024 $62,966 $97,737 $74,797 $89,614 $123,064 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 4,661 6,979 7,819 11,161 9,372 10,463 13,317 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 2,967 3,867 4,540 5,868 5,170 5,650 6,688 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 410 570 638 800 714 759 911 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 660 824 921 1,232 1,086 1,203 1,391 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 306 413 482 632 559 584 739 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 543 707 839 1,171 1,031 1,088 1,366 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 1,048 1,353 1,660 2,032 1,779 2,016 2,282 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 1,695 3,112 3,279 5,293 4,202 4,814 6,628 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 273 444 530 929 645 799 1,288 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 12,254 18,589 20,962 30,999 23,326 27,723 39,787 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 7,187 10,604 12,475 18,732 13,794 16,320 24,557 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 3,671 7,391 9,375 14,798 10,909 13,085 19,253 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 3,228 2,691 2,303 1,951 1,873 1,789 2,132 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 288 522 797 1,983 1,013 1,447 3,171 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 3,089 4,164 4,543 5,336 4,777 5,125 5,952 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 597 1,146 1,369 2,421 1,546 2,153 3,338 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 457 816 780 1,113 850 1,153 1,334 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 924 1,860 1,795 3,396 2,358 2,973 4,607 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 1,174 1,836 1,913 3,750 2,439 4,334 4,514 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 5,390 10,706 10,392 14,493 12,557 14,967 15,808 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 1,634 4,222 3,717 5,285 4,799 5,806 5,313 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 1,708 2,686 2,899 3,260 3,248 3,231 3,291 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 1,793 3,309 3,228 4,532 3,508 4,896 5,169 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 255 489 549 1,416 1,003 1,034 2,035 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 2,555 3,785 4,003 4,942 4,550 4,491 5,594 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 1,628 2,978 3,118 5,600 4,327 5,093 7,032 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 410 622 780 1,176 956 1,139 1,395 

Reading .......................................................... 100 69 107 121 210 153 179 280 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 537 740 1,036 3,363 1,450 2,638 5,473 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 380 406 395 259 294 251 236 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 629 1,069 1,090 1,539 922 1,122 2,376 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 1,061 1,905 2,220 3,538 2,404 2,629 5,132 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 2,249 6,859 8,586 15,777 11,402 13,786 20,832 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 172 376 424 829 535 612 1,228 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 2,076 6,483 8,163 14,948 10,867 13,174 19,603 

10
Table 4. Age of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

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) ....... 121,107 8,034 20,166 21,912 25,054 21,359 24,582 13,031 11,551 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $26,881 $59,613 $76,128 $79,589 $68,906 $41,286 $49,711 $31,782 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 21.5 29.7 39.6 49.5 59.2 74.9 69.1 81.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 2.0 2.9 3.3 2.8 2.2 1.7 1.9 1.6 

Children under 18 ......................................... .6 .5 1.1 1.3 .6 .2 .1 .1 1 ( )

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

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.3 .5 .7 .2 

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 1.1 1.7 2.0 2.3 2.2 1.6 1.9 1.3 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 14 45 65 73 80 81 82 80 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $27,483 $46,617 $55,946 $57,788 $50,900 $36,802 $41,434 $31,529 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 4,073 6,091 7,483 7,230 6,068 4,558 5,148 3,873 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 2,197 3,338 4,255 4,369 3,681 2,950 3,213 2,643 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 312 441 607 600 507 416 442 385 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 447 713 896 966 792 660 688 627 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 218 353 458 453 378 316 351 274 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 395 614 787 819 692 577 620 525 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 826 1,217 1,508 1,532 1,312 982 1,111 831 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 1,876 2,753 3,227 2,861 2,387 1,608 1,935 1,230 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 406 473 497 414 402 295 392 184 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 9,553 16,845 20,041 18,900 16,673 13,015 14,420 11,421 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 6,166 10,451 12,139 11,517 9,397 7,027 7,850 6,098 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 1,123 5,126 8,149 8,163 6,777 4,881 5,809 3,834 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 4,813 4,989 3,475 2,493 1,689 1,514 1,275 1,783 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 231 336 515 861 931 632 766 481 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 1,818 3,228 4,077 4,213 3,979 3,402 3,644 3,130 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 416 1,244 1,414 935 882 827 868 779 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 279 465 663 650 717 664 761 552 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 874 1,458 1,748 1,585 1,698 1,095 1,297 862 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 1,559 2,087 2,040 1,966 1,571 964 1,186 708 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 4,692 8,231 8,763 9,255 8,111 5,242 6,086 4,288 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 1,591 3,415 2,905 3,041 2,584 1,495 1,638 1,335 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 1,493 2,208 2,537 2,575 2,215 1,396 1,766 980 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 1,333 2,174 2,776 3,023 2,763 1,959 2,199 1,686 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 275 434 545 616 548 391 483 288 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 775 1,800 2,583 3,261 3,859 4,843 4,922 4,754 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 1,221 2,251 3,058 3,088 2,683 1,891 2,341 1,374 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 347 517 682 673 599 517 571 455 

Reading .......................................................... 100 39 61 80 104 126 141 147 135 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 1,906 839 963 2,094 917 193 240 140 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 283 362 358 449 450 227 298 147 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 277 668 922 938 1,146 772 761 787 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 314 1,074 1,532 1,747 1,893 2,272 2,276 2,267 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 2,036 5,318 6,944 7,668 6,403 1,872 2,648 996 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 22 167 280 441 471 314 386 233 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 2,013 5,151 6,664 7,227 5,932 1,557 2,261 763 

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,

2010

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) ................. 121,107 35,479 85,629 38,658 17,906 16,479 12,585 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ............................................... $62,481 $32,979 $74,705 $67,707 $74,377 $87,864 $79,437 

Age of reference person .......................................... 49.4 52.7 48.1 54.1 45.2 42.2 41.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ................................................................. 2.5 1.0 3.1 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.7 

Children under 18 .................................................. .6 n.a. .9 .1 .7 1.5 2.7 

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

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

Vehicles ................................................................. 1.9 1.1 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.4 

Percent homeowner ................................................ 66 50 72 75 68 72 67 

Average annual expenditures .................................... $48,109 $29,149 $55,929 $50,967 $56,413 $63,268 $61,086 

Food ........................................................................ 6,129 3,450 7,220 5,958 7,297 8,778 9,083 

Food at home ........................................................ 3,624 1,877 4,335 3,480 4,431 5,219 5,746 

Cereals and bakery products ............................... 502 257 601 464 602 756 833 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................. 784 382 948 762 985 1,105 1,276 

Dairy products ..................................................... 380 193 457 366 450 561 618 

Fruits and vegetables .......................................... 679 365 807 659 810 968 1,063 

Other food at home .............................................. 1,278 681 1,521 1,229 1,585 1,830 1,955 

Food away from home ........................................... 2,505 1,573 2,885 2,478 2,866 3,559 3,338 

Alcoholic beverages ................................................ 412 322 449 545 388 441 248 

Housing ................................................................... 16,557 11,223 18,763 16,876 18,794 21,684 20,702 

Shelter ................................................................... 9,812 7,246 10,875 9,859 10,709 12,541 12,050 

Owned dwellings ................................................. 6,277 3,477 7,437 6,765 7,004 8,895 8,212 

Rented dwellings ................................................. 2,900 3,404 2,690 2,232 2,998 2,929 3,349 

Other lodging ....................................................... 635 365 747 863 707 717 489 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ......................... 3,660 2,331 4,211 3,764 4,229 4,671 4,955 

Household operations ............................................ 1,007 518 1,210 881 1,398 1,742 1,254 

Housekeeping supplies ......................................... 612 349 719 687 660 829 762 

Household furnishings and equipment .................. 1,467 779 1,749 1,686 1,799 1,901 1,681 

Apparel and services ............................................... 1,700 804 2,066 1,704 2,089 2,515 2,588 

Transportation ......................................................... 7,677 4,011 9,194 8,439 9,523 9,897 10,133 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............................. 2,588 1,036 3,232 2,965 3,508 3,262 3,616 

Gasoline and motor oil ........................................... 2,132 1,164 2,533 2,190 2,504 2,926 3,115 

Other vehicle expenses ......................................... 2,464 1,495 2,863 2,694 2,986 3,067 2,944 

Public transportation .............................................. 493 316 566 589 525 641 457 

Healthcare ............................................................... 3,157 2,027 3,625 4,108 3,346 3,286 2,977 

Entertainment .......................................................... 2,504 1,441 2,943 2,707 2,810 3,396 3,276 

Personal care products and services ...................... 582 360 673 612 727 769 669 

Reading ................................................................... 100 81 108 128 100 98 68 

Education ................................................................. 1,074 600 1,271 827 1,536 1,833 1,524 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................ 362 268 401 368 437 393 462 

Miscellaneous .......................................................... 849 752 889 866 920 960 821 

Cash contributions ................................................... 1,633 1,242 1,795 2,046 1,687 1,487 1,584 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................... 5,373 2,570 6,534 5,784 6,758 7,732 6,950 

Life and other personal insurance ......................... 318 143 391 380 413 402 376 

Pensions and Social Security ................................ 5,054 2,427 6,143 5,404 6,345 7,330 6,574 

n.a. Not applicable.

12
Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

Item

Husband and wife consumer units

One

parent,

at least

one child

under 18

Single

person

and other

consumer

units

Total

Husband

and wife

only

Husband and wife with children Other

husband

and wife

consumer

units

Total

Oldest

child

under 6

Oldest

child

6 to 17

Oldest

child 18

or older

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ............. 59,739 25,723 28,172 5,185 14,242 8,745 5,844 7,141 54,227 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ........................................... $85,296 $76,543 $93,627 $87,439 $94,807 $95,374 $83,666 $34,652 $41,012 

Age of reference person ...................................... 50.0 58.0 42.8 32.2 40.9 52.0 49.4 37.5 50.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons .............................................................. 3.2 2.0 4.0 3.5 4.2 4.0 5.0 2.9 1.7 

Children under 18 .............................................. .9 n.a. 1.6 1.5 2.2 .7 1.4 1.8 .2 

Persons 65 and older ......................................... .4 .7 .1 1 ( ) 2 ( ) .2 .6 2 ( ) .3 

Earners .............................................................. 1.6 1.2 1.9 1.6 1.7 2.4 2.1 .9 .9 

Vehicles ............................................................. 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.0 2.5 3.1 2.7 1.2 1.3 

Percent homeowner ............................................. 81 85 78 66 78 86 76 40 52 

Average annual expenditures ................................ $61,762 $56,035 $67,383 $61,756 $69,536 $67,057 $60,146 $36,933 $34,471 

Food ..................................................................... 7,816 6,494 8,876 7,056 9,386 9,054 8,759 5,227 4,352 

Food at home ..................................................... 4,670 3,813 5,314 4,311 5,476 5,587 5,514 3,287 2,493 

Cereals and bakery products ........................... 648 505 759 564 811 781 776 451 343 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......................... 1,005 833 1,119 799 1,144 1,247 1,255 725 545 

Dairy products .................................................. 500 401 579 486 604 590 569 318 254 

Fruits and vegetables ....................................... 881 734 978 839 993 1,027 1,098 565 468 

Other food at home .......................................... 1,636 1,340 1,879 1,623 1,925 1,941 1,816 1,230 883 

Food away from home ....................................... 3,147 2,681 3,562 2,745 3,910 3,467 3,245 1,939 1,859 

Alcoholic beverages ............................................. 472 561 424 440 421 420 283 167 376 

Housing ................................................................ 20,303 18,028 22,492 24,219 23,095 20,460 19,748 14,224 12,726 

Shelter ................................................................ 11,721 10,368 13,067 14,177 13,608 11,526 11,191 8,263 7,912 

Owned dwellings .............................................. 8,756 7,859 9,788 10,029 10,206 8,963 7,733 3,638 3,894 

Rented dwellings .............................................. 2,037 1,425 2,402 3,478 2,491 1,618 2,969 4,422 3,649 

Other lodging ................................................... 928 1,084 877 670 912 944 489 202 369 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ..................... 4,437 3,988 4,709 3,799 4,778 5,136 5,099 3,342 2,846 

Household operations ........................................ 1,358 934 1,799 3,737 1,643 903 1,096 1,184 598 

Housekeeping supplies ...................................... 797 774 830 656 883 839 739 443 424 

Household furnishings and equipment ............... 1,991 1,964 2,088 1,851 2,182 2,057 1,624 991 946 

Apparel and services ........................................... 2,075 1,650 2,438 2,169 2,672 2,214 2,249 2,012 1,241 

Transportation ...................................................... 10,123 9,226 10,984 9,357 11,184 11,569 9,936 6,428 5,142 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ........................... 3,574 3,229 3,970 3,761 4,237 3,658 3,184 2,275 1,544 

Gasoline and motor oil ....................................... 2,752 2,347 3,057 2,451 3,079 3,381 3,064 1,716 1,504 

Other vehicle expenses ..................................... 3,148 2,966 3,301 2,639 3,139 3,905 3,225 2,160 1,745 

Public transportation .......................................... 649 685 655 506 729 624 462 278 348 

Healthcare ............................................................ 4,280 5,028 3,742 3,124 3,631 4,289 3,577 1,513 2,135 

Entertainment ....................................................... 3,321 2,998 3,627 2,869 4,175 3,186 3,269 1,709 1,704 

Personal care products and services ................... 729 665 794 636 819 840 708 525 426 

Reading ................................................................ 126 153 112 78 117 123 73 42 79 

Education ............................................................. 1,468 803 2,099 652 2,030 3,068 1,359 372 733 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ............. 356 312 334 245 307 429 651 303 377 

Miscellaneous ...................................................... 985 968 996 1,132 931 1,025 1,017 610 730 

Cash contributions ............................................... 2,097 2,535 1,763 1,214 1,843 1,958 1,780 894 1,220 

Personal insurance and pensions ........................ 7,611 6,614 8,703 8,564 8,925 8,422 6,739 2,908 3,231 

Life and other personal insurance ...................... 495 494 529 468 521 577 332 130 148 

Pensions and Social Security ............................ 7,116 6,119 8,174 8,096 8,404 7,844 6,406 2,778 3,083 

1 No data reported. 2 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, 2010

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) ....... 121,107 14,378 21,101 12,095 26,231 37,747 9,555 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $17,654 $43,422 $32,544 $57,207 $92,421 $106,121 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 67.0 43.0 63.2 47.5 44.0 46.6 

Average number in consumer unit:

Persons ........................................................ 2.5 1.0 1.0 2.4 3.1 3.1 4.5 

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

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .6 .1 1.2 .3 .1 .1 

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 .9 1.2 1.7 1.9 2.4 3.1 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 59 45 72 65 75 79 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $21,859 $34,099 $37,785 $49,122 $63,071 $70,354 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 2,745 3,922 5,282 6,502 7,784 9,927 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 1,849 1,896 3,654 4,114 4,370 5,881 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 271 248 498 584 598 819 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 388 378 856 902 912 1,379 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 196 191 372 434 465 618 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 366 364 671 748 829 1,107 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 629 715 1,257 1,447 1,566 1,957 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 896 2,026 1,628 2,387 3,414 4,046 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 143 442 303 331 569 541 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 9,334 12,509 12,916 17,498 20,891 21,321 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 5,674 8,318 6,568 10,198 12,357 12,330 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 2,887 3,879 3,943 6,390 8,925 8,862 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 2,577 3,968 1,966 3,144 2,611 2,677 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 210 470 659 665 821 791 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 2,317 2,340 3,564 3,983 4,321 5,217 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 485 541 770 1,093 1,494 962 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 316 371 689 680 735 820 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 542 940 1,324 1,543 1,985 1,992 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 440 1,048 1,777 1,872 2,181 2,594 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 2,516 5,027 5,840 7,923 10,363 12,442 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 584 1,344 1,894 2,865 3,678 4,170 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 730 1,460 1,549 2,240 2,818 3,462 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 1,029 1,811 1,993 2,354 3,218 4,087 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 174 412 404 464 649 723 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 2,630 1,617 4,736 3,305 3,520 3,514 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 1,065 1,696 2,104 2,556 3,376 3,416 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 299 401 522 608 730 839 

Reading .......................................................... 100 77 83 118 91 115 111 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 350 770 330 915 1,495 2,555 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 242 285 341 425 380 494 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 708 783 802 798 959 977 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 1,117 1,327 2,194 1,549 1,772 2,059 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 193 4,190 521 4,748 8,934 9,564 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 141 145 291 321 437 525 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 152 4,045 1229 4,427 8,497 9,040 

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, 2010

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) ....... 121,107 79,451 49,278 30,173 41,656 110,689 35,249 75,440 10,418 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $75,653 $88,962 $53,917 $37,359 $63,887 $57,510 $66,866 $47,548 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 53.6 47.8 63.0 41.5 49.0 46.2 50.4 53.5 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

Persons 65 and older ................................... .3 .4 .2 .8 .2 .3 .2 .3 .4 

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

Vehicles ........................................................ 1.9 2.3 2.5 2.1 1.1 1.9 1.4 2.0 2.5 

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 100 100 100 n.a. 64 50 71 81 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $55,780 $63,235 $43,179 $33,460 $48,948 $44,438 $51,043 $39,144 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 6,820 7,350 5,715 4,802 6,211 5,847 6,376 5,222 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 4,000 4,215 3,531 2,902 3,641 3,424 3,739 3,435 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 559 585 502 391 504 471 518 481 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 851 885 775 657 789 776 794 737 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 427 450 375 292 381 347 396 378 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 748 792 652 547 688 653 704 583 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 1,415 1,502 1,228 1,015 1,280 1,177 1,326 1,257 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 2,820 3,135 2,184 1,900 2,570 2,423 2,637 1,786 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 451 519 305 338 420 414 423 320 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 18,503 22,278 12,294 12,843 17,017 15,966 17,504 11,670

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 10,400 13,557 5,243 8,691 10,213 10,057 10,286 5,549 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 9,469 12,624 4,316 190 6,464 5,087 7,108 4,290 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 58 47 76 8,319 3,094 4,356 2,504 835 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 873 886 852 182 655 614 674 424 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 4,314 4,572 3,891 2,413 3,670 3,266 3,859 3,552 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 1,230 1,421 921 582 1,048 934 1,101 575 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 741 762 697 362 607 501 655 661 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 1,817 1,966 1,543 796 1,479 1,208 1,604 1,334 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 1,781 2,007 1,321 1,544 1,745 1,925 1,664 1,203 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 9,056 10,047 7,450 5,046 7,701 6,702 8,166 7,430 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 3,097 3,490 2,456 1,618 2,599 2,197 2,787 2,476 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 2,458 2,764 1,958 1,511 2,104 1,701 2,293 2,429 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 2,933 3,150 2,591 1,567 2,480 2,192 2,612 2,297 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 567 643 444 350 517 612 474 228 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 4,016 3,734 4,478 1,518 3,126 2,383 3,473 3,483 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 3,088 3,423 2,513 1,390 2,541 2,140 2,726 2,114 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 678 733 572 399 601 561 619 381 

Reading .......................................................... 100 124 122 129 52 101 97 103 81 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 1,197 1,368 912 840 1,129 1,073 1,155 499 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 341 345 335 402 337 296 356 632 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 1,045 1,100 973 473 849 695 920 849 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 2,015 1,899 2,205 905 1,656 1,364 1,793 1,389 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 6,665 8,312 3,975 2,907 5,514 4,975 5,766 3,871 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 432 505 315 100 320 252 352 297 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 6,233 7,807 3,661 2,807 5,194 4,723 5,414 3,574 

n.a. Not applicable.

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

Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

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) ....... 121,107 106,287 101,137 5,151 14,820 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $64,817 $63,773 $85,316 $45,727 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 49.8 50.0 44.2 47.1 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

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

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

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 68 69 55 46 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $49,815 $49,395 $58,376 $35,863 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 6,314 6,253 7,656 4,796 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 3,700 3,689 3,953 3,075 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 513 511 563 419 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 780 776 891 813 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 398 400 350 255 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 694 683 958 572 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 1,314 1,320 1,190 1,016 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 2,613 2,564 3,703 1,721 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 441 446 322 203 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 16,899 16,712 20,549 14,102 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 10,046 9,851 13,875 8,132 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 6,646 6,572 8,099 3,630 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 2,716 2,604 4,922 4,216 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 684 675 853 286 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 3,647 3,666 3,285 3,749 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 1,050 1,037 1,298 704 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 634 638 542 449 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 1,522 1,520 1,549 1,068 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 1,737 1,663 3,414 1,429 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 7,950 7,915 8,673 5,724 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 2,727 2,734 2,599 1,591 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 2,182 2,186 2,098 1,775 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 2,525 2,509 2,885 2,025 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 515 486 1,092 333 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 3,355 3,397 2,525 1,734 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 2,665 2,687 2,192 1,352 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 590 590 593 525 

Reading .......................................................... 100 108 109 89 41 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 1,163 1,077 2,854 441 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 380 392 146 231 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 891 907 546 549 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 1,675 1,700 1,178 1,334 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 5,647 5,546 7,640 3,401 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 333 333 333 212 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 5,315 5,213 7,306 3,189 

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, 2010

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) ....... 121,107 14,754 106,353 91,816 14,537 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................... $62,481 $49,845 $64,234 $67,283 $44,980 

Age of reference person ................................. 49.4 43.9 50.2 50.7 47.0 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

Earners ......................................................... 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.3 1.1 

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

Percent homeowner ....................................... 66 48 68 72 46 

Average annual expenditures ........................... $48,109 $41,456 $49,032 $51,167 $35,547 

Food ............................................................... 6,129 6,486 6,080 6,287 4,778 

Food at home ............................................... 3,624 4,012 3,572 3,651 3,068 

Cereals and bakery products ..................... 502 519 499 512 419 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................... 784 964 760 752 808 

Dairy products ............................................ 380 421 375 394 254 

Fruits and vegetables ................................. 679 820 660 675 570 

Other food at home .................................... 1,278 1,287 1,277 1,318 1,016 

Food away from home .................................. 2,505 2,474 2,509 2,635 1,711 

Alcoholic beverages ....................................... 412 260 433 470 195 

Housing .......................................................... 16,557 15,432 16,713 17,153 13,933 

Shelter .......................................................... 9,812 9,518 9,852 10,145 8,007 

Owned dwellings ........................................ 6,277 4,676 6,499 6,959 3,594 

Rented dwellings ........................................ 2,900 4,526 2,674 2,436 4,178 

Other lodging .............................................. 635 317 679 750 235 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................ 3,660 3,471 3,686 3,676 3,753 

Household operations .................................. 1,007 673 1,054 1,110 699 

Housekeeping supplies ................................ 612 549 620 648 447 

Household furnishings and equipment ......... 1,467 1,222 1,500 1,575 1,028 

Apparel and services ...................................... 1,700 1,998 1,659 1,696 1,429 

Transportation ................................................ 7,677 6,629 7,822 8,161 5,685 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..................... 2,588 1,907 2,683 2,865 1,532 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................. 2,132 2,185 2,125 2,180 1,778 

Other vehicle expenses ................................ 2,464 2,134 2,509 2,583 2,045 

Public transportation ..................................... 493 402 505 533 329 

Healthcare ...................................................... 3,157 1,842 3,339 3,595 1,726 

Entertainment ................................................. 2,504 1,644 2,623 2,828 1,325 

Personal care products and services ............. 582 565 585 595 521 

Reading .......................................................... 100 37 108 119 40 

Education ....................................................... 1,074 803 1,112 1,221 426 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ....... 362 165 389 414 235 

Miscellaneous ................................................. 849 507 896 950 551 

Cash contributions .......................................... 1,633 1,074 1,711 1,771 1,333 

Personal insurance and pensions .................. 5,373 4,014 5,561 5,908 3,369 

Life and other personal insurance ................ 318 149 342 362 212 

Pensions and Social Security ....................... 5,054 3,865 5,219 5,546 3,158 

17
Table 11. Region of residence: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

Item

All

consumer

units

Northeast Midwest South West

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ........................ 121,107 22,227 26,997 44,449 27,434 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ...................................................... $62,481 $68,409 $58,417 $58,824 $67,603 

Age of reference person ................................................. 49.4 50.5 49.0 49.8 48.3 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

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

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

Percent homeowner ........................................................ 66 63 69 68 60 

Average annual expenditures ........................................... $48,109 $52,802 $45,278 $44,217 $53,429 

Food ................................................................................ 6,129 6,755 5,738 5,645 6,804 

Food at home ................................................................ 3,624 3,910 3,577 3,335 3,914 

Cereals and bakery products ...................................... 502 558 501 454 535 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..................................... 784 860 717 763 826 

Dairy products ............................................................. 380 432 386 341 397 

Fruits and vegetables .................................................. 679 753 669 589 779 

Other food at home ..................................................... 1,278 1,307 1,303 1,188 1,377 

Food away from home .................................................. 2,505 2,845 2,161 2,310 2,891 

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................ 412 528 380 325 492 

Housing ........................................................................... 16,557 19,034 14,762 14,890 19,019 

Shelter ........................................................................... 9,812 11,772 8,514 8,123 12,237 

Owned dwellings ......................................................... 6,277 7,429 5,903 5,229 7,412 

Rented dwellings ......................................................... 2,900 3,636 1,947 2,353 4,127 

Other lodging .............................................................. 635 708 664 542 699 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................ 3,660 3,985 3,415 3,847 3,334 

Household operations ................................................... 1,007 1,093 859 940 1,192 

Housekeeping supplies ................................................. 612 619 634 586 624 

Household furnishings and equipment .......................... 1,467 1,566 1,340 1,393 1,632 

Apparel and services ...................................................... 1,700 2,084 1,474 1,506 1,932 

Transportation ................................................................. 7,677 7,754 7,222 7,590 8,206 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...................................... 2,588 2,353 2,403 2,719 2,749 

Gasoline and motor oil .................................................. 2,132 1,903 2,108 2,229 2,186 

Other vehicle expenses ................................................ 2,464 2,785 2,285 2,315 2,623 

Public transportation ..................................................... 493 713 426 327 648 

Healthcare ....................................................................... 3,157 3,125 3,265 3,041 3,265 

Entertainment .................................................................. 2,504 2,688 2,548 2,347 2,568 

Personal care products and services .............................. 582 602 518 566 655 

Reading ........................................................................... 100 124 101 80 111 

Education ........................................................................ 1,074 1,618 1,153 697 1,167 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ........................ 362 380 381 401 266 

Miscellaneous ................................................................. 849 910 773 716 1,090 

Cash contributions .......................................................... 1,633 1,444 1,589 1,633 1,830 

Personal insurance and pensions ................................... 5,373 5,756 5,371 4,780 6,023 

Life and other personal insurance ................................. 318 350 384 286 279 

Pensions and Social Security ....................................... 5,054 5,406 4,987 4,494 5,744 

18
Table 12. Occupation of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

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) 5,339 76,067 30,200 20,308 13,520 3,843 8,197 21,457 18,244 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes .............................. $78,480 $74,147 $102,752 $61,926 $50,097 $56,039 $47,197 $35,779 $40,563 

Age of reference person ......................... 48.7 43.6 44.6 42.2 43.2 42.4 44.3 73.8 45.4 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

Earners ................................................. 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 .2 .6 

Vehicles ................................................ 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.0 1.8 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.6 

Percent homeowner ................................ 71 64 75 60 51 58 58 82 51 

Average annual expenditures ................... $59,005 $53,218 $67,312 $47,921 $41,517 $45,062 $37,676 $36,111 $37,998 

Food ........................................................ 6,912 6,658 7,862 6,175 5,732 6,206 5,210 4,608 5,618 

Food at home ........................................ 4,078 3,718 4,173 3,439 3,438 3,822 3,167 3,043 3,797 

Cereals and bakery products .............. 532 514 578 472 466 550 451 425 531 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ............. 898 789 842 719 803 856 711 672 862 

Dairy products ..................................... 440 390 442 359 361 394 322 321 395 

Fruits and vegetables .......................... 806 695 794 625 676 668 557 595 680 

Other food at home ............................. 1,402 1,330 1,517 1,264 1,132 1,355 1,126 1,029 1,328 

Food away from home .......................... 2,834 2,940 3,689 2,736 2,293 2,384 2,043 1,565 1,821 

Alcoholic beverages ................................ 557 488 625 476 338 474 275 279 235 

Housing ................................................... 19,092 18,044 22,613 16,294 14,647 14,943 12,631 12,898 13,933 

Shelter ................................................... 11,615 10,932 13,897 9,717 8,733 8,970 7,572 6,859 8,085 

Owned dwellings ................................. 7,953 7,081 9,873 5,889 4,700 5,393 4,464 4,703 4,286 

Rented dwellings ................................. 2,984 3,166 2,861 3,342 3,739 3,258 2,868 1,503 3,406 

Other lodging ...................................... 678 685 1,162 485 294 320 240 652 393 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ........ 4,105 3,775 4,203 3,606 3,398 3,518 3,359 3,390 3,367 

Household operations ........................... 1,189 1,138 1,680 973 683 750 488 777 677 

Housekeeping supplies ......................... 714 613 727 597 553 475 407 621 566 

Household furnishings and equipment .. 1,470 1,585 2,106 1,402 1,279 1,229 804 1,251 1,238 

Apparel and services .............................. 2,192 1,821 2,249 1,569 1,711 1,365 1,292 978 1,901 

Transportation ......................................... 8,812 8,745 10,283 8,486 7,042 7,736 7,007 5,513 5,489 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .............. 2,612 3,014 3,559 3,123 2,221 2,148 2,445 1,785 1,753 

Gasoline and motor oil .......................... 2,372 2,402 2,570 2,316 2,158 2,649 2,288 1,404 1,793 

Other vehicle expenses ........................ 3,245 2,764 3,324 2,606 2,247 2,601 2,026 1,948 1,641 

Public transportation ............................. 583 565 830 441 417 338 248 376 302 

Healthcare ............................................... 3,529 2,882 3,678 2,549 2,290 2,251 2,045 4,676 2,408 

Entertainment .......................................... 3,526 2,727 3,534 2,548 1,802 2,722 1,733 1,936 1,972 

Personal care products and services ...... 625 631 833 575 492 485 335 517 449 

Reading ................................................... 131 98 144 84 55 52 53 133 58 

Education ................................................ 1,027 1,333 1,933 983 1,031 1,090 602 218 1,020 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies 365 361 244 405 385 649 507 226 526 

Miscellaneous ......................................... 1,307 882 1,197 706 641 764 618 880 541 

Cash contributions .................................. 1,872 1,640 2,248 1,357 1,029 1,564 1,144 2,119 963 

Personal insurance and pensions ........... 9,059 6,907 9,869 5,713 4,321 4,761 4,225 1,131 2,884 

Life and other personal insurance ......... 496 340 501 287 212 171 174 290 206 

Pensions and Social Security ............... 8,562 6,567 9,368 5,426 4,109 4,590 4,051 841 2,678 

19
Table 13. Education of reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2010

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) ......... 121,107 85,128 17,303 30,921 25,460 11,443 35,980 22,877 13,103 

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ........................................ $62,481 $47,858 $33,317 $47,029 $52,113 $62,618 $97,080 $88,003 $112,927 

Age of reference person ................................... 49.4 50.0 53.9 51.7 46.5 47.7 48.0 46.9 49.8 

Average number in consumer unit:

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

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

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

Earners ........................................................... 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 

Vehicles .......................................................... 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 

Percent homeowner ......................................... 66 61 54 64 59 70 76 73 81 

Average annual expenditures ............................ $48,109 $39,632 $29,753 $37,969 $43,144 $50,967 $68,189 $63,907 $75,752 

Food ................................................................. 6,129 5,396 4,842 5,138 5,617 6,348 7,871 7,594 8,398 

Food at home ................................................. 3,624 3,368 3,342 3,291 3,308 3,739 4,233 4,055 4,583 

Cereals and bakery products ....................... 502 465 467 452 455 519 589 570 625 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...................... 784 763 795 754 744 782 836 811 887 

Dairy products .............................................. 380 349 337 339 351 388 454 429 505 

Fruits and vegetables ................................... 679 607 626 582 597 673 851 793 966 

Other food at home ...................................... 1,278 1,184 1,117 1,164 1,161 1,377 1,503 1,452 1,600 

Food away from home ................................... 2,505 2,028 1,500 1,847 2,309 2,609 3,638 3,539 3,815 

Alcoholic beverages ......................................... 412 293 141 271 361 411 694 722 638 

Housing ............................................................ 16,557 13,659 10,647 13,378 14,635 16,750 23,419 21,968 25,977 

Shelter ............................................................ 9,812 7,841 6,057 7,618 8,560 9,542 14,475 13,673 15,875 

Owned dwellings .......................................... 6,277 4,596 2,828 4,534 5,125 6,264 10,254 9,345 11,840 

Rented dwellings .......................................... 2,900 2,896 3,089 2,760 2,961 2,823 2,908 3,114 2,549 

Other lodging ................................................ 635 349 140 323 474 455 1,312 1,214 1,485 

Utilities, fuels, and public services ................. 3,660 3,462 3,098 3,525 3,431 3,915 4,127 3,990 4,367 

Household operations .................................... 1,007 687 329 642 832 1,026 1,765 1,459 2,301 

Housekeeping supplies .................................. 612 536 460 505 556 676 792 778 819 

Household furnishings and equipment ........... 1,467 1,132 704 1,088 1,256 1,591 2,260 2,069 2,616 

Apparel and services ........................................ 1,700 1,455 1,323 1,279 1,386 2,250 2,282 2,262 2,310 

Transportation .................................................. 7,677 6,756 4,894 6,455 7,388 8,960 9,859 9,525 10,470 

Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ....................... 2,588 2,260 1,364 2,185 2,508 3,270 3,364 3,400 3,302 

Gasoline and motor oil ................................... 2,132 2,041 1,647 1,988 2,155 2,526 2,349 2,358 2,333 

Other vehicle expenses .................................. 2,464 2,163 1,676 2,031 2,391 2,727 3,178 2,932 3,633 

Public transportation ...................................... 493 292 207 251 334 437 968 834 1,203 

Healthcare ........................................................ 3,157 2,772 2,129 2,820 2,938 3,238 4,069 3,824 4,497 

Entertainment ................................................... 2,504 2,011 1,174 1,864 2,425 2,710 3,673 3,366 4,226 

Personal care products and services ............... 582 478 352 433 520 683 829 786 907 

Reading ............................................................ 100 70 35 67 90 90 169 143 213 

Education ......................................................... 1,074 579 205 347 912 1,020 2,247 1,986 2,705 

Tobacco products and smoking supplies ......... 362 438 440 503 381 386 183 219 119 

Miscellaneous .................................................. 849 639 452 616 731 778 1,346 1,319 1,376 

Cash contributions ........................................... 1,633 1,250 882 1,128 1,471 1,644 2,540 2,243 3,058 

Personal insurance and pensions .................... 5,373 3,836 2,236 3,669 4,289 5,700 9,007 7,948 10,857 

Life and other personal insurance .................. 318 231 136 228 249 340 525 408 729 

Pensions and Social Security ......................... 5,054 3,606 2,100 3,441 4,041 5,359 8,482 7,540 10,127 

20