Table 3024. Selected southern metropolitan statistical areas: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 

2019-2020

Item 

All consumer 

units in the 

South 

Washington 

D.C. Baltimore Atlanta Miami DallasFort Worth Houston Tampa 

Number of consumer units (in thousands)1......................... 50,775 2,367 768 2,035 2,259 2,960 2,171 1,109 

Consumer unit characteristics: 

 Income before taxes ......................................................... $78,716 $131,740 $122,281 $77,339 $67,286 $91,338 $91,255 $78,787 

 Age of reference person ................................................... 51.4 51.2 52.2 50.7 52.4 47.6 47.6 54.0 

 Average number in consumer unit: 

 People ........................................................................... 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.7 2.4 

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

 Adults 65 and older ....................................................... .4 .3 .3 .4 .4 .3 .3 .4 

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

 Vehicles ......................................................................... 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.8 

 Percent homeowner ......................................................... 66 68 70 66 54 58 63 68 

Average annual expenditures .............................................. $57,206 $89,052 $73,531 $62,746 $53,147 $62,306 $69,872 $60,720 

 Food .................................................................................. 7,045 10,145 7,772 9,430 6,178 6,208 7,324 8,545 

 Food at home ................................................................ 4,313 5,785 4,993 5,454 4,363 3,466 3,547 4,846 

 Cereals and bakery products ..................................... 545 744 698 737 508 440 422 620 

 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .................................... 950 1,111 1,003 1,187 1,104 746 891 1,028 

 Dairy products ............................................................ 400 583 466 461 396 304 296 495 

 Fruits and vegetables ................................................. 811 1,296 1,112 1,051 955 646 618 921 

 Other food at home .................................................... 1,608 2,050 1,713 2,018 1,399 1,329 1,320 1,783 

 Food away from home................................................... 2,732 4,360 2,780 3,975 1,815 2,742 3,776 3,699 

 Alcoholic beverages ......................................................... 447 818 542 749 330 435 450 630 

 Housing ............................................................................. 18,904 33,572 24,972 22,379 20,399 23,277 23,160 20,648 

 Shelter ........................................................................... 10,610 21,063 15,806 12,676 13,968 14,513 13,796 12,163 

 Owned dwellings ........................................................ 6,259 13,723 10,005 7,301 5,909 7,678 8,322 7,270 

 Rented dwellings ........................................................ 3,625 5,403 4,203 4,354 7,355 6,004 4,767 4,086 

 Other lodging .............................................................. 726 1,937 1,598 1,021 704 831 707 807 

 Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................ 4,145 4,689 4,203 4,359 3,620 4,794 4,595 4,181 

 Household operations ................................................... 1,421 2,600 1,901 1,583 985 1,522 1,729 1,545 

 Housekeeping supplies ................................................. 751 1,094 769 1,050 473 632 773 742 

 Household furnishings and equipment .......................... 1,977 4,127 2,294 2,712 1,353 1,816 2,266 2,017 

 Apparel and services ........................................................ 1,455 2,901 1,707 2,243 1,505 1,509 1,307 1,202 

 Transportation .................................................................. 10,178 10,912 11,946 8,711 9,730 9,696 11,252 11,178 

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...................................... 4,610 4,163 5,764 22,559 3,143 3,570 4,498 4,641 

 Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil .............................. 1,844 1,652 1,756 1,915 1,981 1,981 2,018 1,883 

 Other vehicle expenses ................................................. 3,335 4,024 3,681 3,597 4,162 3,632 3,947 3,912 

 Public and other transportation ..................................... 388 1,073 745 639 445 512 788 742 

 Healthcare ........................................................................ 5,040 6,325 5,610 5,071 4,348 5,515 5,171 5,254 

 Entertainment ................................................................... 2,639 3,876 2,747 2,735 1,454 2,742 6,040 2,533 

 Personal care products and services ............................... 660 921 832 819 684 660 827 717 

 Reading ............................................................................ 93 211 101 64 232 85 70 2115 

 Education .......................................................................... 1,090 1,995 2,682 1,112 1,197 1,882 1,249 963 

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies ......................... 346 154 281 133 117 245 338 451 

 Miscellaneous ................................................................... 803 1,352 900 620 527 899 1,222 701 

 Cash contributions ............................................................ 1,929 3,869 1,811 1,385 699 1,591 3,736 1,426 

 Personal insurance and pensions .................................... 6,577 12,004 11,626 7,297 5,945 7,562 7,726 6,356 

 Life and other personal insurance ................................. 501 586 643 525 411 306 521 490 

 Pensions and Social Security........................................ 6,076 11,418 10,983 6,771 5,534 7,256 7,206 5,866 

1

 Data are rounded to the nearest thousands. 

2

 Data are likely to have large sampling errors. 

Source: Consumer Expenditure Surveys, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September, 2021