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

Survey, 2016-2017

Item 

All consumer 

units in the 

South 

Washington 

D.C. Baltimore Atlanta Miami DallasFort Worth Houston Tampa 

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ................................ 49,841 2,303 995 1,966 2,222 2,765 2,533 1,199 

Consumer unit characteristics: 

 Income before taxes ................................................................ $67,297 $113,834 $91,988 $90,502 $86,655 $78,842 $80,250 $60,340 

 Age of reference person................................................................ 50.7 49.1 52.1 47.7 54.2 46.9 46.8 54.4 

 Average number in consumer unit: 

 People ................................................................ 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.8 2.2 

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

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

 Earners ................................................................ 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.1 

 Vehicles ................................................................ 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.5 

 Percent homeowner ................................................................ 64 62 70 61 58 53 59 57 

Average annual expenditures ................................ $53,740 $79,921 $69,126 $62,250 $59,947 $63,207 $67,304 $48,654 

 Food ................................................................................................ 6,921 9,188 8,964 6,683 7,040 6,571 9,153 6,289 

 Food at home ................................................................ 3,892 4,703 4,443 3,699 4,118 3,433 4,491 3,615 

 Cereals and bakery products ................................ 500 556 551 443 524 393 568 462 

 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs................................ 884 1,042 956 890 1,126 846 1,087 933 

 Dairy products ................................................................ 376 463 428 344 378 299 373 388 

 Fruits and vegetables ................................................................ 724 941 1,008 672 880 665 905 650 

 Other food at home ................................................................ 1,407 1,701 1,499 1,351 1,210 1,230 1,558 1,182 

 Food away from home ................................................................ 3,030 4,485 4,521 2,984 2,922 3,139 4,662 2,675 

 Alcoholic beverages ................................................................ 421 662 724 385 487 576 650 417 

 Housing ................................................................ 17,383 29,101 23,247 20,965 22,620 22,350 21,818 17,131 

 Shelter ................................................................ 9,797 19,571 14,800 12,346 14,759 13,869 12,823 10,220 

 Owned dwellings ................................................................ 5,659 12,153 9,582 7,292 7,416 6,646 7,138 5,107 

 Rented dwellings ................................................................ 3,463 5,679 4,200 4,177 6,095 6,506 4,915 4,821 

 Other lodging ................................................................ 675 1,739 1,018 877 1,248 717 771 293 

 Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................ 3,864 4,154 4,021 4,363 3,845 4,182 4,226 3,365 

 Household operations ................................................................ 1,339 2,776 1,864 1,728 1,746 1,460 1,526 1,773 

 Housekeeping supplies ................................................................ 674 750 654 624 564 736 808 633 

 Household furnishings and equipment ................................ 1,709 1,851 1,908 1,904 1,706 2,103 2,436 1,140 

 Apparel and services ................................................................ 1,691 2,668 1,914 1,874 2,602 2,353 2,606 1,346 

 Transportation ................................................................9,323 10,748 11,049 11,747 7,963 10,507 12,232 8,307 

 Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ................................ 4,204 4,069 5,491 5,287 2,179 4,482 5,469 3,697 

 Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil ................................ 1,949 1,894 2,117 2,494 2,160 2,117 2,241 1,555 

 Other vehicle expenses ................................................................ 2,688 3,149 2,590 3,307 2,837 3,336 3,732 2,752 

 Public and other transportation ................................ 482 1,636 851 660 786 572 790 304 

 Healthcare ................................................................ 4,473 5,594 4,926 4,447 4,405 4,479 4,517 3,782 

 Entertainment ................................................................2,741 3,778 3,068 3,000 2,245 3,333 3,413 2,100 

 Personal care products and services ................................668 1,018 861 670 866 778 844 612 

 Reading ................................................................ 95 195 160 87 56 110 93 127 

 Education ................................................................ 1,088 2,033 1,617 1,319 563 1,662 1,474 658 

 Tobacco products and smoking supplies................................ 336 192 270 222 166 230 260 268 

 Miscellaneous................................................................ 779 1,558 913 771 1,263 1,150 974 944 

 Cash contributions ................................................................ 1,773 2,426 1,502 1,945 933 1,517 2,093 996 

 Personal insurance and pensions ................................ 6,047 10,760 9,910 8,136 8,739 7,592 7,177 5,776 

 Life and other personal insurance ................................350 511 472 327 272 245 252 249 

 Pensions and Social Security ................................ 5,697 10,249 9,439 7,808 8,467 7,348 6,926 5,527 

1

 Data are likely to have large sampling errors. 

Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September, 2018