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Consumer Expenditures
in 2003
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
June 2005
Report 986

A

verage annual expenditures per consumer unit1 (CU)
were essentially unchanged in 2003, rising just 0.3
percent over the previous year, from $40,677 to
$40,817. The increase in spending in 2003 was less than the
2.3-percent annual average rise in general price levels over
the year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Spending rose 3.9 percent in 2001 and 2.9 percent in 2002.
This report shows the latest results from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE).

resulted from decreases of 1.8 percent for cereals and bakery
products and 3.1 percent for fruits and vegetables, being
offset by increases of 3.4 percent for meats, poultry, fish, and
eggs, and 3.0 percent for other food at home. This last category includes such items as sugar and other sweets, fats
and oils, miscellaneous foods, and nonalcoholic beverages.
Spending on dairy products was unchanged from 2002 to
2003. Data classified by region of residence of the consumer
unit show that spending on food changed relatively little in
the Northeast (–1.4 percent), Midwest (–1.8 percent), and
South (–2.8 percent), whereas it rose 4.4 percent in the West.
Differences among the regions in changes in spending on
food away from home were more pronounced, especially in
the South (–8.3 percent) and the West (5.8 percent).
Expenditures on housing, the largest component of total
spending, showed little change between 2001 and 2003, with
a 1.1-percent increase in 2003 following a 2.1-percent increase
in 2002. Moderate decreases in spending on housekeeping
supplies (–2.9 percent) and housefurnishings and equipment
(–1.4 percent) were offset by increases in shelter (0.7 percent) and in utilities, fuels, and public services (4.7 percent).
Only the change for the last component was statistically
significant. Prices for fuels and utilities, as measured by the
CPI, also increased (7.6 percent) in 2003. A year earlier, both
expenditures and prices for that component decreased, by
3.0 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively. Spending on household operations was essentially unchanged, as consumers
spent $706 in 2002 and $707 in 2003. Data classified by the
age of the reference person3 show that whereas spending on
housing rose just 1.1 percent on average for all consumer
units, it rose 4.8 percent for those aged 25 to 34 years, 6.0
percent for the age-65-and-over group, and dropped 4.6 percent for the under-age-25 group.
The 6.2-percent decrease in spending on apparel and
services in 2003 was similar to the 6.1-percent decrease in
2001. Spending on that component in 2002 was essentially
unchanged, rising just 0.3 percent. Spending decreased in
2003 for men’s and boys’ apparel (–9.2 percent), women’s
and girls’ apparel (–9.9 percent), apparel for children under 2
years (–1.4 percent), and footwear (–6.1 percent), whereas
spending on other apparel products and services rose 7.8

Developments in 2003
The major components of spending—food, housing, apparel
and services, transportation, healthcare, entertainment, and
personal insurance and pensions—account for about 90
percent of total expenditures, and of these, only the change
in apparel and services was statistically significant in 2003,
decreasing by 6.2 percent. (See table A.) The other major
components showed little change in 2003: spending on food
and entertainment both decreased by less than 1 percent,
housing rose 1.1 percent, transportation increased 0.3 percent, healthcare rose 2.8 percent, and personal insurance
and pensions grew 4.0 percent.
There were no major changes from 2002 to 2003 in the
percent distribution (share of total expenditures2) of each of
the components of spending. (See table B.) Expenditure
shares are relatively stable from year to year, and this stability makes the percent distribution more useful for identifying
long-term spending trends than are percent changes in expenditures from one year to the next. For example, despite
the 6.2-percent decrease in spending on apparel and services, the share of total expenditures allocated to that component dropped just 0.3 percentage point—from 4.3 percent to
4.0 percent.
The 0.7-percent decline in spending on food resulted from
a 1.0-percent increase in spending on food at home being
offset by a 2.9-percent decrease in spending on food away
from home. The drop in spending on food away from home in
2003 was not statistically significant, but it was the first time
since 1991 that spending on that component decreased from
the previous year. The increase in spending on food at home
1
See the glossary at the end of this report for a definition of
consumer unit.
2
See the glossary at the end of this report for a definition of total
expenditures.

3
See the glossary at the end of this report for a definition of
reference person.

1

Table A. Average annual expenditures of all consumer units and percent changes, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2001–2003
Percent change
2001

2002

2003

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .............

110,339

112,108

115,356

Income before taxes1...............................................

$47,507

$49,430

$51,128

Averages: ................................................................
Age of reference person ..................................
Number of persons in consumer unit ................
Number of earners .............................................
Number of vehicles ............................................
Percent homeowner ................................................

48.1
2.5
1.4
1.9
66

48.1
2.5
1.4
2.0
66

48.4
2.5
1.3
1.9
67

Average annual expenditures ................................
Food ...................................................................
Food at home ................................................
Cereals and bakery products .................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ................
Dairy products ........................................
Fruits and vegetables .............................
Other food at home .................................
Food away from home .................................
Alcoholic beverages ..........................................
Housing ..............................................................
Shelter ...........................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ...............
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Housefurnishings and equipment ................
Apparel and services ........................................
Transportation ....................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ....................
Gasoline and motor oil ..................................
Other vehicle expenses ...............................
Public transportation .....................................
Healthcare ..........................................................
Entertainment .....................................................
Personal care products and services ...............
Reading ..............................................................
Education ............................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies ..........
Miscellaneous ....................................................
Cash contributions .............................................
Personal insurance and pensions .....................
Life and other personal insurance ...............
Pensions and Social Security 2......................

$39,518
5,321
3,086
452
828
332
522
952
2,235
349
13,011
7,602
2,767
676
509
1,458
1,743
7,633
3,579
1,279
2,375
400
2,182
1,953
485
141
648
308
750
1,258
3,737
410
3,326

$40,677
5,375
3,099
450
798
328
552
970
2,276
376
13,283
7,829
2,684
706
545
1,518
1,749
7,759
3,665
1,235
2,471
389
2,350
2,079
526
139
752
320
792
1,277
3,899
406
3,493

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211
391
13,432
7,887
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640
7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385
2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370
4,055
397
3,658

Item

1

2001–2002

2002–2003

2.9
1.0
.4
–.4
–3.6
–1.2
5.7
1.9
1.8
7.7
2.1
3.0
–3.0
4.4
7.1
4.1
.3
1.7
2.4
–3.4
4.0
–2.7
7.7
6.5
8.5
–1.4
16.0
3.9
5.6
1.5
4.3
–1.0
5.0

0.3
–.7
1.0
–1.8
3.4
.0
–3.1
3.0
–2.9
4.0
1.1
.7
4.7
.1
–2.9
–1.4
–6.2
.3
1.8
7.9
–5.7
–1.0
2.8
–.9
.2
–8.6
4.1
–9.4
–23.5
7.3
4.0
2.2
4.7

Income values are derived from “complete income reporters” only. (See glossary at the end of this report.)

2

Table B. Distribution of total annual expenditures by major category, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2000–2003
Item
Average annual expenditures ........................................
Food ...........................................................................
Food at home ........................................................
Food away from home .........................................
Alcoholic beverages ..................................................
Housing ......................................................................
Apparel and services ................................................
Transportation ............................................................
Vehicles ................................................................
Gasoline and motor oil ..........................................
Other transportation .............................................
Healthcare ..................................................................
Entertainment .............................................................
Personal care products and services .....................
Reading ......................................................................
Education ...................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................
Miscellaneous ............................................................
Cash contributions ....................................................
Personal insurance and pensions .............................
Life and other personal insurance .......................
Pensions and Social Security ..............................

2000

2001

2002

2003

100.0
13.6
7.9
5.6
1.0
32.4
4.9
19.5
9.0
3.4
7.1
5.4
4.9
1.5
.4
1.7
.8
2.0
3.1
8.8
1.0
7.8

100.0
13.5
7.8
5.7
.9
32.9
4.4
19.3
9.1
3.2
7.0
5.5
4.9
1.2
.4
1.6
.8
1.9
3.2
9.5
1.0
8.4

100.0
13.2
7.6
5.6
.9
32.7
4.3
19.1
9.0
3.0
7.0
5.8
5.1
1.3
.3
1.8
.8
1.9
3.1
9.6
1.0
8.6

100.0
13.1
7.7
5.4
1.0
32.9
4.0
19.1
9.1
3.3
6.7
5.9
5.0
1.3
.3
1.9
.7
1.5
3.4
9.9
1.0
9.0

changes in the percentage of consumer units making such
purchases can affect the overall average.
Healthcare spending showed little change in 2003, rising
2.8 percent, following increases of 7.7 percent in 2002 and 5.6
percent in 2001. Among the components of healthcare, spending on health insurance continued to increase significantly,
with a 7.2-percent rise in 2003 following increases of 10.1
percent in 2002 and 7.9 percent in 2001. The increase in health
insurance spending in 2003 was offset somewhat by a 4.2percent drop in spending on (both prescription and nonprescription) drugs. The decrease in spending on drugs in 2003
followed several years of relatively large increases: 8.6 percent in 2002, 7.8 percent in 2001, and 12.6 percent in 2000.
The other two components of healthcare—medical services
and medical supplies—increased slightly in 2003, by 0.2 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. Data classified by the age
of the reference person show that the youngest group, with
reference person under age 25, spent the least on healthcare, $546, and had a large decrease (14.7 percent) in spending on that component in 2003. Healthcare accounted for 2.4
percent of that group’s total spending. In comparison, the
oldest group, with reference person age 75 and older, spent
the most on healthcare, $3,856, and had a large increase (7.6
percent) in spending. Healthcare accounted for 15.4 percent
of their spending.
After an increase of 6.5 percent in 2002, spending on entertainment was little changed in 2003, decreasing 0.9 percent. Among the components of entertainment, increases in
spending on televisions, radios, and sound equipment (5.5
percent) and on pets, toys, and playground equipment (2.5
percent) were offset by decreases in spending on fees and
admissions (8.7 percent) and on other entertainment supplies, equipment, and services (4.1 percent). This last com-

percent. This last component includes items such as watches,
jewelry, laundry, and drycleaning. The trend in the share of
total expenditures spent on apparel and services has been
downward over the last several years, possibly due to the
competition from cheaper imported clothing as well as a shift
to more casual, less expensive styles. In 1993, apparel and
services accounted for 5.5 percent of total spending; by 2003,
the share had fallen to 4.0 percent.
Spending on transportation was essentially unchanged
over the period, rising just 0.3 percent, from $7,759 in 2002 to
$7,781 in 2003. However, there were statistically significant
changes among the components of transportation, with a
7.9-percent increase in spending on gasoline and motor oil
offset somewhat by a 5.7-percent decrease in other vehicle
expenses, a category that includes items such as vehicle
finance charges, maintenance and repairs, and leasing and
renting vehicles. There was little change in the other two
components of transportation: expenditures for vehicle purchases rose 1.8 percent, and spending on public transportation fell 1.0 percent. Although spending on vehicle purchases
rose only slightly for all CUs, classifying the data by quintiles
of income4 revealed large changes for consumers in the lowest income quintile, as well as those in the highest. CUs in
the lowest income quintile decreased their spending on purchases of vehicles by 22.7 percent (from $1,603 in 2002 to
$1,240 in 2003), whereas CUs in the highest income quintile
increased their spending by 15.0 percent (from $6,288 to
$7,228). Spending on purchases of vehicles is subject to
large changes from year to year because vehicles are expensive and typically purchased infrequently, so relatively small
4
See the glossary at the end of this report for a definition of
quintiles of income before taxes.

3

ponent includes expensive items such as motorized recreational vehicles and boats that are purchased relatively infrequently, so comparatively small changes in the percentage of consumer units purchasing such items can affect the
overall average. Spending on other entertainment supplies,
equipment, and services rose 10.8 percent in 2002 and 9.4
percent in 2001, after spending in the category fell 17.8 percent in 2000. Data classified by the size of the consumer unit
showed large decreases in spending on entertainment for
both the smallest (1-person) consumer units (12.7 percent)
and the largest (5-or-more-person) consumer units (15.9 percent), whereas there was a large increase (14.4 percent) in
spending by 2-person consumer units. Large changes in other
entertainment supplies, equipment, and services contributed
to the changes for those size groups.
Expenditures and deductions for personal insurance and
pensions rose 4.0 percent in 2003, following an increase of
4.3 percent in 2002. The change in 2003 was not statistically
significant. Personal insurance and pensions accounted for
9.9 percent of the total expenditures of all consumer units in
2003. Consumer units in the highest income quintile spent
$12,615 on personal insurance and pensions in 2003, 5.4 percent more than a year earlier, whereas consumer units in the
lowest income quintile spent just $433, a drop of 15.5 percent
from 2002. Among those in the lowest income quintile are
large proportions of retired persons, students, and persons
just starting their careers, and these individuals typically do
not spend as much for personal insurance and pensions.
The lowest quintile group allocated 2.3 percent of its total
expenditures to this component, whereas the highest quintile
group allocated 15.4 percent.
Among the remaining components of spending, reading
(8.6 percent), tobacco products and smoking supplies (9.4
percent), and miscellaneous goods and services (23.5 percent) posted significant decreases in spending. This last
component includes items such as legal fees, funeral expenses, accounting fees, and finance charges excluding those
on mortgages and vehicles. Spending for some of these items
is volatile and may fluctuate widely from one year to the next.
Changes for the other minor components, while not statistically significant, included a 4.0-percent rise in spending on
alcoholic beverages, a 4.1-percent increase in spending on
education, and a 7.3-percent increase in cash contributions.
Spending on personal care products and services was essentially unchanged, rising just 0.2 percent.

ponents: a diary, or recordkeeping survey completed by participating consumer units for two consecutive 1-week periods; and an interview survey, in which expenditures of consumer units are obtained in five interviews conducted at 3month intervals. Results in this report are based on integrated data from both surveys.
Survey participants record dollar amounts for goods and
services purchased during the reporting period, whether
payment is or is not made at the time of purchase. Expenditure amounts include all sales and excise taxes for all items
purchased by the consumer unit for itself or for others. Excluded from both surveys are all business-related expenditures, as well as expenditures for which the consumer unit is
reimbursed.
Each component of the survey queries an independent
sample of consumer units that is representative of the U.S.
population. For the Diary Survey, about 7,500 consumer units
are sampled each year. Each consumer unit keeps a diary for
two 1-week periods, yielding approximately 15,000 diaries a
year. The Interview sample, selected on a rotating panel basis, surveys about 7,500 consumer units each quarter. Each
consumer unit is interviewed once per quarter, for 5 consecutive quarters. Data are collected on an ongoing basis in
105 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, as well as expenditures that occur on a regular basis, like rent, utility payments, and insurance premiums. The Interview Survey also collects data on
expenditures incurred on leisure trips. Including global estimates of spending for food, it is estimated that about 95
percent of expenditures are covered in the Interview Survey.
Nonprescription drugs, household supplies, and personal
care items are excluded.
The Diary Survey is designed to capture expenditures on
small, frequently purchased items that are normally difficult
for respondents to recall. Detailed records of expenses are
kept for food and beverages—both at home and in eating
places—and for tobacco, housekeeping supplies, nonprescription drugs, and personal care products and services.
Expenditures incurred by members of the consumer unit while
away from home overnight or longer are excluded from the
Diary Survey. Although this survey was designed to collect
information on expenditures that could not be recalled easily
over an extended period, respondents are asked to report all
expenses (except those for overnight travel) that the consumer unit incurs during the survey week.
Integrated data from the BLS Diary and Interview Surveys provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and income that neither survey alone is designed to
do. Data on some expenditure items are collected in only one
of the surveys. For example, the Diary Survey does not collect data on expenditures for overnight travel or information
on reimbursements, whereas the Interview Survey does. Ex-

Brief description of the Consumer Expenditure
Survey
The current CE program was begun in 1980. Its principal
objective is to collect information on the buying habits of
American consumers. Consumer expenditure data are used
in a variety of research endeavors by government, business,
labor, and academic analysts. In addition, the data are required for periodic revision of the CPI.
The survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consists of two com-

4

Tables and data
Tables in this report include integrated data from both the
diary and interview components of the CE, enabling data
users to associate the full range of expenditures with consumers’ demographic characteristics. Tables show data classified by income quintile, income class, age of the reference
person, size of the consumer unit, composition of the consumer unit, number of earners, housing tenure, type of area
(urban-rural), race, Hispanic origin, region of residence, occupation, and education. Whereas these are the same classifications published in previous reports, some new subclassifications are shown, beginning with the publication of the
2003 data. For example, prior to 2003, the housing tenure
category included homeowners and renters. Beginning in
2003, homeowners are further divided into those with a mortgage and those without a mortgage. (The changes for 2003
are described in the next section.)
Tables for the aforementioned classifications, but with
more detail than is given in this report, can be accessed via
the BLS Web site: http://www.bls.gov/cex. Also available are
tables showing average annual data over a 2-year period for
(1) income before taxes, cross-tabulated by age, consumer
unit size, or region; (2) single consumers by sex, cross-tabulated by either income or age; and (3) selected Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (MSAs). Data are available for 1984–2003.
Other survey information available on the Web site includes
answers to frequently asked questions, a glossary of terms,
and order forms for survey products. Beginning with the
2000 data, estimates of standard errors for integrated Diary
and Interview Survey data also are available. Many of the
tables that are shown on the BLS Web site are published in
biennial reports. The most recent is Consumer Expenditure
Survey, 2000–2001, Report 969, September 2003. The next
biennial report will include data for 2002 and 2003 and will be
published in mid-2005.

amples of expenditures for which reimbursements are excluded from the Diary Survey are medical care; automobile
repair; and construction, repairs, alterations, and maintenance
of property.
For items that are unique to one survey or the other, the
choice of which survey to use as the source of data is obvious. However, there is considerable overlap in coverage between the surveys. Consequently, integrating the data presents the problem of determining the appropriate survey
component from which to select expenditure items. When
data are available from both surveys, the more reliable of the
two (as determined by statistical methods) is selected. As a
result, some items are selected from the Interview Survey,
others from the Diary Survey.
Population coverage and definitions of components of
the CE differ from those of the CPI. Consumer expenditure
data cover the total population, whereas the CPI covers only
the population in urban and metropolitan areas. In addition,
home ownership is treated differently in the two surveys.
Actual expenditures of homeowners are reported in the CE,
whereas the CPI uses a rental equivalence approach that
attempts to measure the change in the cost of obtaining, in
the rental marketplace, services equivalent to those provided
by owner-occupied homes.
Interpreting the data
Expenditures are averages for consumer units with specified
characteristics, regardless of whether a particular unit incurred an expense for a specific item during the recordkeeping
period. The average expenditure for an item may be considerably lower than the expenditure by the CUs that purchased
the item. The less frequently an item is purchased, the greater
is the difference between the average for all consumer units
and the average for those purchasing the item. Also, an individual CU may spend more or less than the average, depending on its particular characteristics. Factors such as income,
age of family members, geographic location, and personal
preference also influence expenditures. Furthermore, even
within groups with similar characteristics, the distribution of
expenditures varies substantially. These points should be
considered in relating reported averages to individual circumstances.
Users of these survey data should also keep in mind that
prices for many goods and services have risen since the
survey was conducted. For example, rent, as measured by
the CPI, rose 4.1 percent between 2003 (annual average index) and December 2004 (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.

Changes to published tables in 2003
In 2003, the CE modified the questions on race and Hispanic
origin to comply with new standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting Federal data on race and ethnicity for
Federal statistical agencies. Beginning with the 2003 data,
the CE tables use data collected from the new race and
ethnicity questions. In addition to these changes, a more
comprehensive review was undertaken to evaluate the classifications of published CE data, with the goal of providing
data users with additional information while maintaining reliability and continuity with previously published data. As a
result of this review and the new race and ethnicity changes,
a number of new classifications of data are being made available with the publication of the 2003 data.
Race and ethnicity. In accordance with the new standards, the following changes were made to the CE questions:
(1) Individuals are now asked whether they are of Hispanic
ethnicity before being asked about race, whereas prior to
2003, they were asked about their ethnic origin after they

5

were asked about their race. (2) Individuals are now asked
directly whether they are Hispanic or Latino, whereas previously they were identified as Hispanic on the basis of their
or their ancestors’ country of origin. (3) With respect to race,
the responses of Asian and Pacific Islanders were split into
two categories: (a) Asian and (b) Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander. (4) The race question was reworded to indicate that individuals were allowed to choose more than one
race. Prior to 2003, individuals were required to select a single
primary race.
As a result of the changes to the race and ethnicity questions, revisions were made to the CE published tables. Prior
to 2003, CE data on race and Hispanic origin were included
with housing tenure and type of area (urban-rural) in one
table. Beginning in 2003, race and Hispanic origin are each
shown in separate tables. The new definitions of race and
Hispanic origin are included in the titles and column headings, so “Black” becomes “Black or African-American,” and
“Hispanic” becomes “Hispanic or Latino.” A new column for
Asian is shown in the race tables. In the “Hispanic or Latino”
table, the “Not Hispanic or Latino” class is further divided
into two classes: “White, Asian, and All Other Races” and
“Black or African-American.” In order to compare 2003 and
future data with earlier data, existing aggregations are maintained where possible. Therefore, the pre-2003 classes labeled “White and Other” and “Black” have been kept, but
with the new labels “White and All Other Races, and Asian”
and “Black or African- American.” The 2003 data for race are,
by definition, slightly different than for earlier years, due to
the multirace option. Approximately 1.3 percent of the CE
reference persons selected more than one race. Also, the
2003 published tables are based on responses collected over
the entire year and include a small percentage of answers
using the old format. Because of the 3-month recall in the
Interview Survey, the CE introduces changes to the questionnaire in April, not in January of any year. All respondents
participating in the Interview Survey were asked the new
race and ethnicity questions starting in April. A small portion
of the sample had their last interview and rotated out of the
survey in January through March 2003, so their race and
ethnic origin were determined on the basis of the old definitions.

area, the urban class includes new subclasses for central city and for other urban areas.

• Higher income before taxes. The highest income class
previously shown in the standard classification of income was for CUs with incomes of $70,000 and over.
As incomes have risen over the years, the upper income class has grown substantially. The larger sample
of higher income CUs allows for the publication of a
new table that shows CE data for CUs with before-tax
incomes of $70,000 to $79,999, $80,000 to $99,999,
$100,000 or more, $100,000 to $119,999, $120,000 to
$149,999, and $150,000 or more.
The CE staff will continue to evaluate the CE data in the
future to determine whether additional data classifications
can be created under the continuing constraints of data reliability and confidentiality.
Other available data
The 2003 Diary and Interview Survey microdata—that is,
data on individual consumer units—are available on CDROM. The Interview Survey files contain expenditure data in
two different formats: MTAB files, which present monthly
values in an item coding framework based on the CPI pricing
scheme; and EXPN files, which organize expenditures by the
section of the interview questionnaire in which they are collected. Expenditure values on EXPN files cover different periods, depending on the specific question asked; the files
also contain relevant nonexpenditure information not found
in the MTAB files. Currently available on CD-ROM are
microdata files back to 1990 and for selected earlier years.
The Consumer Expenditure Survey has also begun publishing CE 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 first of the reports, Consumer Expenditure Survey Anthology, 2003, Report 967, was
published in September 2003. The next anthology will be
published early in 2005. Subsequent anthologies will be published biennially.
CE data also are available via the BLS fax-on-demand
service, which provides information and data that may be
accessed from a touch-tone phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, by dialing 202- 691-6325. Voice prompts explain how to
obtain the information. Data available from the fax-on-demand service are for the most recent published year. Additional data also are presented in articles in the Monthly Labor Review.
For more detailed information on the availability of current and earlier data, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3985,
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20212-0001.
Telephone: 202- 691-6900. E-mail: cexinfo@bls.gov. Internet:
http://www.bls.gov/cex.

New data classifications beginning in 2003. The table review revealed that a number of additional data classes could
be formed while maintaining the reliability of the data.
Changes to existing tables and the addition of new tables
include the following:

• Housing tenure and type of area. Prior to 2003, these
classifications were included in one table together with
the race and Hispanic origin classifications. Beginning
in 2003, housing tenure and type of area are shown in
one table. Under housing tenure, the homeowner class
includes new subclasses for homeowners with mortgages and for those without mortgages. Under type of

6

Material in this publication is in the public domain and,
with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission. Information in this report is available upon request to

sensory-impaired individuals: Voice phone: 202 691-5200,
Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

Glossary
Consumer unit. Members of a household consisting of
(a) occupants related by blood, marriage, adoption, or some
other legal arrangement; (b) a single person living alone or
sharing a household with others, but who is financially independent; or (c) two or more persons living together who
share responsibility for at least 2 out of 3 major types of
expenses—food, housing, and other expenses. Students living in university-sponsored housing also are included in the
sample as separate consumer units.

members 14 years or older during the 12 months preceding
the interview. The components of income are wages and
salaries; self-employment income; Social Security and private and government retirement income; interest, dividends,
and rental and other property income; unemployment and
workers’ compensation and veterans’ benefits; public assistance, Supplemental Security Income, and Food Stamps; rent
or meals or both as pay; and regular contributions for support, such as alimony and child-support payments.

Reference person. The first member mentioned by the respondent when asked to “Start with the name of the person
or one of the persons who owns or rents the home.” It is with
respect to this person that the relationship of other consumer unit members is determined.

Complete income reporters. In general, a consumer unit that
provides values for at least one of the major sources of its
income, such as wages and salaries, self-employment income,
and Social Security income. Even complete income reporters
may not provide a full accounting of all income from all
sources.

Total expenditures. The transaction costs, including excise
and sales taxes, of goods and services acquired during the
interview period. Estimates include expenditures for gifts and
contributions and payments for pensions and personal insurance.

Quintiles of income before taxes. Categories of complete
income reporters, ranked in ascending order of income and
divided into five equal groups. Incomplete income reporters
are not ranked and are shown separately in the quintiles-ofincome tables.

Income. The combined income earned by all consumer unit

7

Table 1. Quintiles of income before taxes: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure
Survey, 2003
Complete reporting of income
Item

All
consumer
units

Total

Lowest
20
percent

Second
20
percent

Third
20
percent

Fourth
20
percent

Incomplete
reporting
of
income

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......
Lower limit ........................................................

115,356
n.a.

97,391
n.a.

19,455
n.a.

19,482
$14,762

19,472
$28,595

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$51,128
48.4

$8,201
51.2

$21,478
51.4

$37,542
47.2

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ..............................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66

1.8
.4
.4
.6
.9
41

2.3
.6
.5
1.0
1.5
55

2.5
.7
.3
1.4
2.0
65

2.8
.7
.2
1.7
2.5
79

3.1
.8
.1
2.0
2.9
90

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.8
71

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$42,742
5,593
3,236
456
837
343
556
1,044
2,358

$18,492
3,178
2,119
318
550
219
369
664
1,059

$26,729
4,102
2,713
390
727
289
484
823
1,389

$36,213
5,098
3,114
429
814
337
538
996
1,983

$50,468
6,544
3,726
528
982
392
601
1,224
2,818

$81,731
9,039
4,503
616
1,111
480
788
1,509
4,535

$32,054
4,593
2,837
403
792
287
480
875
1,756

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

442
13,653
7,921
5,247
2,220
455
2,820
730
582
1,600
1,744

198
6,858
4,071
1,488
2,442
140
1,719
241
299
528
913

230
9,285
5,329
2,466
2,714
149
2,309
406
417
824
1,073

329
11,709
6,770
3,841
2,689
240
2,731
500
481
1,226
1,458

552
15,357
8,838
6,460
1,924
454
3,238
762
660
1,859
2,018

902
25,033
14,585
11,964
1,332
1,290
4,098
1,739
1,051
3,559
3,255

248
12,550
7,704
5,352
1,961
391
2,767
583
387
1,110
1,330

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

8,041
3,871
1,353
2,416
400

2,859
1,240
614
852
154

4,920
2,164
981
1,539
235

7,210
3,367
1,352
2,233
258

10,677
5,351
1,736
3,159
432

14,525
7,229
2,083
4,292
922

6,404
2,975
1,221
1,897
311

Healthcare .....................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

2,495
2,155
559
133
792
307
658
1,458

1,439
703
295
58
576
237
298
449

2,132
1,307
368
88
287
315
461
789

2,553
1,776
484
114
351
347
591
1,071

2,745
2,471
638
151
623
356
888
1,458

3,606
4,516
1,011
254
2,121
281
1,054
3,517

2,055
1,634
436
95
752
195
359
894

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

4,710
414
4,296

433
125
308

1,373
226
1,147

3,123
305
2,818

5,990
435
5,555

12,615
979
11,637

508
306
201

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

n.a. = Not applicable.

19,481
$47,802

Highest
20
percent
19,501
$77,671

17,965
n.a.

$61,132 $127,146
45.7
46.3

(1)
48.5

Table 2. Income before taxes: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Complete reporting of income
Item

Total
complete
reporting

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) .........

97,391

4,398

7,155

8,145

7,402

13,182

10,759

8,891

13,890

23,567

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ...................................... $51,128
Age of reference person ...................................
48.4

$1,200
41.2

$7,799 $12,455 $17,410 $24,655 $34,485 $44,294 $58,900
52.6
55.9
52.9
50.1
47.4
46.7
45.6

117960
46.1

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ..........................................................
Children under 18 years ..................................
Persons 65 and older .....................................
Earners ...........................................................
Vehicles ..........................................................
Percent homeowner .........................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66

1.7
.4
.2
.8
.9
32

1.6
.4
.4
.5
.8
38

1.9
.4
.5
.6
1.1
48

2.1
.5
.5
.8
1.4
54

2.3
.6
.4
1.1
1.6
57

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
63

2.6
.7
.2
1.5
2.2
71

2.8
.8
.2
1.7
2.5
78

3.0
.8
.1
2.0
2.8
89

Average annual expenditures ............................ $42,742
Food .................................................................
5,593
Food at home .................................................
3,236
Cereals and bakery products .......................
456
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ......................
837
Dairy products ..............................................
343
Fruits and vegetables ...................................
556
Other food at home ......................................
1,044
Food away from home ...................................
2,358

$19,272
3,433
2,081
314
496
218
353
699
1,352

$16,013
2,760
1,825
272
481
181
323
567
936

$20,061
3,422
2,425
365
633
252
428
746
997

$23,715
3,721
2,479
364
632
272
448
762
1,242

$29,034
4,338
2,856
403
800
302
498
852
1,483

$34,931
4,993
3,048
415
784
321
550
978
1,945

$39,757
5,486
3,234
468
821
367
524
1,053
2,252

$49,789
6,511
3,700
511
1,011
384
585
1,209
2,811

$77,521
8,794
4,472
617
1,100
475
783
1,497
4,323

Alcoholic beverages .........................................
Housing ............................................................
Shelter ............................................................
Owned dwellings ..........................................
Rented dwellings ..........................................
Other lodging ................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .................
Household operations ....................................
Housekeeping supplies ..................................
Household furnishings and equipment ...........
Apparel and services ........................................

442
13,653
7,921
5,247
2,220
455
2,820
730
582
1,600
1,744

263
6,929
4,317
1,761
2,350
206
1,499
211
260
643
1,056

153
6,145
3,690
1,244
2,327
119
1,605
162
257
432
769

200
7,457
4,268
1,553
2,591
123
1,945
337
348
558
912

210
8,571
4,955
2,170
2,642
143
2,191
397
410
618
1,069

247
9,828
5,635
2,702
2,780
154
2,394
414
426
958
1,112

309
11,259
6,510
3,511
2,794
204
2,666
449
494
1,142
1,503

407
12,728
7,269
4,578
2,389
303
2,906
560
542
1,450
1,515

556
15,106
8,679
6,253
1,986
439
3,217
749
628
1,834
1,967

858
23,693
13,795
11,230
1,400
1,165
3,976
1,597
1,010
3,315
3,139

Transportation ..................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .......................
Gasoline and motor oil ...................................
Other vehicle expenses ..................................
Public transportation ......................................

8,041
3,871
1,353
2,416
400

3,041
1,284
648
921
187

2,329
946
532
699
152

3,130
1,397
652
952
129

4,033
1,589
906
1,349
190

5,615
2,607
1,053
1,686
269

6,973
3,264
1,309
2,145
256

7,949
3,686
1,494
2,486
284

10,656
5,407
1,712
3,104
433

14,006
6,964
2,041
4,161
839

Healthcare .......................................................
Entertainment ...................................................
Personal care products and services ...............
Reading ............................................................
Education .........................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .........
Miscellaneous ..................................................
Cash contributions ...........................................

2,495
2,155
559
133
792
307
658
1,458

1,010
787
270
54
1,023
179
336
548

1,249
616
256
47
540
238
267
305

1,834
716
335
72
361
257
292
519

2,015
946
362
77
332
305
418
602

2,286
1,517
384
95
251
324
510
904

2,460
1,742
452
105
320
323
545
1,138

2,629
1,925
533
129
400
415
693
1,070

2,811
2,363
637
144
600
345
919
1,383

3,429
4,270
966
243
1,902
290
1,008
3,217

Personal insurance and pensions ....................
Life and other personal insurance ..................
Pensions and Social Security .........................

4,710
414
4,296

345
110
235

337
112
225

554
142
412

1,054
255
799

1,622
217
1,405

2,810
281
2,529

3,878
347
3,532

5,792
429
5,363

11,705
894
10,811

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

Table 3. Higher income before taxes: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Complete reporting of income
Item

All
consumer
units

Total
complete
reporting

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) .......

115,356

97,391

73,824

5,121

6,909

11,537

4,384

3,151

4,002

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$51,128
48.4

$29,793
49.1

$74,560
45.1

$88,832
45.9

$154,665
46.7

$108,087
45.8

$131,885
46.4

$223,634
47.8

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ...............................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
66

2.3
.6
.4
1.1
1.7
59

3.0
.8
.1
1.8
2.7
83

3.0
.8
.1
2.0
3.0
88

3.1
.8
.1
2.0
2.8
92

3.1
.8
.1
2.0
2.8
91

3.1
.8
.1
2.1
3.0
91

3.1
.9
.1
1.9
2.8
94

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$42,742
5,593
3,236
456
837
343
556
1,044
2,358

$31,737
4,619
2,862
408
757
304
488
906
1,757

$57,128
7,548
4,354
617
1,094
455
780
1,407
3,195

$65,957
7,840
4,136
591
967
457
704
1,417
3,703

$93,515
9,926
4,726
632
1,183
494
830
1,586
5,201

$75,601
8,714
4,304
606
1,042
437
741
1,478
4,410

$86,451
9,689
4,934
619
1,264
530
916
1,605
4,755

$118,674
11,435
5,023
670
1,274
528
861
1,690
6,411

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

442
13,653
7,921
5,247
2,220
455
2,820
730
582
1,600
1,744

316
10,464
6,046
3,336
2,481
228
2,450
453
453
1,062
1,314

618
17,081
9,912
7,643
1,713
557
3,433
912
769
2,055
2,549

589
19,841
10,899
8,858
1,357
684
3,779
1,168
897
3,098
2,546

1,127
28,941
17,253
14,242
1,288
1,723
4,336
2,158
1,186
4,008
3,756

785
23,204
13,623
11,269
1,272
1,081
3,895
1,438
1,072
3,177
2,695

865
26,719
16,128
13,211
1,562
1,355
4,146
1,848
1,083
3,514
3,541

1,703
36,971
22,117
18,310
1,090
2,717
4,969
3,191
1,390
5,304
5,083

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

8,041
3,871
1,353
2,416
400

6,138
2,884
1,134
1,860
260

11,540
5,698
1,861
3,531
449

13,295
6,834
2,038
3,842
582

15,526
7,604
2,123
4,632
1,167

14,178
7,295
2,063
4,191
629

15,785
7,932
2,195
4,612
1,046

16,799
7,683
2,133
5,130
1,853

Healthcare ..................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

2,495
2,155
559
133
792
307
658
1,458

2,199
1,484
433
98
439
313
547
896

2,700
3,243
722
180
855
325
750
1,627

3,335
3,607
871
202
1,082
358
843
2,173

3,809
5,124
1,131
296
2,858
234
1,221
4,547

3,465
3,810
874
228
2,093
243
1,267
2,238

3,478
4,382
1,139
293
2,165
259
965
2,698

4,447
7,147
1,405
372
4,243
204
1,373
8,534

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

4,710
414
4,296

2,476
261
2,215

7,390
490
6,901

9,375
659
8,715

15,016
1,214
13,802

11,808
729
11,079

14,474
944
13,530

18,958
1,958
17,001

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

Table 4. Age of reference person: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003

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) .......

115,356

8,584

19,737

24,413

23,131

16,580

22,912

11,495

11,417

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$20,680
21.3

$50,389
29.7

$61,091
39.7

$68,028
49.4

$58,672
59.0

$30,437
75.1

$35,314
69.2

$25,492
81.1

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ...............................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

1.8
.4
( 2)
1.2
1.1
15

2.9
1.1
(2)
1.5
1.8
48

3.2
1.3
(2)
1.6
2.1
69

2.6
.6
(2)
1.8
2.4
76

2.1
.2
.1
1.4
2.3
82

1.7
.1
1.4
.4
1.5
80

1.9
.1
1.4
.6
1.8
83

1.5
(2)
1.3
.2
1.2
78

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$22,396
3,401
1,766
256
438
193
272
607
1,636

$40,525
5,318
2,976
421
769
317
495
974
2,342

$47,175
6,272
3,600
523
933
388
593
1,164
2,672

$50,101
6,381
3,693
509
1,002
378
621
1,184
2,688

$44,191
5,530
3,315
427
914
326
593
1,054
2,215

$29,376
3,896
2,575
387
661
277
484
767
1,321

$33,629
4,544
2,888
414
758
308
537
872
1,656

$25,016
3,208
2,241
358
558
243
428
654
968

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

509
7,095
4,574
765
3,593
216
1,329
230
225
737
1,117

446
14,392
8,915
4,837
3,835
243
2,580
872
455
1,571
1,849

424
16,098
9,678
6,940
2,315
423
3,142
949
597
1,731
2,091

477
15,624
9,237
6,893
1,656
688
3,335
633
618
1,801
1,953

372
13,714
7,571
5,769
1,179
623
3,089
604
618
1,831
1,562

184
9,729
5,201
3,515
1,331
355
2,484
635
485
923
908

237
10,761
5,764
4,300
1,045
419
2,723
504
590
1,180
1,190

128
8,678
4,635
2,725
1,619
291
2,244
768
373
657
611

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

4,674
2,241
947
1,299
187

8,106
3,932
1,388
2,446
340

8,892
4,255
1,582
2,643
411

9,766
4,632
1,644
3,013
476

8,680
4,289
1,411
2,484
495

4,824
2,247
792
1,487
298

6,015
2,770
1,019
1,857
370

3,622
1,721
563
1,112
226

Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

546
950
326
53
1,490
230
251
371

1,468
1,958
498
99
684
285
532
754

2,105
2,519
602
114
694
312
601
1,256

2,479
2,407
616
150
1,377
385
830
1,651

3,059
2,414
549
168
743
337
675
1,568

3,741
1,469
440
141
129
162
533
1,969

3,626
2,016
491
149
176
219
547
1,811

3,856
909
387
134
81
105
519
2,127

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

1,382
40
1,342

4,137
200
3,937

5,196
382
4,814

6,003
600
5,403

4,819
570
4,249

1,251
388
864

1,847
504
1,342

651
270
382

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

2

Value less than 0.05.

Table 5. Size of consumer unit: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2003
Two or more persons
Item

All
consumer
units

One
person

Total

Two
persons

Three
persons

Four
persons

Five or
more
persons

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .................

115,356

33,929

81,427

36,830

17,701

15,464

11,432

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 .............................................
Age of reference person ..........................................

$51,128
48.4

$27,131
51.4

$61,165
47.1

$55,980
53.2

$62,780
43.9

$70,136
40.9

$63,106
40.9

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

1.0
n.a.
.3
.6
1.0
49

3.1
.9
.3
1.6
2.3
74

2.0
.1
.5
1.3
2.2
76

3.0
.8
.2
1.7
2.3
70

4.0
1.6
.1
1.9
2.5
76

5.6
2.7
.1
2.2
2.5
73

Average annual expenditures ....................................
Food ........................................................................
Food at home ........................................................
Cereals and bakery products ...............................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..............................
Dairy products .....................................................
Fruits and vegetables ..........................................
Other food at home ..............................................
Food away from home ...........................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$23,657
2,831
1,525
217
359
161
280
507
1,306

$47,921
6,357
3,778
532
1,013
396
639
1,198
2,579

$43,693
5,432
3,128
425
824
324
552
1,003
2,304

$47,406
6,173
3,664
508
976
383
609
1,188
2,509

$55,201
7,472
4,472
644
1,213
467
740
1,407
3,000

$52,565
8,178
5,157
772
1,422
555
832
1,577
3,020

Alcoholic beverages ................................................
Housing ...................................................................
Shelter ...................................................................
Owned dwellings .................................................
Rented dwellings .................................................
Other lodging .......................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .........................
Household operations ............................................
Housekeeping supplies .........................................
Household furnishings and equipment ..................
Apparel and services ...............................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

280
8,768
5,614
2,692
2,679
242
1,758
343
284
769
837

436
15,369
8,835
6,334
1,971
529
3,250
859
628
1,798
1,968

468
13,536
7,730
5,263
1,869
597
2,905
565
582
1,754
1,547

419
15,596
8,949
6,220
2,229
501
3,320
1,026
636
1,666
1,916

436
18,322
10,622
8,299
1,818
505
3,615
1,337
685
2,064
2,503

358
16,930
9,801
7,304
2,109
388
3,762
899
690
1,778
2,698

Transportation .........................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..............................
Gasoline and motor oil ...........................................
Other vehicle expenses .........................................
Public transportation ..............................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

3,839
1,692
674
1,217
256

9,422
4,582
1,607
2,795
439

8,683
4,363
1,388
2,458
473

9,562
4,644
1,619
2,910
389

10,459
4,929
1,859
3,220
452

10,185
4,720
1,956
3,122
387

Healthcare ..............................................................
Entertainment ..........................................................
Personal care products and services ......................
Reading ...................................................................
Education .................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies ................
Miscellaneous ..........................................................
Cash contributions ...................................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

1,558
1,041
316
93
498
193
423
1,032

2,774
2,482
614
142
902
330
682
1,511

3,093
2,421
563
159
597
310
650
1,810

2,532
2,263
603
130
938
351
658
1,179

2,581
2,821
693
135
1,426
329
801
1,270

2,379
2,554
689
110
1,119
364
661
1,385

Personal insurance and pensions ...........................
Life and other personal insurance .........................
Pensions and Social Security ................................

4,055
397
3,658

1,948
159
1,790

4,933
497
4,436

4,424
496
3,928

5,087
488
4,599

5,952
498
5,454

4,956
511
4,446

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons .................................................................
Children under 18 years .........................................
Persons 65 and older ............................................
Earners ..................................................................
Vehicles .................................................................
Percent homeowner ................................................

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

n.a. = Not applicable.

Table 6. Composition of consumer unit: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Husband- and-wife consumer units
Husband and wife with children
Item
Total

Husband
and wife
only

Total

Oldest
child
under 6

Oldest
child
6 to 17

Oldest
child 18
or older

Other
husbandand-wife
consumer
units

One
parent,
at least
one child
under 18

Single
person
and other
consumer
units

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .............

58,448

25,132

28,584

5,496

15,047

8,041

4,732

6,999

49,909

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ..........................................
Age of reference person ......................................

$69,472
48.6

$62,930
56.8

$75,557
41.6

$66,317
32.1

$77,508
40.0

$78,307
51.2

$66,597
47.3

$29,154
37.4

$32,970
49.6

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ..............................................................
Children under 18 years ...................................
Persons 65 and over .........................................
Earners ..............................................................
Vehicles .............................................................
Percent homeowner .............................................

3.2
.9
.3
1.7
2.6
83

2.0
n.a.
.6
1.2
2.4
85

3.9
1.6
.1
2.0
2.7
82

4.1
2.1
(2)
1.8
2.6
81

4.0
.7
.2
2.6
3.3
90

4.9
1.4
.4
2.3
2.8
78

Average annual expenditures ................................
Food .....................................................................
Food at home .....................................................
Cereals and bakery products ...........................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..........................
Dairy products ..................................................
Fruits and vegetables .......................................
Other food at home ..........................................
Food away from home .......................................

$53,030
6,864
4,047
571
1,077
427
688
1,285
2,817

$47,896
5,927
3,402
458
912
352
606
1,074
2,525

$57,702
7,553
4,476
652
1,169
485
735
1,435
3,077

$51,503
6,224
3,952
547
890
444
672
1,399
2,272

$59,183
7,844
4,551
691
1,213
497
723
1,428
3,293

$59,180
7,937
4,710
650
1,283
491
808
1,479
3,226

$52,110
7,732
4,993
692
1,461
468
858
1,515
2,739

$30,535
4,804
2,979
445
787
307
455
985
1,826

$27,867
3,577
2,039
285
525
211
363
656
1,538

Alcoholic beverages .............................................
Housing ................................................................
Shelter ................................................................
Owned dwellings ..............................................
Rented dwellings ..............................................
Other lodging ...................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .....................
Household operations ........................................
Housekeeping supplies ......................................
Household furnishings and equipment ...............
Apparel and services ...........................................

447
16,648
9,480
7,433
1,405
642
3,444
970
699
2,055
2,085

478
14,352
8,001
5,973
1,280
748
3,075
596
659
2,021
1,632

440
18,679
10,812
8,773
1,455
584
3,695
1,316
734
2,122
2,431

445
19,303
10,963
8,440
2,204
319
3,030
2,365
645
2,300
2,232

429
19,235
11,292
9,213
1,488
591
3,745
1,286
728
2,183
2,614

459
17,215
9,812
8,175
883
753
4,055
656
813
1,880
2,219

288
16,533
9,289
7,100
1,764
425
3,882
865
683
1,814
2,441

220
11,772
7,152
3,234
3,724
195
2,595
725
349
951
1,799

348
9,885
6,125
3,006
2,870
249
2,101
397
348
914
1,085

Transportation ......................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ...........................
Gasoline and motor oil .......................................
Other vehicle expenses .....................................
Public transportation ..........................................

10,627
5,308
1,740
3,078
501

9,580
4,933
1,463
2,638
547

11,546
5,713
1,949
3,418
466

9,832
4,953
1,613
2,925
342

11,526
5,849
1,927
3,261
489

12,755
5,977
2,220
4,049
509

10,658
4,858
1,956
3,381
463

4,592
1,734
993
1,632
234

4,893
2,166
903
1,553
271

Healthcare ...........................................................
Entertainment .......................................................
Personal care products and services ...................
Reading ................................................................
Education .............................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .............
Miscellaneous ......................................................
Cash contributions ...............................................

3,202
2,793
668
163
1,053
300
712
1,762

3,713
2,699
617
186
610
275
638
2,174

2,760
2,958
713
149
1,510
298
778
1,441

2,177
2,401
559
121
413
220
626
1,060

2,764
3,414
713
151
1,438
291
696
1,430

3,151
2,478
821
167
2,393
365
1,035
1,723

3,157
2,295
670
118
639
447
702
1,507

1,201
1,453
459
64
493
230
510
622

1,666
1,281
369
95
508
286
494
1,016

Personal insurance and pensions ........................
Life and other personal insurance ......................
Pensions and Social Security ............................

5,707
599
5,108

5,015
625
4,390

6,445
585
5,860

5,891
378
5,513

6,638
618
6,021

6,462
665
5,798

4,923
550
4,374

2,315
181
2,134

2,365
191
2,174

3.5
1.5
(2)
1.7
2.1
72

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

2

Value less than 0.05.

n.a. = Not applicable.

2.9
1.8
(2)
1.0
1.2
40

1.6
.2
.3
1.0
1.3
52

Table 7. Number of earners in consumer unit: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer
Expenditure Survey, 2003

Item

All
consumer
units

Single consumers
No earner

Consumer units of two or more persons

One earner

No earner

One earner Two earners

Three or
more
earners

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......

115,356

12,482

21,447

10,056

23,586

38,486

9,299

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$14,696
68.6

$33,732
41.4

$27,491
65.0

$47,408
46.5

$73,689
43.0

$80,310
46.2

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ...............................
Persons 65 and older ..................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

1.0
n.a.
.1
1.0
1.1
44

2.4
.4
1.2
n.a.
1.7
77

3.0
1.1
.3
1.0
1.9
67

3.0
.9
.1
2.0
2.5
76

4.4
1.0
.1
3.4
3.2
81

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$17,431
2,330
1,567
244
369
163
310
481
763

$27,277
3,120
1,501
202
353
160
263
522
1,620

$29,730
4,483
3,047
443
819
323
546
915
1,436

$41,737
5,652
3,590
515
957
385
621
1,113
2,063

$53,621
6,824
3,830
530
1,028
396
631
1,245
2,995

$59,832
8,300
4,835
684
1,302
501
811
1,536
3,466

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

123
7,140
4,097
1,955
1,984
157
1,720
493
293
538
590

370
9,714
6,496
3,121
3,084
292
1,781
256
279
902
980

211
10,116
5,173
3,287
1,419
468
2,712
567
506
1,157
965

347
14,285
8,302
5,572
2,306
423
3,077
747
566
1,594
1,878

534
16,866
9,787
7,261
1,952
574
3,310
1,038
673
2,056
2,159

518
17,632
10,206
7,725
1,799
681
4,023
713
738
1,953
2,507

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

2,229
912
398
746
172

4,776
2,145
835
1,491
305

5,108
2,227
933
1,600
348

7,569
3,569
1,353
2,287
360

10,882
5,541
1,768
3,087
487

12,747
5,728
2,317
4,163
539

Healthcare .....................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

2,192
741
265
85
213
156
308
872

1,189
1,216
345
98
664
215
490
1,124

3,790
1,719
429
139
289
196
533
1,330

2,573
2,113
533
123
673
321
608
1,506

2,626
2,887
664
150
947
340
721
1,508

2,796
2,581
813
155
1,957
456
872
1,728

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

186
165
221

2,974
155
2,819

422
368
53

3,556
461
3,094

6,512
519
5,993

6,770
633
6,138

1
2

1.0
n.a.
.7
n.a.
.8
59

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.
Data are likely to have large sampling errors.

n.a. = Not applicable.

Table 8. Housing tenure and type of area: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Housing tenure

Item

Type of area

Homeowner

All
consumer
units
Total

Urban

Homeowner
with
mortgage

Homeowner
without
mortgage

Renter
Total

Central
city

Other
urban

Rural

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......

115,356

77,194

47,104

30,090

38,163

101,047

34,423

66,625

14,309

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$62,053
52.2

$72,831
46.0

$44,609
62.0

$29,827
40.6

$52,728
48.0

$43,768
46.8

$57,352
48.6

$40,140
51.1

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ........................ .....
Persons 65 and older .....................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

2.6
.7
.4
1.4
2.3
100

3.0
.9
.2
1.7
2.5
100

2.1
.3
.7
1.0
2.0
100

2.2
.6
.1
1.2
1.1
n.a.

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
65

2.4
.6
.3
1.2
1.5
52

2.6
.7
.3
1.4
2.1
72

2.4
.6
.4
1.3
2.5
80

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$47,396
5,917
3,447
491
894
365
588
1,110
2,470

$55,419
6,473
3,667
515
956
388
611
1,196
2,806

$34,467
4,851
3,015
442
772
318
543
940
1,837

$27,522
4,177
2,489
344
685
254
430
777
1,688

$41,619
5,413
3,142
446
819
329
547
1,001
2,271

$36,444
4,962
2,892
403
768
298
512
909
2,070

$44,297
5,648
3,272
468
845
345
566
1,049
2,375

$35,157
4,821
3,035
414
863
322
452
985
1,786

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

418
15,186
8,471
7,832
64
576
3,321
882
631
1,880
1,809

487
18,960
11,488
10,792
55
640
3,616
1,015
673
2,168
2,116

284
9,221
3,749
3,197
78
474
2,860
673
549
1,390
1,253

337
9,886
6,706
67
6,459
181
1,780
354
323
723
1,300

405
13,971
8,325
5,491
2,369
465
2,834
748
528
1,536
1,700

378
12,501
7,637
4,098
3,175
363
2,524
652
452
1,235
1,597

420
14,732
8,681
6,210
1,953
518
2,994
798
567
1,692
1,754

292
9,623
4,797
3,653
840
303
2,652
416
538
1,220
1,215

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

9,199
4,505
1,529
2,727
437

10,788
5,300
1,753
3,250
485

6,708
3,261
1,179
1,906
362

4,912
2,167
936
1,529
279

7,659
3,578
1,297
2,367
417

6,609
3,145
1,055
1,990
419

8,202
3,802
1,422
2,562
416

8,639
4,814
1,587
2,078
160

Healthcare .....................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

3,009
2,525
599
155
843
283
720
1,742

2,773
2,921
658
158
1,071
310
780
1,650

3,386
1,901
492
149
480
242
626
1,887

1,218
1,119
382
72
662
302
376
616

2,390
2,076
544
133
845
278
615
1,428

2,045
1,629
500
119
718
261
509
1,207

2,568
2,307
567
141
911
287
670
1,543

2,600
1,942
408
86
348
372
541
956

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

4,992
527
4,464

6,273
626
5,647

2,986
373
2,612

2,161
134
2,027

4,161
400
3,760

3,410
308
3,102

4,548
448
4,100

3,312
375
2,937

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

n.a. = Not applicable.

Table 9. Race of reference person: average annual expenditures and characteristics,
Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
White and all other races, and Asian
Item

All
consumer
units

Total

White and
all other
races1

Asian

Black or
AfricanAmerican

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......

115,356

101,614

98,041

3,573

13,743

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 2 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$53,292
48.6

$53,039
48.8

$60,393
42.4

$34,485
46.7

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ..............................
Persons 65 and older ...................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
69

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.1
70

2.8
.7
.2
1.5
1.6
57

2.6
.9
.2
1.2
1.3
49

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$42,451
5,518
3,191
451
817
342
548
1,033
2,327

$42,360
5,488
3,186
452
811
345
539
1,040
2,302

$44,923
6,285
3,302
437
978
247
788
852
2,983

$28,708
4,007
2,664
370
882
227
438
747
1,343

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

421
13,811
8,127
5,563
2,076
488
2,798
742
552
1,593
1,645

425
13,719
8,026
5,517
2,018
491
2,808
740
555
1,591
1,642

308
16,326
10,902
6,835
3,661
406
2,536
783
471
1,634
1,736

169
10,622
6,117
3,042
2,946
129
2,910
453
357
785
1,601

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

8,147
3,953
1,376
2,412
406

8,172
3,988
1,378
2,414
393

7,454
2,992
1,313
2,383
766

5,074
2,097
1,016
1,728
233

Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
......
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

2,566
2,202
536
137
829
305
627
1,443

2,588
2,220
536
138
791
311
635
1,447

1,955
1,713
520
111
1,890
119
432
1,311

1,309
1,007
461
52
442
180
447
832

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

4,265
411
3,854

4,247
411
3,836

4,762
414
4,348

2,504
295
2,209

1 All other races includes Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and
approximately 1.3 percent reporting more than one race.
2

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

Table 10. Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person: average annual expenditures
and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Not Hispanic or Latino

Item

All
consumer
units

Hispanic
or Latino

Total

Not
Hispanic or
Latino less
Black
or
AfricanAmerican

Black
or
AfricanAmerican

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .......

115,356

11,727

103,629

90,019

13,610

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ....................................
Age of reference person .................................

$51,128
48.4

$37,150
41.6

$52,797
49.2

$55,463
49.5

$34,537
46.7

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ........................................................
Children under 18 years ...............................
Persons 65 and older ....................................
Earners .........................................................
Vehicles ........................................................
Percent homeowner .......................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

3.3
1.1
.2
1.6
1.6
48

2.4
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
69

2.4
.5
.3
1.3
2.1
72

2.6
.9
.2
1.2
1.3
49

Average annual expenditures ...........................
Food ...............................................................
Food at home ...............................................
Cereals and bakery products .....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....................
Dairy products ............................................
Fruits and vegetables .................................
Other food at home ....................................
Food away from home ..................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$34,575
5,717
3,597
486
1,059
374
686
992
2,120

$41,521
5,291
3,070
436
795
322
516
1,000
2,221

$43,459
5,486
3,134
447
783
337
529
1,038
2,353

$28,667
3,977
2,639
366
876
223
432
742
1,338

Alcoholic beverages .......................................
Housing ..........................................................
Shelter ..........................................................
Owned dwellings ........................................
Rented dwellings ........................................
Other lodging ..............................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................
Household operations ..................................
Housekeeping supplies ................................
Household furnishings and equipment .........
Apparel and services ......................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

315
12,300
7,672
3,889
3,560
224
2,490
454
476
1,208
1,756

401
13,562
7,912
5,418
2,023
470
2,848
736
536
1,531
1,626

437
14,005
8,185
5,775
1,889
521
2,837
779
563
1,642
1,631

158
10,621
6,105
3,063
2,912
130
2,920
453
353
789
1,590

Transportation ................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .....................
Gasoline and motor oil .................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................
Public transportation .....................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

6,780
3,063
1,328
2,057
331

7,894
3,807
1,333
2,362
391

8,317
4,063
1,381
2,458
416

5,094
2,117
1,017
1,729
230

Healthcare ....................................................
Entertainment .................................................
Personal care products and services .............
Reading ..........................................................
Education .......................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .......
Miscellaneous .................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

1,439
1,245
490
48
477
171
419
594

2,527
2,153
531
136
818
303
627
1,458

2,711
2,326
541
149
877
322
655
1,552

1,311
1,009
460
53
425
179
447
835

Personal insurance and pensions ..................
Life and other personal insurance ................
Pensions and Social Security .......................

4,055
397
3,658

2,824
160
2,664

4,195
424
3,770

4,450
444
4,006

2,507
296
2,211

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

Table 11. Region of residence: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003

Item

All
consumer
units

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

Number of consumer units (in thousands) ........................

115,356

22,182

26,438

41,325

25,412

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 .....................................................
Age of reference person .................................................

$51,128
48.4

$56,513
49.8

$52,445
48.8

$46,729
48.2

$52,506
47.1

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons .........................................................................
Children under 18 years ................................................
Persons 65 and older ....................................................
Earners .........................................................................
Vehicles ........................................................................
Percent homeowner ........................................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

2.4
.6
.3
1.3
1.7
64

2.5
.6
.3
1.4
2.1
70

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
69

2.6
.7
.3
1.4
2.0
63

Average annual expenditures ...........................................
Food ................................................................................
Food at home ................................................................
Cereals and bakery products ......................................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .....................................
Dairy products .............................................................
Fruits and vegetables ..................................................
Other food at home .....................................................
Food away from home ..................................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$42,162
5,730
3,306
485
889
353
586
994
2,424

$40,280
5,088
2,904
411
734
323
472
962
2,184

$37,625
4,960
2,996
413
835
298
489
961
1,964

$45,381
5,876
3,428
482
849
359
633
1,104
2,449

Alcoholic beverages ........................................................
Housing ...........................................................................
Shelter ...........................................................................
Owned dwellings .........................................................
Rented dwellings .........................................................
Other lodging ..............................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ................................
Household operations ...................................................
Housekeeping supplies .................................................
Household furnishings and equipment ..........................
Apparel and services ......................................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

427
14,811
9,134
5,932
2,664
537
2,889
813
523
1,452
1,859

403
12,634
7,086
4,908
1,720
458
2,855
614
575
1,504
1,563

345
12,006
6,660
4,528
1,802
330
2,891
666
496
1,294
1,451

421
15,371
9,630
6,244
2,848
538
2,569
778
537
1,858
1,834

Transportation .................................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ......................................
Gasoline and motor oil ..................................................
Other vehicle expenses ................................................
Public transportation .....................................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

7,043
3,040
1,157
2,307
539

7,817
3,775
1,357
2,314
371

7,621
3,893
1,321
2,154
253

8,645
4,028
1,479
2,659
479

Healthcare ......................................................................
Entertainment ..................................................................
Personal care products and services ..............................
Reading ...........................................................................
Education ........................................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies ........................
Miscellaneous .................................................................
Cash contributions ..........................................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

2,127
2,117
532
153
1,040
306
548
1,161

2,586
1,978
499
141
796
363
647
1,469

2,396
1,812
494
93
581
275
556
1,344

2,525
2,494
606
146
875
224
695
1,491

Personal insurance and pensions ...................................
Life and other personal insurance .................................
Pensions and Social Security .......................................

4,055
397
3,658

4,308
454
3,855

4,295
423
3,872

3,690
381
3,309

4,179
347
3,832

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

Table 12. Occupation of reference person: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Wage and salary earners
Selfemployed
workers

Total
wage and
salary
earners

Managers
and
professionals

Technical,
sales and
clerical
workers

4,987

76,802

28,105

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 .............................
Age of reference person .........................

$58,302
52.0

$58,773
42.2

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons .................................................
Children under 18 years .......................
Persons 65 and older ............................
Earners .................................................
Vehicles ................................................
Percent homeowner ................................

2.4
.5
.4
1.6
2.3
81

Average annual expenditures ...................
Food ........................................................
Food at home ........................................
Cereals and bakery products ..............
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............
Dairy products .....................................
Fruits and vegetables ..........................
Other food at home .............................
Food away from home ..........................

All other,
including
not
reporting

Service
workers

Construction
workers and
mechanics

Operators,
fabricators
and
laborers

21,533

11,621

4,780

10,764

19,592

13,976

$83,126
43.5

$50,321
41.2

$35,496
41.8

$50,805
39.5

$41,020
42.0

$27,695
73.8

$37,616
45.6

2.6
.7
.1
1.7
2.1
65

2.6
.7
.1
1.7
2.2
75

2.5
.7
.1
1.7
2.0
62

2.7
.8
.1
1.7
1.7
49

2.9
.9
.1
1.8
2.4
65

2.8
.9
.1
1.7
2.1
59

1.7
.1
1.2
.2
1.6
81

2.8
.9
.2
.7
1.6
56

$51,006
6,563
3,617
493
1,049
344
636
1,095
2,946

$44,934
5,743
3,229
451
840
339
542
1,058
2,514

$58,236
6,743
3,521
487
852
379
618
1,185
3,222

$40,564
5,317
2,972
418
771
312
490
981
2,345

$32,066
4,531
2,764
383
768
275
462
875
1,766

$40,620
5,924
3,590
490
1,050
367
551
1,132
2,333

$34,603
5,125
3,267
471
914
335
522
1,025
1,857

$28,418
3,937
2,594
389
662
278
490
775
1,343

$32,042
4,698
3,162
447
885
338
522
971
1,535

Alcoholic beverages ................................
Housing ...................................................
Shelter ...................................................
Owned dwellings .................................
Rented dwellings .................................
Other lodging ......................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services ........
Household operations ...........................
Housekeeping supplies .........................
Household furnishings and equipment ..
Apparel and services ..............................

557
14,996
8,650
6,422
1,457
772
3,122
869
593
1,761
1,691

455
14,652
8,788
5,897
2,427
464
2,911
757
546
1,651
1,854

597
18,940
11,375
8,331
2,257
787
3,313
1,161
713
2,378
2,343

415
13,567
8,193
5,290
2,535
367
2,773
648
494
1,459
1,778

358
10,888
6,658
3,493
2,935
231
2,494
394
426
916
1,348

373
12,520
7,346
5,002
2,116
228
2,813
628
456
1,277
1,414

300
10,614
6,162
3,747
2,244
171
2,630
368
375
1,079
1,454

208
9,813
5,204
3,538
1,281
385
2,493
623
489
1,005
911

248
11,251
6,430
3,783
2,337
309
2,600
494
471
1,256
1,509

Transportation .........................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) ..............
Gasoline and motor oil ..........................
Other vehicle expenses ........................
Public transportation .............................

9,325
4,512
1,510
2,643
659

8,758
4,215
1,495
2,637
411

10,469
4,927
1,622
3,254
666

7,907
3,689
1,423
2,465
329

6,626
3,169
1,271
1,936
249

9,576
5,170
1,715
2,521
170

7,931
4,113
1,452
2,173
192

4,805
2,157
825
1,511
312

6,028
3,006
1,089
1,687
246

Healthcare .............................................
Entertainment ..........................................
Personal care products and services ......
Reading ...................................................
Education ................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies
Miscellaneous .........................................
Cash contributions ..................................

3,794
2,866
580
174
813
297
1,124
2,661

2,098
2,231
571
128
963
309
641
1,380

2,708
3,096
724
197
1,554
210
815
2,221

1,972
1,993
541
108
759
292
589
1,004

1,554
1,371
446
72
622
338
397
716

1,697
1,801
459
77
513
596
543
1,036

1,521
1,564
415
72
395
440
593
803

3,623
1,560
420
143
164
168
513
1,355

1,981
1,515
423
83
654
353
359
875

Personal insurance and pensions ...........
Life and other personal insurance .........
Pensions and Social Security ...............

5,565
593
4,972

5,151
421
4,730

7,617
609
7,008

4,323
357
3,966

2,798
245
2,553

4,090
322
3,767

3,376
290
3,086

797
335
462

2,065
285
1,780

Item

Number of consumer units (in thousands)

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.

Retired

Table 13. Education of reference person: average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2003
Less than college graduate

Item

All
consumer
units

Total

College graduate

Less than
high
school
graduate

High
school
graduate

High
school
graduate
with
some
college

Associate's
degree

Total

Bachelor’s
degree

Master’s,
professional,
doctoral
degree

Number of consumer units (in thousands) .........

115,356

84,768

17,721

31,552

24,514

10,981

30,589

19,557

11,032

Consumer unit characteristics:
Income before taxes 1 ......................................
Age of reference person ...................................

$51,128
48.4

$40,164
49.0

$25,028
55.6

$40,113
50.2

$45,113
44.4

$54,087
45.4

$81,842
46.6

$74,921
44.7

$93,948
49.9

Average number in consumer unit:
Persons ..........................................................
Children under 18 years .................................
Persons 65 and older .....................................
Earners ...........................................................
Vehicles ..........................................................
Percent homeowner .........................................

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
1.9
67

2.5
.7
.3
1.3
1.9
64

2.6
.7
.5
1.0
1.4
57

2.5
.6
.3
1.3
2.0
68

2.3
.6
.2
1.3
1.9
59

2.6
.7
.2
1.5
2.2
72

2.5
.6
.2
1.5
2.1
76

2.5
.6
.2
1.5
2.1
73

2.4
.6
.3
1.5
2.2
82

Average annual expenditures ............................
Food .................................................................
Food at home .................................................
Cereals and bakery products .......................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ......................
Dairy products ..............................................
Fruits and vegetables ...................................
Other food at home ......................................
Food away from home ...................................

$40,817
5,340
3,129
442
825
328
535
999
2,211

$34,372
4,838
2,987
425
832
307
488
935
1,850

$23,901
4,086
2,913
408
860
290
502
853
1,173

$33,956
4,701
2,986
424
839
307
479
937
1,715

$37,912
5,136
2,907
423
758
302
479
945
2,229

$44,547
5,783
3,298
456
941
344
519
1,037
2,486

$58,480
6,641
3,491
485
805
382
655
1,164
3,150

$54,726
6,381
3,414
482
794
374
621
1,143
2,967

$65,203
7,127
3,637
493
825
397
720
1,202
3,490

Alcoholic beverages .........................................
Housing ............................................................
Shelter ............................................................
Owned dwellings ..........................................
Rented dwellings ..........................................
Other lodging ................................................
Utilities, fuels, and public services .................
Household operations ....................................
Housekeeping supplies ..................................
Household furnishings and equipment ...........
Apparel and services ........................................

391
13,432
7,887
5,263
2,179
445
2,811
707
529
1,497
1,640

302
11,181
6,417
4,001
2,158
257
2,647
498
468
1,152
1,406

161
8,351
4,865
2,427
2,346
92
2,311
237
323
615
1,017

255
10,923
6,178
4,040
1,917
222
2,740
447
477
1,080
1,260

401
12,260
7,121
4,365
2,373
383
2,610
652
481
1,396
1,713

453
14,060
8,032
5,618
2,071
344
3,000
718
639
1,670
1,779

620
19,631
11,963
8,760
2,238
966
3,268
1,288
683
2,429
2,260

565
18,357
11,233
7,995
2,406
832
3,159
1,177
639
2,149
2,197

725
21,908
13,258
10,117
1,939
1,203
3,461
1,484
768
2,937
2,377

Transportation ..................................................
Vehicle purchases (net outlay) .......................
Gasoline and motor oil ...................................
Other vehicle expenses ..................................
Public transportation ......................................

7,781
3,732
1,333
2,331
385

6,954
3,396
1,266
2,053
238

4,412
2,059
942
1,263
148

7,296
3,659
1,306
2,131
200

7,265
3,382
1,331
2,243
308

9,380
4,833
1,530
2,683
334

10,068
4,661
1,517
3,097
793

9,717
4,577
1,502
2,967
671

10,694
4,810
1,545
3,330
1,009

Healthcare ......................................................
Entertainment ...................................................
Personal care products and services ...............
Reading ............................................................
Education .........................................................
Tobacco products and smoking supplies .........
Miscellaneous ..................................................
Cash contributions ...........................................

2,416
2,060
527
127
783
290
606
1,370

2,193
1,678
453
90
492
342
521
952

1,797
882
305
42
102
342
312
574

2,287
1,607
436
83
328
380
515
990

2,249
2,023
518
118
859
305
633
1,043

2,439
2,384
592
125
776
318
619
1,248

3,031
3,110
725
230
1,587
144
840
2,529

2,812
2,893
694
194
1,339
158
791
2,307

3,420
3,498
781
294
2,029
119
928
2,922

Personal insurance and pensions ....................
Life and other personal insurance ..................
Pensions and Social Security .........................

4,055
397
3,658

2,970
304
2,666

1,519
180
1,339

2,895
334
2,561

3,388
303
3,085

4,590
417
4,174

7,064
657
6,407

6,321
587
5,734

8,381
781
7,600

1

Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income reporters" only; see glossary.