US household spending and income by income level: $159,512 (spending a year, highest-income fifth). The highest-income fifth of US households spent $159,512 in 2025, 4.2 times the lowest fifth ($37,935). Average income ranged from $18,125 to $286,188.
Data last updated · Period: 2025
Understanding the chart
The bar chart above shows US household spending and income by income level, with one bar for each of the 10 figures. Each bar is labelled with its exact value, and values are $ a year. The longest bar is the highest. The first bar is Lowest fifth: spending at $37,935 and the last Highest fifth: income at $286,188. The data table below the chart lists every value, and you can download the data, embed the chart or share it from the buttons above. The figures cover 2025 and come from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (news release USDL-26-1619, 29 October 2026), tables 1 to 3.
Key insights
- The lowest fifth spent 209% of its average income before taxes ($37,935 spending against $18,125 income).
- The second fifth spent 112% of its average income before taxes ($51,405 spending against $46,080 income).
- The middle fifth spent 88% of its average income before taxes ($68,983 spending against $78,584 income).
- The fourth fifth spent 73% of its average income before taxes ($92,250 spending against $126,349 income).
- The highest fifth spent 56% of its average income before taxes ($159,512 spending against $286,188 income).
- Spending above 100% of income is common in the lowest fifth: it includes retirees drawing on savings, students, people between jobs and households with income the survey does not fully capture.
Analysis
Income rises much faster than spending across the five groups: the highest fifth has 15.8 times the income of the lowest but spends only 4.2 times as much. Higher-income households save more, pay more in taxes and put more into pensions and insurance, so the share of income they spend falls steadily from the lowest group to the highest. In dollars, though, the gap is large: the highest fifth spends $121,577 more a year than the lowest.
What it means
For businesses, average household spending sets the size of the prize: multiplied by the number of households in a town or region, it gives a first estimate of the local market. Spending that is growing faster than prices points to rising demand, while spending that lags inflation means customers are buying less in real terms and competing businesses fight harder for each dollar. Higher-income households spend far more in absolute terms, so who your customers are matters as much as the national average.
Related figures
- Growth in US household spending by income level, 2024 to 2025: 6.1% (highest-income fifth). Spending grew 8.2% for the lowest-income fifth of households and 6.1% for the highest between 2024 and 2025, against consumer price inflation of 2.6%.
- Average annual spending of US households, 2021–2025: $81,905 (per household a year, 2025). US households spent an average of $81,905 a year on goods and services in 2025, up 4.3% from $78,527 in 2024.
About this statistic
These figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE), the main official source on what American households buy. It combines two surveys run by the Census Bureau for BLS: a quarterly interview survey of large and regular purchases and a two-week diary of small, frequent purchases. Results are averages per consumer unit, which is close to a household: about 138 million in 2025, with 2.4 people on average.
Spending is out of pocket, so it excludes things paid for by employers or government, such as employer health premiums. Because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations, the survey could not be collected in October and November 2025, and BLS adjusted the survey weights to cover the gap. Year-to-year changes in small categories can reflect sampling, which is why BLS tests them for statistical significance.
Questions and answers
Which groups rank highest for uS household spending and income by income level?
$159,512 (spending a year, highest-income fifth). The highest-income fifth of US households spent $159,512 in 2025, 4.2 times the lowest fifth ($37,935). Average income ranged from $18,125 to $286,188.
Which rank lowest, and what is typical?
The lowest fifth spent 209% of its average income before taxes ($37,935 spending against $18,125 income). The second fifth spent 112% of its average income before taxes ($51,405 spending against $46,080 income).
Where does this data come from?
From U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (news release USDL-26-1619, 29 October 2026), tables 1 to 3, covering 2025. Households are ranked by income before taxes and split into five groups of about 28 million each. In 2025 the lower income bounds were $32,623 for the second fifth, $60,056 for the middle, $99,007 for the fourth and $160,635 for the highest. Because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations, the Census Bureau could not collect the survey in October and November 2025; BLS adjusted the survey weights to account for the missing months.
How this page was made
Generated by Advanton from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (2025), data updated 10 November 2026: chart, ranks, comparisons and text are computed from the published figures; no figures are changed. Our methodology.
Data
| Income fifth and measure | $ a year |
|---|---|
| Lowest fifth: spending | $37,935 |
| Lowest fifth: income | $18,125 |
| Second fifth: spending | $51,405 |
| Second fifth: income | $46,080 |
| Middle fifth: spending | $68,983 |
| Middle fifth: income | $78,584 |
| Fourth fifth: spending | $92,250 |
| Fourth fifth: income | $126,349 |
| Highest fifth: spending | $159,512 |
| Highest fifth: income | $286,188 |
Source and notes
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (news release USDL-26-1619, 29 October 2026), tables 1 to 3. Period: 2025. Coverage: United States.
Households are ranked by income before taxes and split into five groups of about 28 million each. In 2025 the lower income bounds were $32,623 for the second fifth, $60,056 for the middle, $99,007 for the fourth and $160,635 for the highest. Because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations, the Census Bureau could not collect the survey in October and November 2025; BLS adjusted the survey weights to account for the missing months.
Cite this statistic
Formats, embedding and reuse: how to cite Advanton.
Please also credit the original source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (news release USDL-26-1619, 29 October 2026), tables 1 to 3.Related statistics
- Growth in US household spending by income level, 2024 to 2025
- Average annual spending of US households, 2021–2025
- US household spending on cereals and bakery products, 2021–2025
- US household spending on dairy products, 2021–2025
- US household spending on clothing, footwear and apparel services, 2021–2025
- US household spending on transportation, 2021–2025
- US household healthcare spending by type, 2025
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