U.S. Households Spent an Average of $81,905 in 2025: A Look at Housing and Food Expenses

In 2025, American households spent an average of $81,905, marking a 4.3% increase from the previous year. Housing continued to be the most significant expense, consuming nearly $28,000 annually.

The data comes from the 2025 Consumer Expenditure Survey, released this Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

This report examines the expenses of consumer units across the nation, highlighting average spending on housing, food, transportation, and other necessities.

Total expenses rose from $78,527 in 2024 to $81,905 in 2025, a difference of $3,378 annually. Monthly, this averages to about $6,825.

It's crucial to note that this figure does not represent the necessary living costs for a family in the United States, but rather the statistical average of expenditures among surveyed households.

Major Household Expenses

Housing accounted for the largest share of the budget, with $27,790 annually, which is 33.9% of the total expenses. This figure marks a 5.8% rise from 2024, when the average was $26,266.

The housing category encompasses more than just rent or mortgage payments. It includes accommodation costs, utilities such as electricity and water, home maintenance, household supplies, furniture, and equipment.

Within this category, accommodation expenses reached $17,626 per year, reflecting an 8% increase over 2024. Utilities, fuels, and other associated housing services totaled $4,931.

Transportation and Food Costs

Transportation was the second-largest spending category, with households allocating $13,492 annually, representing 16.5% of the budget.

This category includes vehicle purchases, fuel, usage and maintenance costs, and public transportation, among other services.

On average, $5,023 was spent on vehicle purchases, while gasoline and other fuels accounted for $2,503. Additional vehicle expenses totaled $4,765, and public transport and other modes reached $1,199.

Food expenses amounted to $10,633 per year, or 13% of the total spending, with a 4.6% increase from the $10,169 recorded in 2024.

Of this, $6,491 was spent on food consumed at home, while $4,142 went to dining out, including restaurants and other establishments.

The BLS highlighted an 11.7% increase in spending on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, contributing significantly to the overall rise in food budget.

Additional Spending Categories

Combined, housing, transportation, and food expenses totaled $51,915 annually, roughly 63.4% of the average household expenditures reported in the survey.

Besides these three categories, households spent an average of $10,175 on personal insurance and pensions, $6,470 on healthcare, and $4,084 on entertainment.

Education expenses amounted to $1,583, while clothing and related services accounted for another $2,010 throughout the year.

As an independent reference, the BLS noted that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose by 2.6% between the annual averages of 2024 and 2025.

The report also indicates that the average annual pre-tax income increased by 6.4%, reaching $110,847 in 2025, compared to $104,207 in 2024.

Economic disparities among households are significant. According to the study, consumer units in the lowest 20% income bracket spent an average of $37,935 annually, while those in the top 20% reported expenditures of $159,512.

This disparity illustrates why the national average should be used as a general reference rather than an exact estimate of specific family spending.

For Cuban residents in the U.S., these figures can serve as a benchmark when assessing their budgets for rent, food, transportation, and other daily expenses.

The survey uses the concept of a consumer unit, which could be an individual living alone, a family, or several people making joint decisions and sharing significant expenses. Therefore, the results should not be interpreted as the budget for a fixed-size family.

The BLS also cautioned about a methodological limitation due to the 2025 federal government shutdown. The Census Bureau could not collect data for this survey during October and November, affecting the results.

Data collection resumed on December 5, 2025, and the BLS made statistical adjustments to compensate for the absence of data during those two months.

These findings are part of a national study on consumer spending patterns and do not update household expenses for October 2026.

The new report complements other indicators of the financial situation of American families.

On October 10, a Federal Reserve study revealed an increase in the proportion of U.S. families allocating more than 40% of their income to debt payments.

According to that research, the proportion rose from 6.5% in 2022 to 8.6% in 2025.