Households in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, metropolitan area spent an average of $108,215 per year in 2023-24, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that food, housing, and food transportation together accounted for 60.5 percent of the area's household budget. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Nationally, these three components accounted for 63.2 percent of household spending.

Average expenditures among the 22 published metropolitan areas nationwide ranged from $117,578 in San Francisco to $64,027 in Miami. Nationally, the average annual household expenditure was $77,907.

Highlights of the Washington area's 2023-24 spending patterns:

• Housing: This was the largest expenditure component for Washington-area households and averaged $35,402. Housing accounted for 32.7 percent of the area's household budget, compared to the 33.2-percent U.S. average. Among the 22 metropolitan areas, housing expenditure shares ranged from 40.0 percent in Miami to 29.1 percent in St. Louis. (See table 2.)

• Transportation: Washington-area households spent 15.9 percent of their budget on transportation. The national average was 17.0 percent. Of the $17,149 in annual transportation expenditures in Washington, 85.3 percent was spent buying and maintaining private vehicles; this compared to the national average of 91.6 percent.

• Personal insurance and pensions: Washington households spent on average $13,672, or 12.6 percent, of their budget on personal insurance and pensions. The U.S. average was $9,677, or 12.4 percent. Among the 22 metropolitan areas, personal insurance and pensions expenditure shares ranged from 15.4 percent in San Francisco to 10.4 percent in Phoenix.

• Food: The portion of a Washington household's budget spent on food was 11.9 percent, compared to the 12.9-percent U.S. average. Washington-area households spent $7,005, or 54.3 percent, of their food dollars on food at home and $5,905 (45.7 percent) on food away from home. In comparison, the average U.S. household spent 60.9 percent of its food budget on food at home and 39.1 percent on food away from home.

Data in this release are from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE), which the U.S. Census Bureau conducts for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data in this release were averaged over a 2-year period. Data for the nation, the four geographic regions of the United States, and 22 metropolitan areas nationwide are available via published tables. The CE provides a glossary of terms for reader convenience. Technical and related information are available in the Consumer Expenditures and Income Handbook of Methods.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area comprises the District of Columbia; Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties in Maryland; Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park cities and Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren Counties in Virginia; and Jefferson County in West Virginia. MSA definitions and details for areas referenced in this release are available online.

Differences in spending among metropolitan areas may reflect differences in the cost of living, but they also may reflect other causes. Spending differences may result from different consumer preferences or variations in demographic characteristics, such as household size, age, or income levels. However, expenditure shares, or the percentage of a household's budget spent on a particular component, can be used to compare spending patterns across areas. Sample sizes for the metropolitan areas are much smaller than for the nation, so the U.S. estimates and year-to-year changes are more reliable than those for the metropolitan areas. Users should also keep in mind that prices for many goods and services have changed since the survey was conducted.

Other metropolitan area news releases for the Consumer Expenditure Survey are available online.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.