Housing and Food Made Up 46.9% of Average Consumer-Unit Expenditures in 2025

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its 2025 expenditure report on Oct. 29, showing housing and food together made up 46.9% of average consumer-unit expenditures as outlays in both categories outpaced inflation.

Housing averaged $27,790, up 5.8% from 2024, and accounted for 33.9% of average expenditures. Food averaged $10,633, an increase of 4.6%, and made up 13.0%. Combined, the categories totaled $38,423, an increase of $1,988 from the prior year.

Average annual expenditures rose 4.3% to $81,905. Average pretax income increased 6.4% to $110,847, growing faster than total spending.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 2.6% over the period, below the spending increases for housing and food. Within those categories, average shelter expenditures rose 8.0%, while spending on meats, poultry, fish and eggs increased 11.7%.

Expenditure changes reflect both prices and quantities purchased, so the category growth rates do not measure price inflation alone. The annual CPI comparison uses 11 months because October data were unavailable.

The figures are averages for consumer units, not individual household budgets. The Census Bureau did not collect survey data in October or November 2025 during a lapse in federal appropriations; BLS adjusted weights to account for the missing months.