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News Release Information

24-2288-SAN
Thursday, November 21, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Expenditures in the Seattle Metropolitan Area — 2022–23

Households in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, metropolitan area spent an average of $101,306 per year in 2022–23, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that food, housing, and transportation expenditures together accounted for 60.4 percent of the area’s household budget. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Nationally, these three components accounted for 62.9 percent of household spending.

Average expenditures among the 22 published metropolitan areas nationwide ranged from $110,886 in San Francisco to $71,378 in Miami. Nationally, the average annual household expenditure was $75,172.

Bar chart of household average annual expenditure shares for eight major spending components in the United States and Seattle metropolitan area, 2022-23. An accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.

Highlights of the Seattle area’s 2022–23 spending patterns:

  • Housing: This was the largest expenditure component for Seattle-area households and averaged $35,070. Housing accounted for 34.6 percent of the area’s household budget, compared to the 33.1-percent U.S. average. Among the 22 metropolitan areas, housing expenditure shares ranged from 38.0 percent in San Francisco to 30.5 percent in St. Louis. (See table 2.)
  • Transportation: Seattle-area households spent 13.2 percent of their budget on transportation. The national average was 16.9 percent. Of the $13,353 in annual transportation expenditures in Seattle, 84.0 percent was spent buying and maintaining private vehicles; this compared to the national average of 92.3 percent.
  • Food: The portion of a Seattle household’s budget spent on food was 12.6 percent, compared to the 12.9-percent U.S. average. Seattle-area households spent $7,303, or 57.3 percent, of their food dollars on food at home and $5,453 (42.7 percent) on food away from home. In comparison, the average U.S. household spent 60.8 percent of its food budget on food at home and 39.2 percent on food away from home.
  • Personal insurance and pensions: This expenditure component averaged $15,435, or 15.2 percent of a Seattle-area household’s budget, compared to the 12.2-percent U.S. average. Among the 22 metropolitan areas, personal insurance and pensions expenditure shares ranged from 15.2 percent in Seattle to 9.8 percent in Houston.
  • Entertainment: Seattle-area households averaged $7,108, or 7.0 percent of their budget, on entertainment. The national average was 4.7 percent. Among the 22 metropolitan areas, entertainment expenditure shares ranged from 7.0 percent in Seattle to 3.1 percent in Honolulu.

Additional Information

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area comprises King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties in Washington. 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.

Table 1. Average annual expenditures, characteristics, and percent distributions, United States and Seattle metropolitan area, 2022–23
Category United
States
Seattle

Consumer unit characteristics:

Income before taxes ($)

97,911 132,318

Age of reference person (years)

52.1 49.4

Average number in consumer unit:

People

2.5 2.4

Children under 18

0.6 0.6

Adults 65 and over

0.4 0.3

Earners

1.3 1.4

Vehicles

1.9 2

Percent homeowner

65 54

Average annual expenditures ($)

75,172 101,306

Percent distribution

Total

100.0 100.0

Food

12.9 12.6

Alcoholic beverages

0.8 1.0

Housing

33.1 34.6

Apparel and services

2.7 2.2

Transportation

16.9 13.2

Healthcare

8.0 6.2

Entertainment

4.7 7.0

Personal care products and services

1.2 1.2

Reading

0.2 0.2

Education

2.0 1.8

Tobacco products and smoking supplies

0.5 0.3

Miscellaneous

1.5 2.3

Cash contributions

3.4 2.2

Personal insurance and pensions

12.2 15.2
Table 2. Percent share of average annual expenditures for housing, transportation, and food, United States and 22 metropolitan areas, 2022–23
Area Housing Transportation Food

United States

33.1 16.9 12.9

Anchorage

33.3 18.2 13.7

Atlanta

33.5 16.5 12.7

Baltimore

32.4 16.5 12.9

Boston

34.5 13.4 13.0

Chicago

34.1 13.4 13.6

Dallas-Fort Worth

35.4 16.0 12.4

Denver

35.5 16.2 11.3

Detroit

31.5 19.4 12.3

Honolulu

36.1 14.4 16.6

Houston

32.9 20.2 10.3

Los Angeles

36.6 16.5 13.6

Miami

37.4 20.2 11.5

Minneapolis-St. Paul

31.5 15.0 11.7

New York

37.2 14.2 12.5

Philadelphia

33.2 13.9 14.0

Phoenix

30.8 17.3 9.8

San Diego

37.9 15.7 12.8

San Francisco

38.0 14.4 12.8

Seattle

34.6 13.2 12.6

St. Louis

30.5 16.5 14.0

Tampa

34.7 18.3 11.4

Washington, DC

33.6 14.4 11.8

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024