Puget Sound area households spend 20 percent more than U.S. average

Consumer units (households) in the Seattle area spent an average of $60,674 per year in 2011-2012, 20 percent above the $50,581 U.S. average.

January 11, 2014 11:19 pm

The latest Puget Sound area Consumer Expenditure Survey news release is now available from BLS online at http://www.bls.gov/ro9/cexseat.pdf.

Items of note include:

  • Consumer units (households) in the Seattle area spent an average of $60,674 per year in 2011-2012, 20 percent above the $50,581 U.S. average.
  • Housing in the Seattle area averaged $20,681 annually and was the largest expenditure category, accounting for 34.1 percent percent of a Seattle area household’s total spending.
  • Transportation and food were the next largest expenditure categories, accounting for 15.7 percent and 12.8 percent of total expenditures respectively.
  • Healthcare expenditures accounted for 6.2 percent of a typical household budget in the Seattle area, below the nationwide average of 6.8 percent.