Food spending as a share of income declines as income rises

As their incomes rise, U.S. households spend more money on food, but the number represents a smaller share of their income. In 2024, households in the lowest income quintile spent an average of $5,498 on food (representing 33.0 percent of before-tax income). Households in the middle-income quintile spent an average of $9,097 on food in 2024 (representing 12.2 percent of before-tax income). In 2024, U.S. households in the highest income quintile spent an average of $16,989 on food (representing 6.4 percent of before-tax income).