Contents
- Household spending on baked goods statistics: U.S. annual spending
- Household spending on baked goods statistics: regional comparisons
- Household spending on baked goods statistics: Northeast metro spending
- Household spending on baked goods statistics: Midwest metro spending
- Household spending on baked goods statistics: Southern metro spending
- Household spending on baked goods statistics: Western metro spending
- Sources
Household spending on baked goods statistics: U.S. annual spending
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports spending in a combined category called “cereals and bakery products.” It offers a useful measure related to household spending on baked goods, but does not isolate bakery products. Cereals are included in every amount below, so the figures cannot be read as spending on bread, cakes, pastries, or other baked items alone.
The annual figures are mean expenditures in nominal U.S. dollars per consumer unit across the United States. The series records $672 in 2021, $712 in 2022, $830 in 2023, $779 in 2024, and $741 in 2025.
| Year | Average annual expenditure per consumer unit |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $672 |
| 2022 | $712 |
| 2023 | $830 |
| 2024 | $779 |
| 2025 | $741 |
Sources: BLS, Consumer expenditures in 2024, Table 2; BLS, Consumer Expenditures – 2025, Table 1
The mean increases from $672 in 2021 to $712 in 2022 and $830 in 2023, then declines to $779 in 2024 and $741 in 2025. These are nominal expenditure levels, not inflation-adjusted amounts. The $779 figure for 2024 appears in both cited releases.
An average annual expenditure is a mean per consumer unit. It is not a national spending total, a per-person figure, or a measure of purchase frequency. A mean also does not show how spending is distributed among consumer units or what any particular household spent. The category boundary matters: these statistics provide context for the broader cereals and bakery products category, without indicating the share attributable to bakery products.
Household spending on baked goods statistics: regional comparisons
For the pooled 2023–24 period, the U.S. annual mean is $804 per consumer unit. The regional means are $964 in the Northeast, $778 in the Midwest, $717 in the South, and $856 in the West. The same combined cereals and bakery products category is used for each geography.
| Geography | Annual mean per consumer unit, 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| United States | $804 |
| Northeast | $964 |
| Midwest | $778 |
| South | $717 |
| West | $856 |
Source: BLS, “Average annual (mean) expenditures and shares for the U.S. and regions, 2023–24”
Among these broad geographies, the Northeast has the highest listed mean, followed by the West, Midwest, and South. The figures describe regions, not individual states or metro areas. Each is an annual mean for consumer units in its geography; it does not mean every unit spent that amount.
The label “2023–24” refers to a pooled period. It does not provide separate regional figures for 2023 and 2024 or show how regional spending changed between those years. These regional figures answer a different question from the annual U.S. series: they compare geography over a pooled period, while the national series gives individual annual amounts from 2021 through 2025. Both use dollars per consumer unit, and neither isolates bakery products from cereals.
Household spending on baked goods statistics: Northeast metro spending
The selected Northeastern metropolitan statistical areas have pooled 2023–24 annual means of $927 in New York, $929 in Philadelphia, and $1,173 in Boston. Each figure is mean expenditure per consumer unit on cereals and bakery products combined.
| Selected Northeast metro area | Annual mean per consumer unit, 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| New York | $927 |
| Philadelphia | $929 |
| Boston | $1,173 |
Boston has the highest mean among the selected areas. Philadelphia’s reported mean is $929 and New York’s is $927. This comparison covers only these named metros; it does not rank all Northeastern metros or explain why the averages differ.
For context, the broader Northeast regional mean for the pooled period is $964 per consumer unit. That regional figure covers a wider geography than any one metro value. The metro observations are not components that can be added to produce the regional mean. Neither level reveals bakery-only spending or the amount spent by a particular consumer unit.
Household spending on baked goods statistics: Midwest metro spending
For selected Midwestern metros, pooled 2023–24 annual means per consumer unit are $913 in Chicago, $765 in Detroit, $824 in Minneapolis–St. Paul, and $893 in St. Louis. The measure covers the combined cereals and bakery products category.
| Selected Midwest metro area | Annual mean per consumer unit, 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Chicago | $913 |
| Detroit | $765 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul | $824 |
| St. Louis | $893 |
Chicago has the highest listed mean, and Detroit the lowest. Minneapolis–St. Paul and St. Louis fall between them. The broader Midwest regional mean for the pooled period is $778 per consumer unit. It covers a wider geography than any of the selected metros, so it should not be interpreted as a value for each one.
The metro amounts are means for consumer units within the named metropolitan statistical areas, not totals for those areas or descriptions of every unit. Since the table includes selected locations, it does not represent every metro in the Midwest. The figures show reported expenditure averages but do not explain their differences; they also continue to include cereals alongside bakery products.
Household spending on baked goods statistics: Southern metro spending
In the selected Southern metropolitan areas, pooled 2023–24 annual means per consumer unit are $907 in Washington, DC; $1,152 in Baltimore; $737 in Atlanta; $710 in Miami; $691 in Dallas–Fort Worth; $777 in Houston; and $736 in Tampa.
| Selected Southern metro area | Annual mean per consumer unit, 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $907 |
| Baltimore | $1,152 |
| Atlanta | $737 |
| Miami | $710 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | $691 |
| Houston | $777 |
| Tampa | $736 |
Baltimore has the highest mean among the selected Southern metros, and Dallas–Fort Worth the lowest. Washington, DC is also above the other listed locations. Houston’s mean is $777, Atlanta’s is $737, Tampa’s is $736, and Miami’s is $710. This ordering describes the selected metros only; it does not rank every metropolitan area in the South.
These are means for consumer units in the named areas, not totals for metro populations or amounts spent by each unit. The table measures expenditure, not local prices, and does not identify reasons for differences. As elsewhere, the category combines cereals and bakery products rather than isolating bakery items.
Household spending on baked goods statistics: Western metro spending
For selected Western metros, BLS reports pooled 2023–24 annual means per consumer unit of $781 in Los Angeles, $1,028 in San Francisco, $981 in San Diego, $910 in Seattle, $716 in Phoenix, $786 in Denver, $1,266 in Honolulu, and $1,063 in Anchorage.
| Selected Western metro area | Annual mean per consumer unit, 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $781 |
| San Francisco | $1,028 |
| San Diego | $981 |
| Seattle | $910 |
| Phoenix | $716 |
| Denver | $786 |
| Honolulu | $1,266 |
| Anchorage | $1,063 |
Honolulu has the highest mean among the selected Western metros, followed by Anchorage. Phoenix has the lowest. San Francisco’s mean is $1,028, San Diego’s is $981, and Seattle’s is $910. Los Angeles and Denver report $781 and $786, respectively. The comparison is limited to the listed areas and does not rank every metro in the West.
The broader West regional mean for pooled 2023–24 is $856 per consumer unit. This covers a wider geography than any individual metro figure. The selected metro observations show different averages for the listed places, but do not account for every consumer unit in the region or explain why the amounts differ.
Across the national, regional, and metro comparisons, the measured category remains “cereals and bakery products.” The U.S. series gives annual observations from 2021 through 2025, while the geographic statistics are pooled 2023–24 annual means. Those definitions and periods set the scope of what these figures can say about household spending on baked goods.