The cost of living alone: what one-person households spend, line by line
Almost three in ten American households are one person. Living alone buys freedom – and it comes with a bill that is easy to measure.
Who lives alone
According to the Census Bureau, there were 38.5 million one-person households in the United States in 2024, or 29% of all households – up from 19% in 1974.
What a one-person household spends
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys break spending down by the size of the "consumer unit" (people who live together and share expenses). In 2024, one-person units had an average income before taxes of $50,990 and spent $48,794 a year:
| Category (2024) | One-person unit | Two-person unit | Two-person, per person | Living alone vs sharing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | $48,794 | $91,324 | $45,662 | +7% |
| Housing | $19,052 | $29,368 | $14,684 | +30% |
| of which shelter | $12,954 | $17,763 | $8,882 | +46% |
| Utilities | $2,978 | $5,493 | $2,746 | +8% |
| Transportation | $6,953 | $16,056 | $8,028 | -13% |
| Food | $5,644 | $12,113 | $6,056 | -7% |
Average annual expenditures. Per-person figures divide the two-person total by two. Source: BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2024 (series published via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
The real "singles tax" is the rent
Overall, a person living alone spends about 7% more than each member of a two-person household. But the difference is concentrated in one place: shelter. A one-person unit spends $12,954 a year on shelter, against $8,882 per person in a two-person unit – 46% more.
How much more a person living alone spends than each member of a two-person household, 2024. Calculated from BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys data.
Other categories do not follow the same pattern: per person, one-person units spend less than two-person units on food (–7%) and on transportation (–13%).
The weight of housing shows up in the budget split. Housing takes 39% of a one-person unit's total spending, against 32% for a two-person unit – and $19,052 is 37% of the average one-person unit's pre-tax income.
How to keep the cost down
- Size the home to the income, not the dream. Since shelter is where the premium sits, a smaller place or a cheaper neighbourhood saves more than any amount of coupon clipping.
- Check what is included. Utilities are only 8% more per person when you live alone, but internet, insurance and subscriptions are rarely shared costs – audit them once a year.
- Build the emergency fund first. With one income and no one to split surprises with, a cushion matters more. Our guide to savings benchmarks has the numbers.
- Price the alternatives honestly. A roommate cuts the shelter bill roughly in half; for some people, that is worth more than the privacy, and for others it is not.
Sources
- US Census Bureau – Census Bureau releases new estimates on families and living arrangements (12 November 2024)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Consumer Expenditure Surveys
- FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Total average annual expenditures, one person consumer unit (CXUTOTALEXPLB0502M)
- FRED – Shelter, one person consumer unit (CXUSHELTERLB0502M)
- FRED – Total average annual expenditures, two persons consumer unit (CXUTOTALEXPLB0503M)
