Midwest Information office

    This report contains annual data averaged over a two-year
period-2002 and 2003.  The data are from the Consumer Expenditure
Survey, which is collected on an ongoing basis by the U.S. Census
Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  The Consumer
Expenditure Survey is the only national survey that provides both
complete data on household expenditures and the demographic
characteristics of those households.  Survey data cannot be used to
make cost of living comparisons between areas.  Expenditures vary
among areas not only because of economic factors such as the prices
of goods and services and family income, but also because of
differences such as the age of the population, climate, consumer
tastes, family size, etc.  However, expenditure shares, or the
percentage of a consumer unit's budget spent on a particular
category, can be used to compare spending patterns across areas.  The
survey provides average expenditures for consumer units.  An
individual consumer unit may spend more or less than the average,
depending on its particular characteristics.

     Housing, the largest expenditure category for a Cincinnati area
household, accounted for 33.5 percent of the total budget, slightly
more than the 32.8-percent national average.  Chicagoans spent 36.3
percent of their budget on housing, the highest share among the
selected Midwest areas.  The majority of housing costs in Cincinnati
went for shelter (59 percent), which includes mortgage interest,
property taxes, repairs, and rent, among other items, and was similar
to the national share.  (See table A.)  Utilities, fuels and public
services accounted for 19.3 percent of total housing expenditures.
This was lower than the 20.6-percent nationwide average.  Among the
other three metropolitan areas, utilities, fuels and public services
accounted for 25 percent of Cleveland's housing dollars, the only
area to exceed the national percentage.  On the other hand, Detroit's
share (20.2 percent) was about on par with the national average and
Chicago's (18.7 percent), below that for the nation.  The rate of
home ownership in Cincinnati, at 58 percent, was well below the 67
percent national average.  However, the percentage of homeowners in
the other three areas in the Midwest all exceeded the U.S. average,
though the rate in Chicago was closer to the norm than in Cleveland
and Detroit.
          
Table A.  Percent distribution of housing expenditures, U.S. and 
selected metropolitan areas, 2002-2003
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                         | United | Cin-   |        |         |
           Item          | States |cinnati |Chicago |Cleveland|Detroit
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total housing            | 100.0  | 100.0  | 100.0  |  100.0  | 100.0 
 Shelter                 |  58.8  |  59.0  |  60.3  |   58.9  |  61.1
 Utilities, fuels & serv.|  20.6  |  19.3  |  18.7  |   25.0  |  20.2
 Household operations    |   5.3  |   4.5  |   5.1  |    3.8  |   5.1
 Housekeeping supplies   |   4.0  |   3.9  |   3.7  |    3.5  |   3.7
 Household furnishings   |  11.3  |  13.3  |  12.2  |    8.8  |  10.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------

    At 20 percent, transportation was the second largest
expenditure category in the Cincinnati area.  Nationally, 19.1
percent of the budget went towards the cost of transportation.  As in
Cincinnati, transportation shares for Cleveland and Detroit (both
20.5 percent) were above the national average.  On the other hand,
the expenditure share for transportation in Chicago, 16.9 percent,
fell below that for the nation.  Of the $7,803 annual expenditure for
transportation in Cincinnati, 96.6 percent was spent buying and
maintaining private vehicles.  Only 3.4 percent of all transportation
dollars went for public transportation, which includes taxis, buses,
trains, and planes.  (See table 2 for detailed expenditure levels.)
This was below the national average of 5.0 percent.  Among the other
three areas in the Midwest, households in Detroit and Cleveland were
closer to the national share for public transportation at 5.3 and 4.5
percent, respectively; however, those in Chicago spent a considerably
larger portion of their transportation budget on public transport
averaging 8.3 percent.  Not surprisingly, the average number of
vehicles per household was lowest in Chicago at 1.7; this compares to
2.0 vehicles nationally.  Still, Cincinnati households, which
allocated only a small percentage of their transportation dollars to
public means, averaged only 1.9 vehicles per household.

     Cincinnati consumer units spent 13.6 percent of their budget on
food, just above the national average of 13.1 percent.  None of the
expenditure shares for food in the other three Midwest areas exceeded
the U.S. average.  Households in Cincinnati spent $3,052 or 57.6
percent of their annual food budget on food prepared at home.  The
remainder (42.4 percent) was spent on food prepared away from home,
such as restaurant meals, carry-outs, board at school, and catered
affairs.  Nationally, 41.9 percent of all food dollars went to
restaurants, carry-outs, and such.  Of the four Midwest areas under
comparison, only households in Cleveland spent a smaller than average
share of their food dollars (39.6 percent) on food prepared away from
home.

     Payments for personal insurance and pensions accounted for 8.9
percent of total expenditures in Cincinnati, below the 9.8-percent
national average.  Chicago's share, at 8.7 percent, was also below
that for the U.S., while Detroit's share matched the national
average.  Household in Cleveland, on the other hand, spent a larger
than average portion of their budget on personal insurance and
pensions, 11.3 percent.

     Out-of-pocket health care expenses, which include health
insurance premiums, medical services, drugs (prescription and
nonprescription), and medical care supplies, accounted for 5.4
percent of total household expenditures in Cincinnati.  All of the
selected areas in the Midwest were below the national average of 5.9
percent, with Detroit the lowest at 4.5 percent.

     Cincinnati area households spent 5.2 percent of their budgets
on entertainment, very close to the 5.1-percent share allocated
nationally.  Shares were also near the national average in Chicago
(4.9 percent) and Cleveland (4.8 percent).  Detroit's expenditure
share for entertainment was the lowest at 4.4 percent.

     Spending on apparel and related services accounted for 3.7
percent of total expenditures in Cincinnati, the same amount as in
Cleveland.  Of the four areas in the Midwest, households in Detroit
spent the highest share of their budget on clothing at 5.6 percent,
exceeding the 4.2-percent national average.

     Cash contributions accounted for 3.1 percent of a consumer
unit's spending in Cincinnati, about the same as the 3.2-percent
national average.  The expenditure share for cash contributions in
Chicago (3.0 percent) was also close to the national norm; however,
shares in Cleveland (2.3 percent) and Detroit (2.6 percent) were
lower than average.

                                # # #


Additional Data Available

    Data tables are available for the four Census regions and for
the national average.  These tables may be obtained from the
Bureau's automated Fax-on-Demand service.  See below.  Additional
tables are offered under the heading "Tables Created by BLS" on the
BLS Internet site www.bls.gov/cex.


                             Technical Note

    The current Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program began in
1980.  Its principal objective is to collect information on the
buying habits of American consumers.  The consumer expenditure data
are used in a wide variety of research by government, business,
labor, and academic analysts.  The data are also required for
periodic revision of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

    The survey consists of two components, a diary or recordkeeping
survey, and an interview survey.  The Diary Survey, completed by
participating consumer units for two consecutive 1-week periods,
collects data on frequently purchased smaller items.  The Interview
Survey, in which the expenditures of consumer units are obtained in
five interviews conducted every 3 months, collects data for larger-
cost items and expenditures that occur on a regular basis.  The U.S.
Census Bureau collects the survey data.

    Each component of the survey queries an independent sample of
consumer units which is representative of the U.S. population.  Over
the year, about 7,500 consumer units are sampled for the Diary
Survey.  The Interview sample is conducted on a rotating panel basis,
with about 7,500 consumer units participating each quarter.  The data
are collected on an ongoing basis in 105 areas of the country.

    The integrated data from the BLS Diary and Interview Surveys
provide a complete accounting of consumer expenditures and income,
which neither survey component alone is designed to do.  Due to
changes in the survey sample frame, metropolitan area data in this
release are not directly comparable to those prior to 1996.

    The expenditure data in this release should be interpreted with
care.  The expenditures are averages for consumer units with the
specified characteristics, regardless of whether or not a specific
unit incurred an expense for that specific item during the recording
period.  The average expenditure may be considerably lower than the
expenditure by those consumer units that purchased the item.  This
study is not intended as a comparative cost of living survey as
neither the quantity nor the quality of goods and services has been
held constant among areas.  Differences may result from variations in
consumer unit preferences or characteristics such as consumer unit
size, age, income levels, etc.  Users should keep in mind that prices
for many goods and services have risen since the survey was
conducted.

    In addition, sample surveys are subject to two types of errors.
Sampling errors occur because the data are collected from a
representative sample rather than the entire population.  Nonsampling
errors result from the inability or unwillingness or respondents to
provide correct information, differences in interviewer ability,
mistakes in recording or coding, or other processing errors.  The
year-to-year changes are volatile and should be interpreted
carefully.  The survey sample for the nation is much larger than for
individual metropolitan areas, meaning the resulting national
estimates are more reliable than those for the metropolitan areas.

    Some expenditure components are subject to large fluctuations from
one year to the next because these components include expensive items
that relatively few consumers purchase each year.  Thus, shifts from
year to year in the number of consumers making such purchases can
have a large effect on average expenditures.  Examples of these types
of expenses are purchases of new cars and trucks in the
transportation component, and spending on boats and recreational
vehicles in the entertainment component.

    The Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and Consolidated
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSAs) covered by the Consumer
Expenditure Survey represent areas designated by the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget and are based on definitions in effect as of
December 1992.  The general concept of an MSA is one of a large
population nucleus, together with adjacent communities which have a
high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus.
The following metropolitan areas are discussed in this release:

    Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin CMSA which is
comprised of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall,
Lake, McHenry and Will Counties, Illinois; Lake and Porter Counties,
Indiana; and Kenosha County, Wisconsin;

    Cleveland-Akron, Ohio CMSA which is comprised of Ashtabula,
Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit Counties;

    Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Michigan CMSA which is comprised of
Genesee, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St.
Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties; and

    Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin CMSA which is comprised
of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott,
Sherburne, Washington, and Wright Counties, Minnesota; and Pierce and
St. Croix Counties, Wisconsin.

    The Consumer Expenditure Survey also provides data for the four
regions of the country as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census -
Northeast, South, Midwest, and West.  Data for metropolitan areas
presented in tables 1 and 2 of this release are part of the Midwest
region which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin.

                             Definitions

    Consumer unit - members of a household related by blood, marriage,
adoption, or other legal arrangement; a single person living alone or
sharing a household with others but who is financially independent;
or two or more persons living together who share responsibility for
at least 2 out of 3 major types of expenses - food, housing, and
other expenses.  The terms household and consumer unit are used
interchangeably for convenience.

    Complete income reporter - in general, a consumer unit that
provides values for at least one of the major sources of its income
such as wages and salaries, self-employment income, or Social
Security income.  Even complete income reporters may not have
provided a full accounting of all income from all sources.

    Expenditures - consists of the transaction costs, including excise
and sales taxes, of goods and services acquired during the interview
or recordkeeping period.  Expenditure estimates include expenditures
for gifts, but exclude purchases or portions of purchases directly
assignable to business purposes.  Also excluded are periodic credit
or installment payments on goods or services already acquired.  The
full cost of each purchase is recorded even though full payment may
not have been made at the date of purchase.

    Income before taxes - the total money earnings and selected money
receipts during the 12 months prior to the interview date.


Table 1.  Consumer unit characteristics and percent distribution
of expenditures, U.S. and selected metropolitan areas, Consumer
Expenditure Survey, 2002-2003
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                              | United | Cin-  |       |         | 
          Item                | States |cinnati|Chicago|Cleveland|Detroit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumer unit characteristics:
 Income before taxes 1/        $50,302  $52,271 $64,670  $50,391  $57,541
 Age of reference person          48.2     48.6    47.7     49.2     48.8

Average number in consumer unit:
 Persons                           2.5      2.3     2.8      2.4      2.6
 Children under 18                  .6       .6      .8       .6       .7
 Persons 65 and over                .3       .3      .2       .3       .3
 Earners                           1.3      1.3     1.5      1.4      1.3
 Vehicles                          2.0      1.9     1.7      1.8      2.0
 
Percent homeowner                   67       58      69       73       74
 
Average annual expenditures    $40,748  $39,030 $47,016  $37,487  $44,039
 Total (percent):                100.0    100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0

Food                              13.1     13.6    12.8     12.2     12.5

Alcoholic beverages                 .9       .9     1.0       .8      1.0

Housing                           32.8     33.5    36.3     32.9     32.8

Apparel & services                 4.2      3.7     4.3      3.7      5.6

Transportation                    19.1     20.0    16.9     20.5     20.5

Health Care                        5.9      5.4     5.2      5.4      4.5

Entertainment                      5.1      5.2     4.9      4.8      4.4

Personal care products & serv.     1.3      1.3     1.3      1.1      1.4

Reading                             .3       .4      .3       .3       .3

Education                          1.9      1.6     2.6      2.1      1.7

Tobacco products & smoking 
  supplies                          .7       .8      .6       .9       .9

Miscellaneous                      1.7      1.4     2.0      1.6      1.8

Cash contributions                 3.2      3.1     3.0      2.3      2.6

Personal insurance & pensions      9.8      8.9     8.7     11.3      9.8
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1/ Components of income and taxes are derived from "complete income
reporters" only; see definitions.
  
  
Table 2. Average annual expenditures, U.S. and selected metropolitan
areas, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2002-2003
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                              | United | Cin-  |       |         | 
          Item                | States |cinnati|Chicago|Cleveland|Detroit
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Average annual expenditures    $40,748  $39,030 $47,016  $37,487  $44,039

Food                             5,357    5,303   6,001    4,574    5,511
 Food at home                    3,114    3,052   3,418    2,761    3,073
 Food away from home             2,243    2,250   2,583    1,813    2,439

Alcoholic beverages                384      363     486      306      430

Housing                         13,359   13,072  17,059   12,335   14,429
 Shelter                         7,859    7,715  10,290    7,262    8,814
 Utilities, fuels & public serv. 2,749    2,520   3,190    3,079    2,911
 Household operations              706      586     876      472      732
 Housekeeping supplies             537      510     624      432      530
 Household furnishings & equip.  1,508    1,741   2,080    1,089    1,442

Apparel & services               1,694    1,435   2,017    1,378    2,473
 
Transportation                   7,770    7,803   7,961    7,702    9,024
 Vehicle purchases (net outlay)  3,699    3,917   3,570    3,716    3,955
 Gasoline & motor oil            1,285    1,152   1,325    1,107    1,354
 Other vehicle expenses          2,400    2,466   2,410    2,531    3,229
 Public transportation             387      269     657      349      486

Health care                      2,384    2,126   2,462    2,035    1,999

Entertainment                    2,069    2,047   2,326    1,794    1,950

Personal care products & serv.     526      502     588      397      630

Reading                            133      166     138      125      145

Education                          768      629   1,224      789      767

Tobacco products & smoking 
 supplies                          305      323     300      347      383

Miscellaneous                      698      554     945      616      805

Cash contributions               1,324    1,229   1,431      863    1,158

Personal insurance & pensions    3,978    3,478   4,077    4,227    4,335
 Life & other personal ins.        402      331     324      469      304
 Pensions & Social Security      3,576    3,147   3,754    3,758    4,031
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