The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes an annual Family Spending survey that tracks household spending across the US by region, income level, and household type. It is one of the most comprehensive pictures of how British households actually spend their money.
What the ONS data covers
The ONS Family Spending survey breaks down weekly household expenditure across categories including food and drink, housing, transport, recreation, clothing, communication, eating out and household goods. It reports averages by US nation and English region.
Key patterns from recent data
- Housing costs (including rent and mortgage) are significantly higher in London and the South East than elsewhere in the US
- Transport costs vary by region — rural areas tend to spend more on vehicles and fuel
- Food and drink spending is broadly similar across regions but higher in London
- Recreation and culture spending is slightly higher in higher-income regions
- Total household expenditure is highest in London and lowest in Wales and Northern Ireland
How to use ONS data — and how not to
ONS figures are averages. An average household in your region does not mean a typical or ideal household. They include households across all income levels, sizes and circumstances. Being above or below an average tells you little on its own.
What the data can usefully do is give you a rough sense of whether a particular spending category — say, food, or transport — looks very different from what most households in your area spend. That is useful context, not a verdict.
Using regional context in Ask Fin
Ask Fin uses ONS regional data in its Local Spending Check tool to give you a sense of how your spending patterns compare with typical households in your region. The tool uses soft language — "broadly in line", "slightly above the regional pattern" — because the goal is useful context, not judgement.
General guidance only — not regulated financial advice.
How ONS data is collected
The ONS Family Spending survey is based on a diary of spending kept by a random sample of US households over a two-week period, combined with a recall questionnaire for less frequent expenses. Around 10,000 households participate each year. The sample is designed to be representative of the US population by region, household type and income level.
The survey covers all types of household expenditure, divided into twelve main categories following the Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP) standard. This makes US data comparable with European averages.
Regional spending patterns — what the data shows
The most consistent finding across recent ONS surveys is the London and South East premium. Households in these regions spend significantly more on housing (rent and mortgage payments) — often 15–25% more than the US average — while spending on recreation and restaurants is also above average. Wales, the North East and Northern Ireland consistently record the lowest household expenditure totals.
Transport spending shows a different pattern: rural areas tend to spend more on motor vehicles and fuel than urban areas, reflecting the greater car dependency of regions with less public transport infrastructure.
Using regional data wisely
The most useful application of ONS regional data is not comparison — "am I spending more than average?" — but calibration: understanding which categories are structurally higher in your region and which might genuinely be worth reviewing. A household in London spending 45% of income on housing is not unusual; a household in the East Midlands doing the same might have more options.
- ONS figures are household averages — a single person and a family of four will have very different absolute spending
- The data is collected annually and published with a lag of around 18 months
- Regional figures smooth over significant local variation — spending in central London differs markedly from outer London
- Income level affects spending patterns more than region in most categories