The average U.S. household spent $3,945 on food away from home in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That works out to about $329 a month, or $76 a week. BLS doesn't publish a separate number for takeout alone, so that figure covers takeout and delivery together with sit-down restaurants, fast food and cafeterias. What your household spends depends a lot on its size, income, age and region, and the tables below break that down.
What counts as takeout in the government numbers?
BLS defines food away from home as meals and nonalcoholic drinks, tips included, bought at fast food, takeout and delivery places, full-service restaurants, buffets, cafeterias, concession stands, vending machines and mobile vendors. When an article quotes one "eating out" or "takeout" figure for American households, it almost always means this whole bundle.
The figures are per "consumer unit," BLS's term for people who live together and share major expenses. It's close to what most people mean by a household. The average one had 2.5 people in 2023–24.
For a sense of where the money goes, USDA's Economic Research Service tracks total U.S. food-away-from-home spending, not just households'. In 2025, limited-service restaurants took 36.5% of food-away-from-home spending and full-service restaurants 34.5%.
How has eating-out spending changed since 2015?
Average household spending on food away from home, from the BLS series on FRED, selected years, in dollars of each year:
| Year | Per household, per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $3,008 | $58 |
| 2019 | $3,526 | $68 |
| 2020 | $2,375 | $46 |
| 2022 | $3,639 | $70 |
| 2023 | $3,933 | $76 |
| 2024 | $3,945 | $76 |
Spending fell by about a third in 2020, passed its 2019 level by 2022, and rose just $12 between 2023 and 2024. These are not adjusted for inflation, so they don't show whether households bought more meals or paid more for the same ones. If you see $2,375 quoted as the current average, that's the 2020 figure.
How much do households of different sizes spend?
Bigger households spend more in total but less per person. These are 2024 figures from BLS, with weekly and per-person amounts worked out from them.
| Household size | Per year, 2024 | Per week | Per person, per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| One person | $2,249 | $43 | $43 |
| Two people | $4,070 | $78 | $39 |
| Three people | $4,609 | $89 | $30 |
| Four people | $5,847 | $112 | $28 |
| Five or more | $5,331 | $103 | varies |
Someone living alone spends the most per person. Splitting a pizza four ways spreads the delivery fee and tip; ordering for one doesn't. If you live alone, compare yourself with the one-person row rather than the $3,945 average, which describes a household of about 2.5 people.
Does income change how much people spend eating out?
Income makes the biggest difference of any breakdown here. Spending by income fifth in 2024:
| Household income group | Per year, 2024 | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $1,655 | $32 |
| Second 20% | $2,448 | $47 |
| Middle 20% | $3,277 | $63 |
| Fourth 20% | $4,682 | $90 |
| Highest 20% | $7,652 | $147 |
The highest-income fifth spent about 4.6 times what the lowest fifth did. It was also the only group whose spending went down from 2023, by $145, as BLS notes in its report on 2024 spending. If your household earns close to the middle, the middle row is a fairer comparison than the overall average.
Which age groups spend the most on eating out?
BLS groups households by the age of the "reference person," usually the person who owns or rents the home.
| Age of reference person | Per year, 2024 | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $3,025 | $58 |
| 25 to 34 | $3,918 | $75 |
| 35 to 44 | $5,049 | $97 |
| 45 to 54 | $5,069 | $97 |
| 55 to 64 | $4,040 | $78 |
| 65 and over | $2,689 | $52 |
Households headed by someone 35 to 54 spend the most, close to $100 a week. Spending drops off sharply after 65.
Does where you live make a difference?
Yes. BLS publishes regional figures as a two-year average for 2023–24, which is why the U.S. number here differs slightly from the 2024 one above.
| Region | Per year, 2023–24 average | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| West | $4,708 | $91 |
| Northeast | $4,240 | $82 |
| Midwest | $3,721 | $72 |
| South | $3,483 | $67 |
| U.S. | $3,939 | $76 |
Households in the West spent about 35% more on food away from home than households in the South.
How do you work out your own takeout spending?
The averages are a reference point. Your own number is more useful.
- Pull the last three months of bank and card statements, plus the order history in any delivery app you use.
- Mark every charge from a restaurant, coffee shop, delivery app or food truck, with fees and tips included.
- Add them up and divide by 13, since three months is about 13 weeks. That's your weekly figure.
- Find the row in the tables above that fits your household best and see where you land.
- Pick the two or three orders you repeat most and price them as home-cooked meals.
Once you know your weekly number, you can decide how much of it to keep and build the rest into your food budget. How to stick to a grocery budget covers setting one you'll keep to.
Can you see what cooking saves you each week?
MealMaxx plans breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week around your grocery budget and shows what cooking saved you compared with ordering in. It's on iPhone in the US.