Monthly spending for people aged 65 and over in the U.S.
All non-transfer outflows in a typical month — housing, food, transport, subscriptions and everything else.
Half of people aged 65 and over in the U.S. have a monthly spending above $4,950. Reaching the upper quarter takes about $7,000, and the top 10% starts at $10,000 — roughly 2.0× the median. The lower quarter sits below $3,500, and the bottom 10% is under $2,500.
The full distribution
| Percentile | Monthly spending | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | $2,500 | 9 in 10 are above this |
| Lower quarter | $3,500 | 25th percentile |
| Median | $4,950 | half above, half below |
| Upper quarter | $7,000 | 75th percentile |
| Top 10% | $10,000 | only 1 in 10 is above this |
| Average (mean) | $5,445 | pulled up by the top end — the median is the better "typical" |
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Monthly spending by age
| Age | Lower quarter | Median monthly spending | Upper quarter | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22–25 → | $2,550 | $3,400 | $4,650 | $6,550 |
| 26–29 → | $3,300 | $4,500 | $6,150 | $8,550 |
| 30–33 → | $3,850 | $5,250 | $7,250 | $10K |
| 34–37 → | $4,150 | $5,750 | $7,850 | $11K |
| 38–41 → | $4,450 | $6,150 | $8,500 | $12K |
| 42–45 → | $4,800 | $6,700 | $9,250 | $13K |
| 46–50 → | $5,050 | $7,050 | $9,700 | $14K |
| 50–54 → | $5,000 | $7,000 | $9,700 | $14K |
| 55–59 → | $4,700 | $6,600 | $9,200 | $13K |
| 60–64 → | $4,450 | $6,200 | $8,700 | $12K |
| 65 and over | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
Monthly spending at 65 and over by city
| Metro | Lower quarter | Median monthly spending | Upper quarter | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| San Francisco → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| Los Angeles → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| Chicago → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| Boston → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| Washington, DC → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| Seattle → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
| Austin → | $3,500 | $4,950 | $7,000 | $10K |
National figures above; metro pages adjust for local incomes and housing costs.
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Common questions
How this is built. Percentiles are modeled for this cohort from federal survey microdata — the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (released October 2026), the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2024), the Census American Community Survey and BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2025) — with metro cost-of-living and wage adjustments. As Keeping Up members in this cohort grow, the band blends toward anonymized, aggregated live data (minimum cohort sizes apply; no individual is ever identifiable). Seeded figures are household-level, as in the SCF; live cohorts are individual-level. Amounts are in current dollars. Read the full methodology.
Last updated October 2026. Cohort: people aged 65 and over in the U.S.. Model sample basis: 500.