Auto expenses more than groceries, utilities

Austin #1 in auto spending

Vilas Bhuchar, Jun 23, 10.

The average American household spent more on gasoline and automotive expenses than either groceries or utilities, and Texas ranked number three in total automobile-related expenses last year, according to finance website Bundle and as reported by Wired.

Gasoline and automotive expenses accounted for $5,477, or 14.5%, of the average American household’s daily spending, with various demographic groups spending more or less. The Wired story adds:

The average American household spent $2,208 on gasoline last year and $3,269 on other auto-related expenses. Those are average figures of course, so your figures may vary. If you live in Connecticut, for example, your household shelled out $7,652 for the privilege of driving — the highest in the nation. West Virginians, on the other hand, spent the least — $4,258.

No surprise that those who drive to work solo spent the most, while carpoolers got off easiest. If you’ve got kids, you spent 21.5 percent more than those without ‘em. Young adults — aged 18 to 25 — allocated 18 percent of their daily spending to driving, more than any other group.

Texans, on average, spent $6,588 on total gasoline and automotive expenses last year, which ranked them No. 3 in the country, behind Connecticut and Arizona residents, notes the Bundle story. Furthermore, Austin residents spent a whopping $10,128 on total automobile expenses, ranking it No. 1 in the nation. Other Texas cities on the top ten list include Plano and Dallas, at No. 3 and No.9. Houston did not make the top ten list for highest automobile spending.

Finally, there was a clear distinction on automobile spending between states west or east of the Mississippi, notes a Bundle infographic.

The top 10 spending cities for both gas and auto expenses are all west of the Mississippi, save for Raleigh (third overall for gas spending) and Durham (ninth for gas spending; 10th for auto expenses). All but two of the bottom 10 cities for gas spending are east of the Mississippi.

Full story

Bundle report

(Photo credit: Atwater Village Newbie)