BLS Says Retired Households Spent $61,000 in 2025, Up 2% as Housing Took 38%

1 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Nov 6

$61,000 was the average spent by retired U.S. households headed by someone 65 or older in 2025, a 2% increase from the prior year.
That gain lagged both inflation and the 2.5% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, while spending by all 65-plus households rose 5% because many were still working past 65.
$22,966 of retirees' annual budgets went to housing, which absorbed 38% of spending; transportation followed at $9,248, with healthcare at $7,938 slightly above food at $7,749.
Age drove wide gaps within retirement: households under 65 spent nearly 40% more than those 65 to 74, while spending fell to about $54,500 for those 75 and older from roughly $62,900.