Area spends more on needs

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Where did our dollars go?

Consumers in the Chicago area spent an average of $56,947 per year on housing, transportation, food, health care and other items in 2008 to 2009, according to a Labor Department report released Thursday. That was 14 percent higher than the national average of $49,778.

The report showed housing averaged $20,620 annually and was the largest expenditure category. Housing accounted for 36.2 percent of a Chicago-area household’s total budget. Nationally, housing costs averaged $17,002 and accounted for 34.2 percent of a household budget. Francine Knowles