New Yorkers consumed $42G a year in goods, services
A shopper is seen in the dairy section of Acme supermarket in Lawrenceville, N.J., in an undated photo. The nation's per capita consumer spending was $35,498 -- topped by New York's at $42,000. Credit: AP / Mel Evans
New York State residents consumed on average $42,000 in goods and services in 2012 -- less than residents of New Jersey and Connecticut, but more than the national average.
The federal Bureau of Economic Analysis Thursday released its first estimate of personal consumption expenditures by state, which measures out-of-pocket spending by consumers plus government or employer spending for medical care and other services used by consumers.
U.S. residents used $11 trillion in goods and services in 2012, the most recent available data. Nearly $823 billion of that was by New Yorkers.
Per capita consumption was $35,498 nationwide compared with $42,043 in New York, $42,654 in New Jersey and $45,800 in Connecticut.
The highest was $59,423 in Washington, D.C., and the lowest was $27,406 in Mississippi.
The bureau reported personal consumption expenditures rose 3.5 percent per capita in New York between 2011 and 2012. That's slightly higher than the national rate of 3.3 percent.
The bureau also released 2012 consumption data for some categories of goods and services.
For housing and utilities, New Yorkers used an average of $7,751 a year per person, compared with $6,415 nationwide. They also used more health care, $7,303 compared with $5,886.
However, New Yorkers consumed far less gasoline and other energy goods than the national average, $919 compared with $1,328. They also consumed slightly fewer restaurant meals, $2,664 compared with $2,750.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said, in releasing the numbers, "For the first time, we now have a rich data on consumer spending decisions in each state."
She said the report "will help businesses make smarter decisions about hiring and investing."The bureau is part of the Commerce Department.
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