American consumers are feeling more optimistic: According to McKinsey & Company, positive sentiment in the fourth quarter of 2024 reached the highest point since prior to the pandemic.¹ Yet even with the increase in confidence, spending isn’t consistent across the map: Consumers are laying out more in some states than others, depending on income, cost of living, savings habits, and other factors.

Here’s a look at how spending stacks up by state according to the Empower Personal Dashboard^TM.

*Anonymized user data from the Empower Personal Dashboard™ January-December 2024.

Read more: ‘Solid’ consumer spending walks a fine line toward 2025

Where do the biggest spenders live?

Based on Empower Personal Dashboard data, Connecticut residents top the spending chart, with monthly outlays of $7,068 on average. Among generations in states with the highest spending, Gen Xers in Connecticut shell out the most and Gen Zers the least. 

Texans aren’t far behind, with average monthly expenditures of $6,970. Lone Star Gen Zers spend the least, while Gen Xers fork out the most by generation.

Highest average spending by state

*Anonymized user data from the Empower Personal Dashboard™ January-December 2024.

Gen Xers are the biggest spenders in every state, with those in Connecticut dropping the most, $8,681 monthly on average.

Money comes, money goes

In some cases, big spenders are big earners and big savers too. People in Connecticut, New York, California, Washington, and Massachusetts rank high in all three areas, with Connecticut residents spending the most at $7,068 monthly on average and having the highest average net worth of $937,527. Massachusetts residents, who spend an average of $6,648 a month, also earn the most at $80,330 on average.

Average salary and net worth of highest spending states

*Anonymized user data from the Empower Personal Dashboard™ December 2024.
Salary source: Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics,” May 2023.

Read more: Average salary by state

Gas and groceries

Americans in some of the states with the highest average spending overall are also among those who spend the most at the pump, including residents of New York, California, Connecticut, Washington, Nevada, and Massachusetts. Alaskans have the highest monthly outlay on gas at $70.08 on average.

States spending the most on gas

*Anonymized user data from the Empower Personal Dashboard™ January-December 2024.

Among states that spend the most at grocery stores, 5 New England states — Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Massachusetts — rank in the top 6.

States spending the most on groceries

*Anonymized user data from the Empower Personal Dashboard™ January-December 2024.

While mortgage payments are likely to be one of the largest single monthly expenditures for Americans (the median payment averaged $2,004 in 2024), grocery store spending accounts for a sizable chunk. Grocery store bills represent 13.1% of overall monthly outlays for dashboard users in Vermont, 13% in New Hampshire, and 12.4% in Maine.

Read more: Check out these prices: The average cost of groceries by state