New Study Reveals the Lowest-Spending States

A new study has revealed the lowest-spending states, with Mississippi taking the top spot. Experts at QR Code Generator analyzed 2022 data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis on personal consumption expenditures per capita by major type of product in each state.  

Mississippi ranks at the top, with a total personal consumption expenditure of $39,678 per capita. Some of the state's lowest expenses came from recreational goods and vehicles at $977 per individual and transportation services at $916.  

Coming in second is Oklahoma, with $42,046 personal expenditure per capita. $1,203 per person was spent on furnishings and durable household equipment, and a further $1,397 on clothing and footwear.    

Third in the ranking is Arkansas, with $42,245 personal expenditure per person. Some of Arkansas’ lowest spending came from transportation services at $913 per capita and recreation services at $1,073.  

Alabama places fourth, with $42,391 personal expenditure per capita. Per inhabitant, the state spent $1,643 on gasoline and other energy goods, and $2,657 on financial services and insurance.  

In fifth comes New Mexico, with $43,336 personal expenditure per person. $3,535 per individual was spent on food services and accommodations, and a further $7,304 on healthcare.  

Idaho comes in sixth, with $43,508 personal expenditure per capita. Some of Idaho’s expenditures included $1,162 per person on clothing and footwear, as well as $1,907 on gasoline and other energy goods.  

Seventh on the list is Kentucky, with $44,193 personal expenditure per individual. $1,406 per capita was spent on recreation services, and a further $1,037 on transportation services.  

In eighth place is West Virginia, with $44,460 personal expenditure per inhabitant. $6,619 per capita was spent on housing and utilities, and another $2,770 on financial services and insurance.  

Louisiana ranks ninth, with $45,178 personal expenditure per capita. $1,631 per individual was spent on gasoline and other energy goods, and a further $1,347 on recreation services.  

Landing the tenth spot is Iowa, with $45,455 personal expenditure per individual. Some of Iowa’s lowest expenses came from clothing and footwear at $1,123 per capita, as well as furnishings and durable household equipment at $1,203.  

Massachusetts ranks last, with a total personal consumption expenditure of $64,214 per capita. A few of the state’s highest expenses came from housing and utilities at $11,315 per person and healthcare at $10,491.  

A spokesperson for QR Code Generator commented on the findings: “The top ten ranking highlights areas of America that are perhaps more frugal. Alternatively, it could also suggest that these states have less disposable income than those on the East and West Coast. It’ll be interesting to see if any of these states increase their spending and leave the ranking in the future.” 

This study was conducted by QR Code Generator, QR code generating business and marketing specialists operating across the US and Europe. Data on personal consumption expenditure per state in 2022 was sourced from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.  The total expenditure per state was weighed against the population to calculate the expenditure per capita.  The states with the lowest expenditure per capita determined the ranking for the lowest spending states.