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Virginia Cooperative Extension - Knowledge for the CommonWealth

Farm Family Living Cost Update

Farm Business Management Update, August 1999

By David M. Kohl of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech

Table 1: 1989-98 Family Living Summary*

EXPENSE ITEM 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
$
Food 4,181 4,512 4,343 4,383 4,542 4,317 5,139 4,923 5,129 5,466
Clothing 1,444 1,840 1,753 1,529 1,719 1,616 2,167 1,682 1,761 1,910
Personal Items 1,126 1,222 2,093 1,648 2,083 1,760 3,927 3,006 3,399 2,998
Education 696 784 921 566 818 761 788 830 982 1,267
Recreation 1,084 1,078 769 751 861 1,098 1,767 1,841 1,905 1,854
Utilities & Fuel 1,275 1,615 1,594 1,458 1,536 1,640 1,330 1,661 1,637 1,727
Minor Repairs & Supplies 549 440 433 398 677 808 2,934 2,193 2,675 3,529
Insurance (Life & Home) 1,940 2,304 2,159 2,030 2,341 2,098 1,926 2,012 2,552 2,567
Gifts 1,295 1,205 1,356 1,015 1,936 1,709 1,477 1,394 1,656 2,351
Medicine, Doctor, Dentist, Hosp., Health Ins. 3,842 3,753 3,743 4,343 4,831 5,385 4,580 4,967 4,948 5,174
Church & Charity 1,781 1,481 1,731 1,248 1,780 1,495 2,010 1,567 1,810 1,865
Personal Interest 296 183 124 132 252 181 405 470 486 644
New Furniture & Equipment 465 654 522 446 525 794 246 281 402 187
Home Improvements, Taxes & Rent 949 531 798 1,209 885 783 1,427 2,399 2,191 2,670
Miscellaneous** 3,733 4,685 4,363 5,423 5,751 7,505 132 114 110 221
Personal Auto 1,288 984 1,222 1,539 1,350 1,700 1,449 1,603 1,891 1,913
TOTAL 25,944 27,271 27,924 28,118 31,887 33,650 31,704 30,943 33,534 36,343
Income, Soc. Sec. Taxes             6,513 6,386 8,587 8,003
TOTAL TAXES & F.L.             38,217 37,329 42,121 44,346
No. of Families Included 61 69 74 52 74 69 64 74 82 98
Average family size 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.4 2.7 2.7 2.6 3.1

*1995-97 Includes data from both the NFBA and Nebraskaland Farm & Ranch Management Education Program. Prior years include only the NFBA data.

**1988-94 Miscellaneous includes home real estate taxes, rent, and household supplies.

Total Family from prior years: 1979 = $15,677 1980 = $15,606 1981 = $17,318 1982 = $17,895 1983 = $18,425 1984 = $17,328 1985 = $16,748 1986 = $19,938 1987 = $21,421 1988 = $22,460

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