"This Is How Much the Average American Spends on Housing At Every Age. How Do You Stack Up?" by Shaina Mishkin Housing costs eat up a big part of American budgets — and young people feel the crunch more than almost anyone else. Those under the age of 25 spend nearly 24% of their pre-tax income so-called shelter expenses alone, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s among the highest of any age group.