To identify where clothing costs are most and least burdensome relative to earnings, WalletHub analyzed the average prices of a men’s dress shirt, a pair of boys’ jeans and a pair of women’s slacks in 100 of the nation’s largest cities and compared those costs with each city’s median household income.
| Highest % of Income Spent | Lowest % of Income Spent | |
| 1. Cleveland, OH (3.52%) | 91. Huntington Beach, CA (1.12%) | |
| 2. Birmingham, AL (3.22%) | 92. Santa Clarita, CA (1.11%) | |
| 3. Detroit, MI (3.09%) | 93. Chesapeake, VA (1.10%) | |
| 4. Baton Rouge, LA (2.95%) | 94. Henderson, NV (1.04%) | |
| 5. Toledo, OH (2.95%) | 95. Chandler, AZ (1.00%) | |
| 6. New Orleans, LA (2.62%) | 96. Irvine, CA (0.99%) | |
| 7. Newark, NJ (2.61%) | 97. Scottsdale, AZ (0.98%) | |
| 8. Lexington-Fayette, KY (2.59%) | 98. Fremont, CA (0.92%) | |
| 9. Lubbock, TX (2.57%) | 99. San Jose, CA (0.90%) | |
| 10. San Antonio, TX (2.56%) | 100. Gilbert, AZ (0.89%) | |
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
“In certain cities, a family can expect to shell out close to 4% of the median monthly household income just for a pair of women’s slacks, a men’s dress shirt and a pair of boys’ jeans. In the cities where people spend the most, residents typically face high prices in conjunction with low incomes.
Since clothing purchases can be so expensive, consumers should always ask themselves if a purchase is really necessary. They should also consider sales, coupons, buying used, clothing swaps and other ways to reduce the pressure on their wallets.”
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“People in Cleveland spend the most money on clothing as a percentage of their income. A men’s dress shirt, a pair of boys’ jeans and a pair of women’s slacks costs an average of around $120 in Cleveland, which is around 3.5% of the median monthly household income. This high percentage is driven by a combination of relatively high clothing prices and low earnings, as the city has the second-lowest median household income in the country, at just $40,801 per year.”
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Expert Commentary
What tips do you have to help people avoid overspending on clothes?
“Look at your closet. Do you need another piece of clothing? Many of us get an emotional hit from shopping and buying. It has gotten so bad in Japan that companies now provide websites that allow people to ‘shop’ and ‘buy’ but do not actually purchase anything. Stay off websites when you are bored as people are more likely to buy something when they are mindlessly browsing the internet.”
Scott Thorne, PhD – Instructor, Southeast Missouri State University
“To prevent overspending on clothing, establish and adhere to a budget. Follow the one-in, one-out inventory rule. Before each purchase, assess its compatibility with existing wardrobe items and consider its cost-per-wear. To avoid impulse purchases, place items in your shopping cart and wait a week before buying, using that time to assess their necessity. Additionally, unsubscribe from retailer marketing emails and text messages to minimize purchasing temptations.”
Rui Yao, Ph.D., CFP® – Professor, University of Missouri
How important is budgeting when it comes to saving money on clothes?
“Buying clothes is a discretionary item. If you are going to budget, clothing should be classified as a form of entertainment and treated as such.”
Scott Thorne, PhD – Instructor, Southeast Missouri State University
“Budgeting is the foundational mechanism for controlling apparel expenditures because it establishes a cap on discretionary resource allocation. Equally important is strict adherence to the established budget. Shift your mindset from open-ended ‘stuff’ accumulation to resource scarcity and the trade-offs in spending decisions. If you overspend on clothing, spending on other items must be reduced. Consumers can evaluate the relative importance of competing categories of discretionary expenses and prioritize their resource allocation.”
Rui Yao, Ph.D., CFP® – Professor, University of Missouri
How do you think the current social and economic environment is influencing household spending on clothes decisions?
“The development of fast fashion and online shopping has drastically influenced customer spending on clothing. Clothing has gotten so cheap the average person only wears a piece of clothing approximately 7 times before discarding it while online shipping has created an expectation of free delivery and return, causing people to order clothing they do not need since it can easily be returned.”
Scott Thorne, PhD – Instructor, Southeast Missouri State University
Tips for Saving Money on Clothing
- Look for sales and coupons: Clothing prices are usually a lot higher than the cost to make the items. Clothing store sales can save you a significant amount of money compared to the sticker price. There are also many stores that offer coupons, so it’s worth taking the time to look for them and apply them at checkout.
- Budget carefully: If you know how to budget well, you’ll be clear on how much you can afford to spend on your clothing purchases, and can set aside an appropriate amount of money. When you make your budget, you can add essential clothing purchases in with your “needs” while putting expensive luxury items in last with your “wants.” You also might not need to budget money for clothing every month.
- Buy used: Consignment stores and thrift shops are great places to find low-cost clothing. Although the quality will be inconsistent, you should be able to find some fantastic items if you take the time to look.
- Join local community groups: Check out local community groups on social media, like “Buy Nothing” groups, where people often give away used or even new clothes for free.
- Limit your designer clothing purchases: A shirt with a designer logo can be tens or even hundreds of dollars more than a different shirt of the same quality. Choosing not to buy big clothing brand names can save you a lot of money.
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