Consumer spending bounces back fast in Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.- Just a year after they had seen the worst of the Great Recession, Illinois consumers were spending more than they were before the economic downturn.

New federal data show that the average Illinois resident's consumer spending has also grown faster than the average American consumer since that 2009 low.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released Thursday show spending by the average Illinois consumer increased 11.3 percent between 2009 and 2012. That's ahead of the country's 10.7 percent growth.

People in Illinois spent, on average, $36,292 each on consumer goods in 2012. The average for all Americans was $35,498.

The largest expenses were for health care and housing and utilities. Each of those two cost more than $6,000 per person in Illinois.