# Family Caregivers Spend an Average of $11,508 a Year Out of Pocket, About 31% of Household Income, AARP Finds

For households earning under $40,000, the share is 76%. Caregivers of people with dementia average $15,846 a year, and many have taken on extra work, borrowed money or tapped retirement savings, Fox Business reports.

- Section: [Economy](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/economy/)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/aarp-study-family-caregivers-spend-11508-dollars-year-31-percent-household-income-dementia-15846-fox-business/

Caring for an aging relative or friend is costing families thousands of dollars a year, according to a new AARP study that Fox Business reports.

The headline number. The study, released Wednesday, found caregivers spend an average of $11,508 a year out of pocket, which is 31% of household income. Those with household income under $40,000 spend an average of 76% of it.

Where it goes. Household and housing costs are the largest share, averaging $4,797 a year, including food, rent and mortgage payments. Medical costs average $3,313 and include copayments, insurance premiums, prescriptions, equipment and hospital bills.

Heavier duty, higher bills. Caregivers for someone with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia spend $15,846 a year on average, against $10,221 for those caring for someone without dementia. Caregivers who perform three or more medical or nursing tasks spend $15,648, nearly double the $7,948 spent by those who perform none.

Work and savings. Nearly two-thirds of working caregivers reported at least one work-related effect from caregiving. Working caregivers spend an average of $12,606 a year. Those who took on an additional job spend $16,851. Some are borrowing or using retirement money: caregivers who took out loans spend $16,580 a year on average, and those who dipped into retirement savings spend $17,907.

Note for readers: the figures are AARP's, as relayed by Fox Business, which does not give the survey's size or method.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox Business](https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/cost-caring-loved-one-surging-families-feeling-strain)