39.911 lb
Natural cheese per person
U.S. per-capita availability of natural cheese reached 39.911 pounds in 2024.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Dairy Data, 2024
U.S. Reference Data
Cheesecake and dessert statistics
Current, citable figures on cheese, dessert, and household food spending. Last updated August 7, 2026.
This page brings together the most useful publicly available U.S. figures for writers, event planners, food businesses, and curious dessert people. Every statistic links to its original source and names the year it represents.
These are broad U.S. measures, not estimates of individual cheesecake sales. They are useful context for how Americans buy, eat, and enjoy the dairy and dessert categories that surround cheesecake.
Key figures
Six sourced facts for anyone covering cheesecake, dessert, food spending, or the dairy category.
3.061 lb
Cream and Neufchatel cheese per person
The 2024 U.S. availability figure for cream and Neufchatel cheese was 3.061 pounds per person.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Dairy Data, 2024+25.2%
Ten-year cream cheese change
Cream and Neufchatel cheese availability rose from 2.446 pounds per person in 2014 to 3.061 pounds in 2024.
Source: Calculated from USDA Economic Research Service Dairy Data, 2014 and 202412.002 lb
Regular ice cream per person
U.S. per-capita availability of regular ice cream was 12.002 pounds in 2024.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Dairy Data, 2024$10,169
Annual household food spending
Average U.S. household food spending totaled $10,169 in 2024, combining food at home and food away from home.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2024$67
Annual household spending on cakes and cupcakes
Average household spending on cakes and cupcakes reached $67 in 2023, up 76.3% from 2013.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2023What the figures show
Cheesecake sits at the intersection of a substantial dairy category and a dessert category that people still bring home for celebrations. Natural cheese availability rose by more than five pounds per person from 2014 to 2024, while the cream and Neufchatel measure rose by 25.2% over the same period.
For event hosts and dessert shoppers, household spending data also makes the occasion clear: food spending includes both groceries and meals purchased away from home, while cake-and-cupcake spending has grown materially over the last decade.
Explore the cheesecake menuSources and methodology
Figures are shown exactly as reported by the original source, except the 25.2% cream-and-Neufchatel change, which is calculated from the USDA’s published 2014 and 2024 per-capita values. “Availability” is the USDA’s measure and should not be read as a direct count of servings eaten.
- USDA Economic Research Service, Dairy DataAnnual U.S. per-capita availability figures for cheese and dairy products. Figures used: 2014 and 2024.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The New Year and Household SpendingConsumer Expenditure Survey figures for U.S. household food spending in 2024. Published January 5, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Spending on Candy, Cookies, and Cakes in 2023Consumer Expenditure Survey figures for cakes and cupcakes. Published October 31, 2024.
Cite this page
Cheesecake Carousel. “Cheesecake and Dessert Statistics.” Updated August 7, 2026. https://cheesecakecarousel.com/cheesecake-statistics