Last updated: September 2026. Editorial Team — researched using survey data from NerdWallet, JLL, PwC, and Deloitte. See “Sources & Methodology” for our full source list.
Quick Answer
Ask how much Americans are spending on back-to-school shopping this year, and you’ll get genuinely different answers depending on which survey you consult. NerdWallet’s annual survey found anticipated spending down $130 on average from last year. JLL’s survey found the opposite: parents planning to spend $489 per child, up 11.7% from $437 the year before. PwC landed somewhere in between at $922 average total household spending, with 47% of parents saying they expect to spend more than last year. None of these figures are wrong — they’re measuring somewhat different things, at different times, with different survey populations, and the divergence itself is a useful reminder of how much methodology shapes headline spending statistics.
The Conflicting Numbers, Side by Side
NerdWallet’s 2026 Back-to-School Shopping Report, based on a Harris Poll survey conducted June 2-4, 2026 among 582 US parents, found anticipated spending had decreased by $130 on average compared to the prior year. JLL’s separate survey of 1,022 parents conducted in May 2026 found parents planning to spend an average of $489 per child, up 11.7% from $437 the year before — a genuinely meaningful increase running well ahead of the roughly 4% inflation rate at the time. PwC’s 2026 US Consumer Poll on Back-to-School Shopping, surveying 2,080 adults between May 20-22, 2026, found parents expecting to spend an average of $922 total, with nearly half (47%) expecting to spend more than a year earlier — itself a jump from 35% who said the same in the prior year’s survey.
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Why These Numbers Genuinely Differ
Part of the divergence traces to what each survey actually measures. JLL’s $489 figure is specifically per-child spending, while PwC’s $922 figure covers total household spending, which could include multiple children — meaning the two numbers aren’t necessarily in conflict once you account for household size. Timing also plays a role: all three surveys were conducted within a similar May-June 2026 window, asking parents about anticipated rather than actual spending, meaning some of the divergence reflects genuine differences in how different survey samples of parents were feeling about their budgets at slightly different moments, rather than a single, objectively “correct” spending figure being estimated with varying accuracy.
Where the Money Is Actually Going
PwC’s survey data breaks down specific spending categories in useful detail: three out of four families are spending at least $100 on clothing and shoes, averaging $278 per household — more than twice what they spend on core school supplies like backpacks, notebooks, binders, and pens and pencils combined. The spending doesn’t stop once the school year begins, either: PwC found parents expect to spend an additional $635 per month per household on recurring expenses once school starts, including $260 on school fees such as field trip fees or tutoring, and $235 on meals and snacks. More than half of respondents (54%) expect to spend at least $100 a month on meals and snacks alone — a recurring monthly cost that, over a nine-month school year, meaningfully exceeds the one-time back-to-school shopping spree that gets most of the seasonal media attention.
The Tech-Tool Spending Gap
Deloitte’s 2026 Back-to-School Survey, conducted online May 22-29, 2026 among 1,207 parents of K-12 students, surfaces a genuinely interesting pattern worth understanding: spending correlates directly with how many digital tools a family uses while shopping. Parents who don’t use any tech tools plan to spend $381 on average; those using search engines spend $494; those combining search and social media spend $531; and those using the full combination of search, social media, and generative AI tools have the highest planned spend at $737 — nearly double the non-tech-user figure. Deloitte’s survey also finds students themselves increasingly influence purchasing decisions, discovering products on social platforms and curating digital wish lists, a dynamic that plausibly helps explain why more tech-engaged shopping households report meaningfully higher planned spending.
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September Remains a Genuine Shopping Month, Not Just Leftover Inventory
Zeta’s back-to-school retail trends analysis, based on a survey of more than 4,000 parents or guardians, identifies a specific, useful timing pattern for anyone still shopping this month: for the third year in a row, September was the most popular month for planned back-to-school shopping, capturing 29% of purchase intent, ahead of August (26%), July (24%), and June (21%). Zeta’s analysis is explicit that “September is no longer simply the point where leftover inventory gets marked down” — it remains a meaningful, active shopping month, with the distribution of purchases across the calendar becoming notably more balanced compared to the prior year, when 35% of shoppers had planned purchases in September specifically, against just 15% in July.
Value-Seeking Behavior Is Widespread Regardless of Total Budget
YouGov survey data, cited in coverage of 2026 back-to-school trends, found price is the single biggest factor dictating purchase behavior, cited by 74% of respondents, ahead of quality (65%) and discounts (64%). That price-sensitivity shows up differently depending on shopping channel: 78% of primarily in-store shoppers cite price as a key factor, compared to 69% of predominantly online shoppers, with a similar gap in how much promotions specifically influence each group (66% for in-store shoppers versus 56% for online shoppers). Zeta’s analysis adds a useful, more nuanced framing: regardless of a family’s actual budget tier, “all shoppers want to feel like they made a smart buy” — meaning value-consciousness isn’t limited to lower-income households specifically, but shows up as a near-universal shopping priority across every income and spending level surveyed.
What This Means for Your Own Back-to-School Budget
- Don’t anchor to a single headline number: Given how much survey figures genuinely diverge ($381 to $922-plus depending on the source and household composition), your own reasonable budget depends far more on your specific number of children and shopping habits than on any single quoted national average.
- Budget for the ongoing costs, not just the initial shopping trip: PwC’s data suggests recurring monthly costs (fees, meals, snacks) can meaningfully exceed the one-time back-to-school purchase total over a full school year.
- September shopping isn’t “too late”: With nearly 30% of shoppers planning September purchases specifically, waiting until now doesn’t mean missing the season entirely, and may still catch meaningful promotional activity.
- Price-comparison tools may be worth the tradeoff: Given Deloitte’s data showing tech-tool users spend more but presumably also shop more efficiently, weigh whether the convenience is worth the higher observed average spend for your own household.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are Americans spending on back-to-school shopping in 2026?
Estimates vary significantly by survey: NerdWallet found spending down $130 from last year, JLL found $489 per child (up 11.7%), and PwC found $922 average total household spending, with the differences partly explained by what each survey actually measures.
What do families spend the most on for back-to-school shopping?
Clothing and shoes lead spending, with three out of four families spending at least $100 (averaging $278 per household) — more than double what’s spent on core school supplies.
Do costs stop once school supplies are bought?
No. PwC’s survey found parents expect to spend an additional $635 per month per household on recurring costs once school starts, including school fees and meals and snacks.
Is September too late for back-to-school shopping deals?
No. September is the most popular month for planned back-to-school shopping for the third consecutive year, capturing 29% of purchase intent, according to Zeta’s survey of over 4,000 parents.
Sources & Methodology
This article draws on survey data and analysis from: NerdWallet’s 2026 Back-to-School Shopping Report (Harris Poll, June 2-4, 2026); JLL’s Back-to-School 2026 Shopping Report (May 2026 survey of 1,022 parents); PwC’s 2026 US Consumer Poll on Back-to-School Shopping (May 20-22, 2026 survey of 2,080 adults); Deloitte’s 2026 Back-to-School Survey (May 22-29, 2026 survey of 1,207 parents); Zeta’s Back-to-School Retail Shopping Trends 2026 report (survey of 4,000-plus parents/guardians); and YouGov survey data on price-sensitivity in back-to-school shopping, as cited in FoodNavigator’s coverage. Figures reflect the most recently published survey data as of this article’s last-updated date.
This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice.