Your family’s share of federal red tape last year was…

Most people can see taxes on their pay stubs, but there’s another sort of tax that’s much less visible: the cost of government regulations. These costs don’t show up on receipts or annual statements. Instead, they’re built into the prices we pay for goods and services.

The costs also show up indirectly in things like lower returns on retirement accounts and more time spent on paperwork. Just how much more will be the subject of a future Ten Thousand Commandments Index update.

CEI’s estimate for the total cost of federal regulations in 2024 was $2.15 trillion. Spread across 134.6 million US households, that means families pay $16,016 annually in regulatory costs. That amounts to roughly 16 percent of the average household’s pre-tax income.

If you said to yourself, “You know, that looks like a huge hidden tax on American families,” then full marks, Mr. Bond…buyer.

This regulatory tax is second only to housing among major household expenses, behind only the costs of mortgages and rents. In some states, the cost of federal regulations likely outpaces even housing costs. It is higher than the median annual rent costs of 28 states and the median annual mortgage costs of Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia according to Business Insider.

Housing in some states aside, the regulatory burden costs more for households than what they pay annually for health care, transportation, or even food. While these costs aren’t as obvious as taxes, they hit your wallet just the same.