The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of household characteristics on housing expenditure. The data from the National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure 1996 were used for the analysis of this study, and the final sample included 12,323 households. It was found that total housing expenditure was significantly different according to the tenure type, household income, household size, age, occupation and education of the head, or location of housing. The significantly explanatory variables in the model of total housing expenditure were owner and yearly-renter dummy, household income and the household income squared, mortgage-off dummy, Seoul and metropolitan city dummy, and employed-wife dummy.