Valentine's Day – known for romantic candlelit dinners, lavish jewelry, and red roses – is pricey. Indeed, the National Retail Federation's Annual Valentine's Day Spending Survey suggests that an individual spends an average of $175 on these gifts each year. However, data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that the cost of love may be even greater, as more than 300 emergency room visits occurred from Valentine's-related gifts in 2018.
We compared annual per person ER spending versus per person spending on Valentine's Day gifts, finding that, between 2016 and 2019, per person ER spending is on average $42 higher than the combined cost of romantic presents. (Figure 1)
Figure 1: Per Person ER Spending vs Valentine's Day Spending Over Time
We further explored state variation in the difference between per person ER spending and per person Valentine's Day spending. We find that if you live in Texas, Colorado, Alaska, or Nevada, you might end up paying over $200 more for an ER visit than a Valentine's Day gift. If you live in California, Hawaii, or Arkansas, your Valentine's date might be more expensive than your ER visit! (Figure 2)
Figure 2: How much does per person spending in ER exceed Valentine's Day spending?
No matter where you live, we wish you a happy Valentine's Day. Keep yourself happy and healthy!