  Let $\be\in(1,2)$. Each $x\in I_\be:=[0,\frac{1}{\be-1}]$ can be represented
in the form \[ x=\sum_{k=1}^\infty a_k\be^{-k}, \] where $a_k\in\{0,1\}$ for
all $k$ (a $\be$-expansion of $x$). It was shown in \cite{S} that a.e. $x\in
I_\be$ has a continuum of distinct $\be$-expansions. In this paper we show that
for a generic $x$, this continuum has one and the same growth rate, i.e., the
general $\be$-expansions exhibit an ergodic behaviour.
  When $\be<\frac{1+\sqrt5}2$, we show that the set of $\be$-expansions grows
exponentially for every $x\in(0,\frac{1}{\be-1})$. Special attention is paid to
the case $\be=\frac{1+\sqrt5}2$, for which we explicitly compute the average
growth exponent and apply this result to evaluating the local dimension of the
corresponding Bernoulli convolution at a Lebesgue-generic $x$.
