Merriam, KS Cost Of Living

Merriam cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Merriam	Kansas	National
Cost of living index	92	89	100
Index	Merriam	Kansas	National
Goods & Services index	98	95	100
Groceries index	101	94	100
Health care index	99	95	100
Housing index	85	76	100
Transportation index	95	93	100
Utilities index	77	98	100

Here we can see a simple outline of the cost of living in Merriam, KS. As you can see, with the average cost of living in Merriam, KS being 92, that puts it 3% higher than the average of Kansas and 8% lower than our nation's average. This simple outline of the cost of living index was formulated using prices of: goods and services (weighted 33%), housing prices (weighted 30%), groceries (weighted 13%), utilities (weighted 10%), transportation (weighted 9%), and health care (weighted 5%). Thus, goods/services, along with housing influences the majority of the cost of living index. The price of daily goods and services is a valuable and reliable number to be aware of when considering the general price of the city's goods. In the case of Merriam, KS, the price of goods and services are 2% higher than the average of Kansas as well as 3% lower than the nation's average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Merriam is 3% higher than the Kansas average.
The cost of living in Merriam is 8% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Merriam is 15% lower than the national average.
Kansas general sales tax is 28% higher than the national average.
Kansas state income tax is 30% higher than the national average.

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Salary Calculator

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator is meant to help you compare your salary in Merriam, KS to your potential earning power in another city. This can help you deduce what your salary would need to be in any given city in order for you to live the same lifestyle that you do in your current city. In other words, if you plan on moving to a city where the cost of living is higher than in Merriam, KS, you'll have to make more money in the new city in order to maintain the lifestyle you currently enjoy. To use the Merriam, KS salary calculator, simply input the new city, then move the adjustable slider to match your current income. Once you've selected your income, the calculator will determine if that income is sufficient to support your standard of living in the new city you entered. The calculator will also supply you with a rundown of living costs in the new city.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$70,906	$5,909	$1,654	$2,127
Renters	$40,899	$3,408	$954	$1,227

The affordability of the housing market in Merriam, KS as well as the overall cost of living can be indicated accurately by what percent of the monthly income is spent on housing related costs. This is konwn as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The overall rule of thumb is that no more than 28% of your gross income should ever be used on the overall costs related to housing and no more than 36% of gross income on all expenses and debts. Among Merriam, KS homeowners, the median income is $70,906. This indicates that a monthly maximum of $1,654 should be spent by homeowners on all housing related costs. Renters have a median income of $40,899. This indicates that renters should have a maximum of $954 used for their rent related monthly costs.

Kansas Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Kansas	6.5%	10.15%

Kansas Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Kansas	2.9%	5.2%

One thing to keep in mind when considering the cost of living in Merriam, KS is the Kansas sales tax and Kansas income tax rates. Sales taxes are taxes that are collected on most goods or services sold. Sales taxes can vary by state and can be as high as 7% and as low as 0% as not every state imposes a sales tax. The Kansas sales tax rate is 6.5% and the maximum surtax that can be charged is 10.15%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by both the federal and state government. The income tax rates varies by individual state and will also be higher or lower depending on the applicable tax bracket. The rates of state income tax can vary from 0% to more than 9%. The Kansas income tax rates range from 2.9% to 5.2%.

Goods & Services

Item	Merriam	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$15.70	$16.09	2.4%
Beauty Salon	$29.57	$37.33	20.8%
Toothpaste	$2.07	$2.45	15.6%
Shampoo	$0.91	$1.00	9.0%
Movie	$9.55	$10.28	7.1%
Bowling	$4.27	$4.93	13.4%

Groceries

Item	Merriam	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$4.10	$3.80	7.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.62	$1.40	15.7%
Milk	$2.27	$2.01	12.9%
Potatoes	$2.93	$3.01	2.6%
Pizza	$9.66	$9.89	2.3%
Beer	$8.31	$8.90	6.6%

Health Care

Item	Merriam	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$98.24	$102.16	3.8%
Doctor	$99.13	$108.36	8.5%
Dentist	$97.70	$92.53	5.6%
Ibuprofen	$9.17	$9.28	1.2%
Lipitor	$417.55	$425.82	1.9%

Housing

Item	Merriam	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$152,700.00	$184,700.00	17.3%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$943.18	$1,202.44	21.6%
Apartment Rent	$845.00	$949.00	11.0%

Transportation

Item	Merriam	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.13	$2.24	5.1%
Tire Balancing	$44.23	$46.29	4.4%

Utilities

Item	Merriam	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$153.86	$165.96	7.3%
Phone	$16.67	$28.68	41.9%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Randolph, MO	22	81	-19%
Sugar Creek, MO	3,327	83	-17%
Birmingham, MO	227	84	-16%
Kansas City, KS	149,755	84	-16%
Claycomo, MO	1,528	84	-16%
Merriam, KS	11,248	92	-8%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
North Valley, NM	11,248	98	-2%
Valencia West, AZ	11,247	95	-5%
Gulf Shores, AL	11,252	106	6%
North Bellport, NY	11,257	127	27%
Yorktown, IN	11,232	82	-18%
Merriam, KS	11,248	92	-8%

Source: The Merriam, KS cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Merriam, KS Cost of Living