An Overview of Cost of Living in St. John, IN
Knowing the cost of living in St. John allows individuals to create a realistic budget. This helps them understand how their income will cover expenses and whether they need to make financial adjustments. The cost of living in any region can fluctuate due to various factors. To assess the cost of living consistently across different areas, a national average of 100 serves as the basis for the cost of living index. The cost of living in St. John stands at 107, marking it 7% higher than the national average.
The cost of living in St. John closely mirrors the national average in comparison to other cities nationwide. Essential items such as groceries, goods and services, health care and utilities are priced at a level consistent with similar urban areas. This means that residents of St. John can anticipate that their daily expenses will remain reasonably in line with those of an average city, contributing to a manageable cost of living.
Housing costs are a very significant part of the St. John cost of living index and generally encompass a large percentage of take-home income. Unfortunately, in this area, the housing costs for both homes and rentals were 36.2% more than the average city. This includes things like home and rent prices, mortgage rates and insurance.
Is St. John Affordable?
Is St. John affordable? This is a pivotal question, especially when mulling over a move, as affordability carries substantial weight in your decision-making process. Factors such as the cost of living index (discussed earlier), housing expenses and income levels all contribute to a location's affordability. For instance, in St. John, the median home price is 51.4% higher than the national average and monthly rent prices are 0.6% higher than the typical rates. Additionally, the median income levels play a role in affordability, with St. John boasting a median household income of $103,851, 87.7% higher than the national average.
What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in St. John?
Urbanization: Urban areas with a wealth of amenities and employment opportunities tend to come with a higher price tag for living. Why? Well, more people want to be there, which drives up home prices and rents. On the flip side, less densely populated rural areas or places where there's not as much demand usually mean fewer attractions, things to do and slower job growth. That often results in a lower cost of living.
Transportation: In situations where public transportation is limited or nonexistent, local residents may be required to own and maintain their own vehicles, contributing to an elevated cost of living. Monthly expenditures may encompass fuel costs, insurance premiums, routine vehicle upkeep and possibly lease or financing payments. In St. John, the transportation index is 5.2% lower than the national average.
Subsidies: Some areas might offer government subsidies or assistance programs that help lower cost of living for residents. These programs can include anything from Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and crop subsidies. Areas that offer less subsidies, could see an increase in their cost of living.
Where is the Data From?
The St. John cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.
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