An Overview of Cost of Living in Brawley, CA
The cost of living in Brawley affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Brawley is 112, which is 12% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
Recurring essentials like haircuts, toothpaste, and entertainment, from movies to gym sessions, can really add up in your budget and make up 33% of the cost of living index. In Brawley, you you will have to spend 12.6% more than average when compared to the typical prices for these items, making it a more expensive place to live.
Groceries are getting more expensive by the day and the cost of groceries makes up 13% of the overall cost of living index. In the past two years, prices have shot up by over 10%! Unfortunately, in Brawley, it's the same story – grocery costs are 15.6% higher than what people pay across the country.
Is Brawley Affordable?
Is Brawley an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Brawley, the median home price is 16.4% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 11.5% lower than the usual rates. Income levels in Brawley come in at $46,177, which is 16.5% lower than the national average.
What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Brawley?
Transportation: If public transportation is limited or not available, residents may need to own and maintain vehicles, which can add to the cost of living. Gas, insurance, regular maintenance and potentially lease or finance payments will all need to be paid on a monthly basis. In Brawley, the transportation index is 27% higher than the national average.
Healthcare: Healthcare expenditures and insurance premium rates can vary significantly, contingent upon the particular city or state. Factors such as the accessibility of healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor's appointments, dental care charges, prescription medication costs, and expenses related to specialized medical care can all have an impact on the overall cost of living. In Brawley, healthcare costs are 5% higher than the national average.
Subsidies: Certain cities or states may institute government subsidies or assistance programs designed to alleviate the financial burdens associated with the cost of living for their residents. These programs encompass a variety of support mechanisms, including 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 farm subsidies. Areas that provide fewer subsidies may see an uptick in their overall cost of living.
Where is the Data From?
The cost of living in Brawley, presented above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index, offering a practical method for assessing living cost disparities in urban areas. Published quarterly, this index compiles data from more than 300 independent researchers, encompassing over 60 goods and services in 6 categories. The weightings assigned to cost variances are informed by government survey data tracking the expenditure patterns of professional and executive households. It should be noted that the C2ER index does not include data on sales or income tax rates, however, AreaVibes incorporates tax rates into the overall cost of living score for each area.
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