Brea cost of living index

A general overview of the cost of living index for Brea, CA is displayed above. In Brea, CA, the overall cost of living index is 160, which is 15% higher than the California average and 60% higher than the U.S. average. The following categories are used to calculate the overall cost of living index: goods/services (33%), housing (30%), groceries (13%), utilities (10%), transportation (9%) and health care (5%). From the list, it is clear that the categories of goods/services and housing are responsible for the largest portions of the overall cost of living index. As a general rule, everyday goods and services provide an accurate measure of the general cost of goods in any given city. In the case of Brea, CA, the city's goods and services are 1% lower than the California average and 8% higher than the U.S. average.

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Salary Calculator

Using the salary calculator lets you compare the salary you earn in Brea, CA to what it is in other cities. It will let you know what your earnings would have to be in another city to have the same standard of living, as determined by the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the area you want to move to is higher than the cost of living in Brea, CA, you have to earn a higher income in order to still have the same standard of living. To operate the Brea, CA salary calculator, put in the name of the other city, then move the slider to the point that represents the current income. The salary calculator will take care of the rest and tell you how much more or less you must earn in the new city. A Total breakdown of the cost of living is also provided.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

One can approximate the cost of living and the housing affordability in Brea, CA by the percentage of a person’s income that he or she spends on the monthly housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To stay on the safe side and keep one’s head above the water, a consumer should never spend more than 28 percent of his or her gross income on housing-related expenses and costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. Homeowners in Brea, CA have a median income of $108,000. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $2,520 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $62,936, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $1,468.

California Sales Tax

California Income Tax

One thing to keep in mind when considering the cost of living in Brea, CA is the California sales tax and California 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 California sales tax rate is 7.25% and the maximum surtax that can be charged is 10.25%. 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 California income tax rates range from 1% to 13.3%.

Goods & Services

Groceries

Health Care

Housing

Transportation

Utilities

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.

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