Dunbar, WV Cost Of Living

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Dunbar 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	Dunbar	West Virginia	National
Cost of living index	87	88	100
Index	Dunbar	West Virginia	National
Goods & Services index	101	102	100
Groceries index	88	103	100
Health care index	111	91	100
Housing index	58	62	100
Transportation index	88	98	100
Utilities index	118	88	100

An overview of the general cost of living index for Dunbar, WV is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Dunbar, WV enjoy a cost of living index of 87. This index is 1% lower than the West Virginia average, and 13% lower than the national average. The following categories are used when determining the cost of living index for any given city: health care (5%), transportation (9%), utilities (10%), groceries (13%), housing (30%), and goods/services (33%). Clearly, housing and goods/services make up the majority of the formula for calculating the cost of living index. Because of this, the general cost of living for any given area can be estimated by looking at the cost of everyday goods in that area. For those living in Dunbar, WV, the average cost of goods and services is 1% lower than it is in West Virginia, and it is 1% higher than the national average.

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Did you know?

The cost of living in Dunbar is 1% lower than the West Virginia average.
The cost of living in Dunbar is 13% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Dunbar is 42% lower than the national average.
West Virginia general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average.
West Virginia state income tax is 35% higher than the national average.

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Compare Dunbar, WV Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

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

The salary calculator is used in order to provide a comparison of your current salary in Dunbar, WV to another city of your choice. The calculator will inform you of what your salary needs to be in any specific city in order for you to maintain your living standard based on what the city’s cost of living is. As an example, if you are seeking to move to a city that has a higher cost of living compared to Dunbar, WV, you would have to earn a higher income to maintain a standard of living that is similar. To get started with the Dunbar, WV salary calculator, input the new city’s name and then move the slider to indicate your current income. The salary calculator will now process the numbers and show you whether you need to earn more or less in the chosen city. A comprehensive breakdown of the cost of living will also be shown.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$46,629	$3,886	$1,088	$1,399
Renters	$31,758	$2,647	$741	$953

The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Dunbar, WV as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Dunbar, WV homeowners, is $46,629. This would allow for a maximum of $1,088 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $31,758 which would result in a maximum of $741 to be spent on rental costs.

West Virginia Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
West Virginia	6%	7%

West Virginia Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
West Virginia	3%	6.5%

One thing to keep in mind when considering the cost of living in Dunbar, WV is the West Virginia sales tax and West Virginia 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 West Virginia sales tax rate is 6% and the maximum surtax that can be charged is 7%. 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 West Virginia income tax rates range from 3% to 6.5%.

Goods & Services

Item	Dunbar	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$15.76	$16.09	2.0%
Beauty Salon	$33.44	$37.33	10.4%
Toothpaste	$1.68	$2.45	31.6%
Shampoo	$0.80	$1.00	19.8%
Movie	$11.32	$10.28	10.2%
Bowling	$4.46	$4.93	9.6%

Groceries

Item	Dunbar	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.57	$3.80	6.2%
Fried Chicken	$1.06	$1.40	24.2%
Milk	$1.88	$2.01	6.2%
Potatoes	$2.54	$3.01	15.8%
Pizza	$7.65	$9.89	22.6%
Beer	$9.09	$8.90	2.2%

Health Care

Item	Dunbar	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$102.22	$102.16	0.1%
Doctor	$120.31	$108.36	11.0%
Dentist	$111.97	$92.53	21.0%
Ibuprofen	$8.45	$9.28	8.9%
Lipitor	$447.40	$425.82	5.1%

Housing

Item	Dunbar	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$91,300.00	$184,700.00	50.6%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$717.00	$1,202.44	40.4%
Apartment Rent	$743.00	$949.00	21.7%

Transportation

Item	Dunbar	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.02	$2.24	9.9%
Tire Balancing	$39.18	$46.29	15.4%

Utilities

Item	Dunbar	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$143.64	$165.96	13.4%
Phone	$44.61	$28.68	55.5%

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.
Shrewsbury, WV	798	100	0%
Chelyan, WV	898	76	-24%
Chesapeake, WV	1,570	83	-17%
Jefferson, WV	822	85	-15%
Hometown, WV	487	81	-19%
Dunbar, WV	7,714	87	-13%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Ripon, WI	7,712	90	-10%
Orosi, CA	7,711	101	1%
Spring Valley Lake, CA	7,710	120	20%
Brevard, NC	7,710	96	-4%
Kenton, OH	7,719	83	-17%
Dunbar, WV	7,714	87	-13%

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

Dunbar, WV Cost of Living