Fresno, CA Cost Of Living

Livability

Livability score Score breakdown Commute times City comparison Best nearby cities Livability poll Reviews

Cost of living

Cost of living index Cost of living poll Did you know? City comparison Salary calculator State sales tax Cost of living breakdown Best nearby cities

Crime

Reported annual crime Crime poll Crime heat map Did you know? City comparison Daily crime Year over year crime Best nearby cities

Demographics

Demographics profile Did you know? City comparison Race breakdown Languages spoken Age breakdown Marital status

Employment

Employment information Employment poll Am I middle class? Did you know? City comparison Employment status Median earnings Best nearby cities

Real Estate

Homes for sale Market facts Home affordability Affordability calculator Mortgage calculator Demographics Best nearby cities

Rentals Schools Weather

Current weather Weather poll Average temperature Did you know? City comparison Air quality / pollution Heat index Montly precipitation Best nearby cities

Fresno 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	Fresno	California	National
Cost of living index	101	140	100
Index	Fresno	California	National
Goods & Services index	88	111	100
Groceries index	105	118	100
Health care index	111	113	100
Housing index	100	196	100
Transportation index	111	128	100
Utilities index	129	118	100

Here we can see a simple outline of the cost of living in Fresno, CA. As you can see, with the average cost of living in Fresno, CA being 101, that puts it 28% lower than the average of California and 1% higher 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 Fresno, CA, the price of goods and services are 21% lower than the average of California as well as 12% lower than the nation's average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Fresno is 28% lower than the California average.
The cost of living in Fresno is 1% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Fresno is equal to the national average.
California general sales tax is 42% higher than the national average.
California state income tax is 55% lower than the national average.

The best places in California

Here are the best places to live in California

10 Best cities in California for employment

Top 10 best public schools in Fresno

10 best cities to buy a new house in California

Compare Fresno, CA Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

This is how much you would need to earn in

Price difference in compared to

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

Use the salary calculator to compare your current salary in Fresno, CA to any other city. The salary calculator will tell you how much you would need to earn in any given city to maintain the same standard of living based on the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the city you are looking to relocate to is higher than the cost of living in Fresno, CA, then you would need to earn more income in order to maintain the same standard of living. To use the Fresno, CA salary calculator, simply enter in the name of the new city, then adjust the slider to your current income. The salary calculator will do the rest and let you know if you need to earn more or less in the new city. You will also see a complete breakdown of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$65,589	$5,466	$1,530	$1,968
Renters	$27,556	$2,296	$643	$827

The affordability of the housing market in Fresno, CA 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 Fresno, CA homeowners, the median income is $65,589. This indicates that a monthly maximum of $1,530 should be spent by homeowners on all housing related costs. Renters have a median income of $27,556. This indicates that renters should have a maximum of $643 used for their rent related monthly costs.

California Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
California	7.25%	10.5%

California Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
California	1%	13.3%

When you are determining the total cost of living in Fresno, CA you will want to make sure you consider both the California sales tax and the California income tax rates. Sales tax come in the form of taxes levied on both services and goods that are sold. The sales tax rates are different state to state and range from zero sales tax to higher than 7%. The sales tax in California is 7.25%, with the highest surtax being 10.5%. Tax that is on income by the government is income tax. Different states have different income tax rates and these rates can be higher or lower dependent on the corresponding tax bracket. The state income tax rates are different state to state and range from no income tax to more than 9% income tax. The income tax rates in California have a range from 1% to 13.3%.

Goods & Services

Item	Fresno	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$27.50	$17.49	57.2%
Beauty Salon	$50.52	$38.17	32.4%
Toothpaste	$2.52	$2.32	8.6%
Shampoo	$1.06	$1.01	4.8%
Movie	$15.05	$10.72	40.3%
Bowling	$18.25	$13.86	31.7%

Groceries

Item	Fresno	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$4.36	$3.90	11.8%
Fried Chicken	$2.03	$1.40	45.4%
Milk	$2.27	$1.96	15.7%
Potatoes	$3.20	$3.18	0.5%
Pizza	$10.74	$10.39	3.3%
Beer	$8.99	$9.23	2.6%

Health Care

Item	Fresno	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$127.00	$106.34	19.4%
Doctor	$148.00	$115.25	28.4%
Dentist	$99.60	$98.38	1.2%
Ibuprofen	$10.06	$9.26	8.6%
Lipitor	$502.77	$466.47	7.8%

Housing

Item	Fresno	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$187,500.00	$184,700.00	1.5%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,556.13	$1,273.32	22.2%
Apartment Rent	$901.00	$949.00	5.1%

Transportation

Item	Fresno	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.24	$2.59	25.0%
Tire Balancing	$45.00	$48.90	8.0%

Utilities

Item	Fresno	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$260.15	$167.60	55.2%
Phone	$173.87	$163.42	6.4%

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.

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Bowles, CA	211	117	17%
Malaga, CA	1,246	92	-8%
Biola, CA	1,265	92	-8%
Parlier, CA	14,953	103	3%
Mayfair, CA	4,605	93	-7%
Fresno, CA	513,807	101	1%

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Tucson, AZ	527,586	93	-7%
Sacramento, CA	484,530	119	19%
Kansas City, MO	471,767	94	-6%
Albuquerque, NM	556,859	95	-5%
Mesa, AZ	470,456	95	-5%
Fresno, CA	513,807	101	1%

Fresno, CA Cost of Living