F
59%
Overall NAT. AVG.
12%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
171%
Housing NAT. AVG.
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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Garden Grove California National
Cost of living159140100
Goods & Services112111100
Groceries113112100
Health care99109100
Housing271196100
Transportation124126100
Utilities94127100

An Overview of Cost of Living in Garden Grove, CA

Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Garden Grove? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Garden Grove stands at 159, making it 59% higher than the national average. The cost of living directly affects the affordability of one's desired lifestyle. Knowing the cost of housing, transportation, groceries and other essentials in the new area allows people to gauge whether they can maintain their preferred standard of living.

If you're in pursuit of an economical living environment, Garden Grove may not fit the bill, as it ranks among the most expensive places to reside in the United States. Just a minority of regions exhibit a cost of living that is more than 20% higher than the national average, and, unfortunately, Garden Grove falls within this bracket.

When it comes to the cost of living in Garden Grove, housing costs are a real heavyweight, often hogging a significant chunk of your earnings. Sadly, in this area, housing expenses for both buying and renting were 171.5% more expensive compared to your average city. That means you'll be shelling out more for homes, rents, mortgage rates and insurance.

The things you purchase regularly, like clothes, haircuts, movie tickets and gym memberships, can make a big dent in your budget and make up 33% of the cost of living index. Unfortunately in Garden Grove, these items will cost you 12% more than what's considered the norm, making it a more expensive place to call home.

The relentless increase in grocery prices is a noteworthy trend. In the last two years, grocery costs have experienced an upward trajectory of over 10%. Unfortunately, Garden Grove is no exception, where grocery prices are 13.1% above the national average.

Is Garden Grove Affordable?

Is Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove, the median home price is 214.2% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 71.9% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Garden Grove come in at $73,611, which is 33.1% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Garden Grove?

Urbanization: Larger, urban areas boasting abundant amenities and robust employment prospects often exhibit a heightened cost of living, driven by the increased demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural locales or regions marked by diminished demand typically offer a more limited range of amenities and experience slower job market expansion. This translates into a more affordable cost of living.

Healthcare: The costs associated with healthcare and insurance premiums can exhibit notable disparities based on the city or state of residence. Access to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for medical appointments, dental care charges, prescription medication costs and specialized medical care expenses all contribute to variations in the cost of living. In Garden Grove, healthcare costs are 1.2% lower than the national average.

Utilities: Similar to the prices of any goods or services, utility expenses can fluctuate widely, contingent on variables such as climate, available energy sources, geographical location and state regulations. Costs associated with electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can differ in magnitude, depending on the specific city or state. In Garden Grove, the utilities index registers at 5.9% lower than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Garden Grove 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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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Garden Grove is 14% higher than the California average
  • The cost of living in Garden Grove is 59% higher than the national average
  • Garden Grove housing is 171% higher than the national average
  • California general sales tax is 42% higher than the national average
  • California state income tax is 56% lower than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Garden Grove

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Compare Garden Grove, CA Cost of Living

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      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

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$95,984$7,999$2,239$2,880
      Renters$55,200$4,600$1,288$1,656
      A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Garden Grove is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Garden Grove has a median income of about $95,984 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $2,239 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $55,200. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $1,288 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

      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% 12.3%

      Goods & Services

      Item Garden Grove National avg. Difference
      Haircut $27.27$24.2612.4%
      Beauty Salon $41.78$45.568.3%
      Toothpaste $3.61$3.702.6%
      Shampoo $1.34$1.284.9%
      Movie $11.04$12.139.0%
      Bowling $21.11$18.0017.3%

      Groceries

      Item Garden Grove National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $5.89$5.840.8%
      Fried Chicken $3.49$1.57121.9%
      Milk $4.92$4.675.4%
      Potatoes $4.92$4.930.3%
      Pizza $15.31$12.0926.6%
      Beer $10.26$10.411.4%

      Health Care

      Item Garden Grove National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $112.92$125.6810.2%
      Doctor $95.50$135.7829.7%
      Dentist $117.28$113.293.5%
      Ibuprofen $10.58$10.650.7%
      Lipitor $521.17$468.6011.2%

      Housing

      Item Garden Grove National avg. Difference
      Home Price $580,300.00$184,700.00214.2%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $2,441.43$2,346.694.0%
      Apartment Rent $1,631.00$949.0071.9%

      Transportation

      Item Garden Grove National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $4.75$3.4637.3%
      Tire Balancing $61.38$59.922.4%

      Utilities

      Item Garden Grove National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $378.97$193.9995.4%
      Phone $180.31$192.256.2%
      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 Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Laguna Woods, CA16,05613029.7%
      East Rancho Dominguez, CA15,25213736.7%
      Paramount, CA53,94913938.9%
      Bell Gardens, CA41,77013939.0%
      Huntington Park, CA57,76114040.3%
      Garden Grove, CA172,80015958.9%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Elk Grove, CA173,37014444.2%
      Peoria, AZ172,10911616.5%
      Pembroke Pines, FL171,97912121.5%
      Salem, OR171,80611616.1%
      Sherbrooke, QC170,686n/a 
      Garden Grove, CA172,80015958.9%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.