| Index | Kalamazoo | Michigan | National |
| Cost of living | 88 | 91 | 100 |
| Groceries | 95 | 98 | 100 |
| Health care | 99 | 97 | 100 |
| Housing | 70 | 76 | 100 |
| Transportation | 94 | 96 | 100 |
| Utilities | 98 | 100 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 95 | 96 | 100 |
| Household Items | 100 | 98 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 90 | 95 | 100 |
Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Kalamazoo? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Kalamazoo stands at 88, making it 12% lower 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.
Nobody knows their city better than the people who actually live there. So, we asked 12 local residents how they would rate the cost of living in Kalamazoo and this is how they responded. 33% of people said that the cost of living was affordable, with prices decreasing, while 67% of people said that the cost of living was very expensive and prices continue to rise.
Is Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo, the median home price is 36% lower than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 14.9% lower than the usual rates. Income levels in Kalamazoo come in at $63,220, which is 22.3% lower than the national average.
Groceries: The costs associated with groceries have witnessed substantial increases over the past 2-3 years. In select markets, food prices have escalated by more than 20% during this timeframe, whereas others have seen more restrained upticks. The variances in food expenses can exert a considerable influence on the overall cost of living in a given locale. In Kalamazoo, the groceries index is 4.9% lower than the national average.
Utilities: As with the prices of anything else, utility costs can exhibit significant variations, contingent on factors like climate, energy source availability, geographic location and state regulations. The expenses associated with electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can fluctuate, either upward or downward, depending on the particular city or state. In Kalamazoo, the utilities index registers 2.3% lower than the national average.
Subsidies: Certain regions may provide government subsidies or assistance initiatives designed to alleviate the cost of living burden on their residents. These programs encompass a wide range of support mechanisms, such as 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 farming subsidies. Areas with fewer subsidy offerings might experience an elevation in their cost of living.
The Kalamazoo cost of living estimates above use a normalized U.S. average of 100 as the baseline for comparison. Housing values incorporate local home price and rental information from the U.S. Census, while all other estimates are AI-assisted and modeled using expected everyday expenses, local market trends, climate, and transportation-related cost pressures. The results are intended for practical city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
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| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $95,509 | $7,959 | $2,228 | $2,866 |
| Renters | $44,060 | $3,672 | $1,028 | $1,322 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Michigan | 6% | 6% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Michigan | 4.25% | 4.25% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Galesburg, MI | 2,274 | 81 | 19.1% |
| Gobles, MI | 819 | 81 | 18.9% |
| Eastwood, MI | 5,884 | 85 | 15.2% |
| Augusta, MI | 860 | 86 | 14.2% |
| Lawton, MI | 1,591 | 88 | 12.2% |
| Kalamazoo, MI | 78,286 | 88 | 11.9% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Baldwin Park, CA | 78,285 | 145 | 45.3% |
| Wyoming, MI | 78,208 | 92 | 7.7% |
| Hammond, IN | 78,518 | 87 | 12.7% |
| Bellflower, CA | 78,041 | 151 | 50.6% |
| Iowa City, IA | 77,990 | 102 | 2.2% |
| Kalamazoo, MI | 78,286 | 88 | 11.9% |
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