Portola Valley, CA Cost Of Living

Portola Valley 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	Portola Valley	California	National
Cost of living index	346	138	100
Index	Portola Valley	California	National
Goods & Services index	129	110	100
Groceries index	125	115	100
Health care index	124	109	100
Housing index	856	196	100
Transportation index	134	125	100
Utilities index	115	114	100

An overview of the general cost of living index for Portola Valley, CA is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Portola Valley, CA enjoy a cost of living index of 346. This index is 150% higher than the California average, and 246% higher 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 Portola Valley, CA, the average cost of goods and services is 17% higher than it is in California, and it is 29% higher than the national average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Portola Valley is 150% higher than the California average.
The cost of living in Portola Valley is 246% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Portola Valley is 756% higher than 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.

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Salary Calculator

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Price difference in compared to

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

The salary calculator is meant to help you compare your salary in Portola Valley, CA to your potential earning power in another city. This can help you deduce what your salary would need to be in any given city in order for you to live the same lifestyle that you do in your current city. In other words, if you plan on moving to a city where the cost of living is higher than in Portola Valley, CA, you'll have to make more money in the new city in order to maintain the lifestyle you currently enjoy. To use the Portola Valley, CA salary calculator, simply input the new city, then move the adjustable slider to match your current income. Once you've selected your income, the calculator will determine if that income is sufficient to support your standard of living in the new city you entered. The calculator will also supply you with a rundown of living costs in the new city.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$250,001	$20,833	$5,833	$7,501
Renters	$98,594	$8,216	$2,300	$2,958

If you want to find a good determining factor for the cost of living and the general affordability of housing in Portola Valley, CA, all you must look at is the percentage of monthly income that should be spent on housing expenses, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Generally speaking, no more than 28 percent of your total gross income should be spent on your housing expenses and not more than 36 percent of your gross income on total expenses, including debts. In Portola Valley, CA, the median monthly income is $250,001 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $5,833 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $98,594, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $2,300 on monthly rental expenses.

California Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
California	7.25%	10.25%

California Income Tax

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

The California sales tax and California income tax rates should definitely be considered when determining the overall cost of living in Portola Valley, CA. Sales taxes are taxes that are imposed onto goods and services sold. Sales taxes do vary by state and can range from no tax at all to upwards of 7%. The California sales tax is 7.25% and the maximum surtax is 10.25%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by the government. The income tax rates will vary by state and will also increase or decrease depending on the corresponding tax bracket. State income tax rates can range from anywhere from no tax at all to more than 9%. The California income tax rates range from 1% to 13.3%.

Goods & Services

Item	Portola Valley	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$25.90	$16.09	61.0%
Beauty Salon	$77.35	$37.33	107.2%
Toothpaste	$3.27	$2.45	33.5%
Shampoo	$1.26	$1.00	25.6%
Movie	$13.12	$10.28	27.6%
Bowling	$7.52	$4.93	52.5%

Groceries

Item	Portola Valley	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$4.32	$3.80	13.7%
Fried Chicken	$1.64	$1.40	17.6%
Milk	$2.72	$2.01	35.6%
Potatoes	$3.78	$3.01	25.4%
Pizza	$11.98	$9.89	21.2%
Beer	$9.48	$8.90	6.6%

Health Care

Item	Portola Valley	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$124.14	$102.16	21.5%
Doctor	$142.61	$108.36	31.6%
Dentist	$122.05	$92.53	31.9%
Ibuprofen	$11.97	$9.28	29.0%
Lipitor	$421.85	$425.82	0.9%

Housing

Item	Portola Valley	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$2,000,001.00	$184,700.00	982.8%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$4,265.07	$1,202.44	254.7%
Apartment Rent	$3,114.00	$949.00	228.1%

Transportation

Item	Portola Valley	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.07	$2.24	36.9%
Tire Balancing	$60.10	$46.29	29.8%

Utilities

Item	Portola Valley	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$235.44	$165.96	41.9%
Phone	$24.12	$28.68	15.9%

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.
Loma Mar, CA	150	127	27%
Mountain View CDP, CA	2,585	134	34%
East Palo Alto, CA	29,353	159	59%
Newark, CA	44,677	165	65%
La Honda, CA	518	173	73%
Portola Valley, CA	4,550	346	246%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Niskayuna, NY	4,548	108	8%
Gibraltar, MI	4,547	90	-10%
Mullins, SC	4,553	83	-17%
Madisonville, TX	4,546	86	-14%
Cobleskill, NY	4,554	95	-5%
Portola Valley, CA	4,550	346	246%

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

Portola Valley, CA Cost of Living