Cost Of Living in South Amherst, MA

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F

24%

Overall NAT. AVG.

8%

Goods & Services NAT. AVG.

64%

Housing NAT. AVG.

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	South Amherst	Massachusetts	National
Cost of living	124	133	100
Goods & Services	108	122	100
Groceries	101	105	100
Health care	103	113	100
Housing	164	165	100
Transportation	96	118	100
Utilities	127	134	100

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in South Amherst is 7% lower than the Massachusetts average
The cost of living in South Amherst is 24% higher than the national average
South Amherst housing is 64% higher than the national average
Massachusetts general sales tax is 22% higher than the national average
Massachusetts state income tax is 93% higher than the national average

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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

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$102,989	$8,582	$2,403	$3,090
Renters	$21,229	$1,769	$495	$637

A good indicator of the general affordability of housing in South Amherst, MA, 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 South Amherst, the median monthly income is $102,989 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $2,403 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $21,229, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $495 on monthly rental expenses.

Massachusetts Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Massachusetts	6.25%	6.25%

Massachusetts Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Massachusetts	5%	9%

Goods & Services

Item	South Amherst	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$33.78	$24.26	39.2%
Beauty Salon	$58.55	$45.56	28.5%
Toothpaste	$3.65	$3.70	1.5%
Shampoo	$1.42	$1.28	10.9%
Movie	$12.85	$12.13	5.9%
Bowling	$18.33	$18.00	1.9%

Groceries

Item	South Amherst	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$6.23	$5.84	6.7%
Fried Chicken	$1.46	$1.57	7.4%
Milk	$4.73	$4.67	1.2%
Potatoes	$4.96	$4.93	0.6%
Pizza	$10.79	$12.09	10.7%
Beer	$10.49	$10.41	0.8%

Health Care

Item	South Amherst	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$166.22	$125.68	32.3%
Doctor	$182.50	$135.78	34.4%
Dentist	$127.00	$113.29	12.1%
Ibuprofen	$10.89	$10.65	2.2%
Lipitor	$384.88	$468.60	17.9%

Housing

Item	South Amherst	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$324,800.00	$184,700.00	75.9%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$2,110.08	$2,346.69	10.1%
Apartment Rent	$1,303.00	$949.00	37.3%

Transportation

Item	South Amherst	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.34	$3.46	3.4%
Tire Balancing	$71.63	$59.92	19.5%

Utilities

Item	South Amherst	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$302.09	$193.99	55.7%
Phone	$185.16	$192.25	3.7%

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.
Ware, MA	5,978	104	4.1%
Chicopee, MA	55,186	105	5.3%
Holyoke, MA	40,161	106	5.5%
Palmer Town, MA	12,236	107	6.7%
Granby, MA	1,183	109	9.4%
South Amherst, MA	5,283	124	24.3%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Quantico Base, VA	5,283	136	36.2%
Lindale, GA	5,282	85	15.1%
Brady, TX	5,282	83	17.0%
Edenwold No. 158, SK	5,282	n/a
Williams, CA	5,284	117	17.4%
South Amherst, MA	5,283	124	24.3%