Van Buren, AR Cost Of Living

Van Buren 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	Van Buren	Arkansas	National
Cost of living index	85	84	100
Index	Van Buren	Arkansas	National
Goods & Services index	98	92	100
Groceries index	93	91	100
Health care index	88	88	100
Housing index	63	65	100
Transportation index	85	87	100
Utilities index	95	97	100

The above illustration supplies generalized information for the Van Buren, AR cost of living index. Compared to other cities in Arkansas and cities across the country, the cost of living index in Van Buren, AR is 85, which is 1% higher than the Arkansas average and 15% lower than that for the entire country. The index is comprised of the following criteria: cost of retail goods and services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), cost of public/private transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). Everyday goods and services, along with housing account for 63 percent of the total cost of living index. Goods and services that are a necessity regardless of location provide an accurate general sense of the cost of living in one city versus another. As seen above, the cost of retail goods and services in Van Buren, AR are 7% higher than the average for Arkansas and 2% lower than the rest of the country.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Van Buren is 1% higher than the Arkansas average.
The cost of living in Van Buren is 15% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Van Buren is 37% lower than the national average.
Arkansas general sales tax is 28% higher than the national average.
Arkansas state income tax is 60% lower than the national average.

Find Real Estate Listings In Van Buren

New Real Estate Listings In Van Buren

The best places in Arkansas

Here are the best places to live in Arkansas

10 best cities to buy a new house in Arkansas

Top 10 cities in Arkansas with the best education system

These are the 10 most affordable cities in Arkansas

Compare Van Buren, AR 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

The salary calculator allows you to compare how much your current salary in Van Buren, AR would be worth in another city. In other words, the salary calculator will adjust the figure you enter for cost of living so that you can determine how much more or much less you would need to earn while maintaining your current quality of living. If you are considering relocating to a more expensive city than Van Buren, AR, the calculator will tell you how much more you need to earn so you can assess job offers more accurately. The Van Buren, AR salary calculator is easy to use. All you do is enter the name of another city, then move the slider to your current income. After that, the salary calculator will crunch the numbers for you and give you the information you need about the place you are considering going. Additionally, it will show a detailed 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	$48,902	$4,075	$1,141	$1,467
Renters	$26,974	$2,248	$629	$809

If you want to find a good determining factor for the cost of living and the general affordability of housing in Van Buren, AR, 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 Van Buren, AR, the median monthly income is $48,902 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $1,141 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $26,974, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $629 on monthly rental expenses.

Arkansas Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Arkansas	6.5%	11.625%

Arkansas Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Arkansas	0.9%	6.9%

When assessing the complete cost of living in Van Buren, AR, the Arkansas income tax and the Arkansas sales tax percentages should unquestionably be taken into consideration. Sales taxes aren't just levies imposed onto sold goods, but they also include taxes that are charged when services are provided for a fee. The rates are different from state to state and can run has high as 7 percent. Some states have no sales tax at all. The Arkansas maximum surtax is 11.625%, and the Arkansas sales tax is 6.5%. By contrast, income tax is an unfortunate obligation that is charged by the government against earnings. Just like sales taxes, the rates for income taxes differ from state to state. They also decrease or increase according to the individual's tax bracket. Tax rates can run as high as 9 percent, with a minimum of zero. Income tax rates range from 0.9% to 6.9% in Arkansas.

Goods & Services

Item	Van Buren	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$15.94	$16.09	0.9%
Beauty Salon	$24.78	$37.33	33.6%
Toothpaste	$2.45	$2.45	0.0%
Shampoo	$0.99	$1.00	0.7%
Movie	$9.89	$10.28	3.8%
Bowling	$6.50	$4.93	31.8%

Groceries

Item	Van Buren	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.36	$3.80	11.7%
Fried Chicken	$1.41	$1.40	1.2%
Milk	$1.91	$2.01	5.0%
Potatoes	$3.41	$3.01	13.1%
Pizza	$10.39	$9.89	5.1%
Beer	$8.62	$8.90	3.1%

Health Care

Item	Van Buren	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$85.33	$102.16	16.5%
Doctor	$91.83	$108.36	15.3%
Dentist	$78.83	$92.53	14.8%
Ibuprofen	$7.97	$9.28	14.1%
Lipitor	$432.03	$425.82	1.5%

Housing

Item	Van Buren	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$112,200.00	$184,700.00	39.3%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$952.30	$1,202.44	20.8%
Apartment Rent	$657.00	$949.00	30.8%

Transportation

Item	Van Buren	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$1.99	$2.24	11.2%
Tire Balancing	$36.00	$46.29	22.2%

Utilities

Item	Van Buren	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$135.92	$165.96	18.1%
Phone	$31.66	$28.68	10.4%

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.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Moffett, OK	140	76	-24%
Nicut, OK	320	77	-23%
Arkoma, OK	1,912	79	-21%
Fort Coffee, OK	532	77	-23%
Mountainburg, AR	614	80	-20%
Van Buren, AR	23,155	85	-15%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Ewa Gentry, HI	23,168	172	72%
Washington, UT	23,141	104	4%
Bay Point, CA	23,131	120	20%
Brandon, MS	23,186	94	-6%
Landover, MD	23,124	113	13%
Van Buren, AR	23,155	85	-15%

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

Van Buren, AR Cost of Living