| Index | Waimea | Hawaii | National |
| Cost of living | 155 | 163 | 100 |
| Groceries | 124 | 126 | 100 |
| Health care | 116 | 119 | 100 |
| Housing | 230 | 252 | 100 |
| Transportation | 123 | 121 | 100 |
| Utilities | 131 | 131 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 127 | 127 | 100 |
| Household Items | 115 | 115 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 128 | 132 | 100 |
Knowing the cost of living in Waimea allows individuals to create a realistic budget. This helps them understand how their income will cover expenses and whether they need to make financial adjustments. The cost of living in any region can fluctuate due to various factors. To assess the cost of living consistently across different areas, a national average of 100 serves as the basis for the cost of living index. The cost of living in Waimea stands at 155, marking it 55% higher than the national average.
If you value affordability in your search for a new place to live, Waimea may not be the most suitable option, as it stands out as one of the priciest areas in the entire United States. Only a small fraction of regions have a cost of living that is more than 20% higher than the national average, and regrettably, Waimea falls into this category, which may not align with your desire for an affordable place to call home.
Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Waimea, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 129.9% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.
The routine items you regularly buy for your home, such as cleaning supplies, personal care products, clothing basics, and kitchen essentials, make up 8% of the cost of living index. In Waimea, these items cost 15% more than the national average, making day-to-day living a bit more expensive.
The cost of groceries continues to rise at an alarming rate. Over the last two years, grocery prices have increased by more than 10%! Unfortunately, in Waimea, the news isn't any better as grocery prices are 23.7% higher than the national average.
Is Waimea 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 Waimea, the median home price is 150.8% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 81% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Waimea come in at $142,934, which is 75.7% higher than the national average.
Utilities: Similar to the prices of any other goods or services, utility expenditures can exhibit substantial variability, influenced by factors such as climate, energy sources accessibility, geographical location and state regulations. Costs related to electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can fluctuate, whether higher or lower, contingent on the city or state. In Waimea, the utilities index is 31.4% higher than the national average.
Urbanization: Urban areas with extensive amenities and job opportunities tend to have a higher cost of living due to increased demand for services and relocation, resulting in higher home prices and higher rents. Less densely populated rural areas, or areas with less demand tend to have fewer amenities and slower job growth, which results in a lower cost of living.
Taxes: Cities that impose higher taxes, including sales and income taxes, can contribute to an escalated cost of living. The added expense of taxes on everyday goods like clothing and food naturally results in higher overall costs. Similarly, a higher income tax rate can further elevate the cost of living. In Waimea, the general sales tax rate starts at 4%, and income tax rates begin at 1.4%.
The Waimea cost of living data above is designed around a U.S. average baseline of 100, allowing for easy comparisons of relative living costs. Housing incorporates U.S. Census home price and rental data, while all other figures are AI-assisted estimates that account for regional price trends, climate, transportation dynamics, and common everyday expenses. These values are best used as directional city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $143,862 | $11,989 | $3,357 | $4,316 |
| Renters | $137,583 | $11,465 | $3,210 | $4,128 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Hawaii | 4% | 4.712% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Hawaii | 1.4% | 11% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Kapaau, HI | 1,978 | 137 | 36.5% |
| Honokaa, HI | 2,406 | 138 | 37.8% |
| Halaula, HI | 664 | 139 | 39.2% |
| Waimea CDP (Kauai County), HI | 1,843 | 142 | 42.2% |
| Hawi, HI | 1,364 | 155 | 54.5% |
| Waimea, HI | 11,340 | 155 | 55.2% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| DeRidder, LA | 11,341 | 93 | 6.9% |
| Coshocton, OH | 11,344 | 83 | 17.3% |
| Grandview, WA | 11,346 | 101 | 0.8% |
| Morgan City, LA | 11,332 | 89 | 10.9% |
| Spencer, IA | 11,331 | 89 | 11.0% |
| Waimea, HI | 11,340 | 155 | 55.2% |
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