Cost of living in Kenai research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kenai is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alaska, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kenai is 118, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kenai is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Kenai ranks as the #1 cheapest in Alaska out of 22.
Kenai ranks as the #4,687 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Kenai is $233,400.
The median income in Kenai is $70,732.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kenai has an overall cost of living index of 118, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alaska, Kenai has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Alaska's index of 125.
The standard of living in Kenai ranks as #1 most affordable out of the 22 places we measured in Alaska. By definition, that implies Kenai ranks as the #21 most expensive place in the Last Frontier.
For more reading on life in Kenai, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kenai. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kenai is 113.
The Groceries index in Kenai is 131.
The Health index in Kenai is 146.
The Housing index in Kenai is 109.
The Transportation index in Kenai is 111.
The Utilities index in Kenai is 127.
Living Expense | Kenai | Alaska | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 118 | 125 | 100 | |
Services | 113 | 119 | 100 | |
Groceries | 131 | 129 | 100 | |
Health | 146 | 152 | 100 | |
Housing | 109 | 119 | 100 | |
Transportation | 111 | 119 | 100 | |
Utilities | 127 | 147 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alaska, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kenai is $233,400.
The Median Rent in Kenai is $1,090.
The Median Income in Kenai is $70,732.
The Home Value To Income in Kenai is 3.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kenai is 0.18x.
Statistic | Kenai | Alaska | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $233,400 | $282,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,090 | $1,279 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $70,732 | $80,287 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.3x | 3.5x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kenai. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Kalifornsky, AK has a cost of living index of 121, 1.0x Kenai.
Sterling, AK has a cost of living index of 124, 1.1x Kenai.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kenai |
---|---|---|---|
Kalifornsky, AK | 8,428 | 121 | 1.0x |
Sterling, AK | 6,016 | 124 | 1.1x |