Cost of living in Gardendale 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 Gardendale is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, 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 Gardendale is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Gardendale is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Gardendale ranks as the #83 cheapest in Alabama out of 115.
Gardendale ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Gardendale is $190,400.
The median income in Gardendale is $74,608.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Gardendale has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Gardendale has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Alabama's index of 88.
The standard of living in Gardendale ranks as #83 most affordable out of the 115 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Gardendale ranks as the #32 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Gardendale, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Gardendale. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Gardendale is 101.
The Groceries index in Gardendale is 94.
The Health index in Gardendale is 93.
The Housing index in Gardendale is 89.
The Transportation index in Gardendale is 96.
The Utilities index in Gardendale is 99.
Living Expense | Gardendale | Alabama | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 88 | 100 | |
Services | 101 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 94 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 93 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 89 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 96 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 99 | 101 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, 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 Gardendale is $190,400.
The Median Rent in Gardendale is $908.
The Median Income in Gardendale is $74,608.
The Home Value To Income in Gardendale is 2.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Gardendale is 0.15x.
Statistic | Gardendale | Alabama | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $190,400 | $157,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $908 | $852 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $74,608 | $54,943 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.6x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Gardendale | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.88 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.74 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $15.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $16.76 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $33.83 | $39.05 |
Item | Gardendale | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.35 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.38 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.92 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.0 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.76 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.12 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.8 | $2.34 |
Item | Gardendale | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $95.8 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $77.78 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $106.79 | $99.13 |
Item | Gardendale | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.03 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $50.9 | $50.07 |
Item | Gardendale | Alabama |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $172.23 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Gardendale. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Birmingham, AL has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x Gardendale.
Homewood, AL has a cost of living index of 112, 1.2x Gardendale.
Trussville, AL has a cost of living index of 106, 1.1x Gardendale.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Gardendale |
---|---|---|---|
Birmingham, AL | 202,234 | 87 | 0.9x |
Homewood, AL | 26,206 | 112 | 1.2x |
Trussville, AL | 25,027 | 106 | 1.1x |
Center Point, AL | 16,422 | 90 | 0.9x |
Irondale, AL | 13,457 | 91 | 1.0x |
Moody, AL | 13,100 | 92 | 1.0x |
Leeds, AL | 12,385 | 94 | 1.0x |
Fairfield, AL | 10,108 | 85 | 0.9x |
Fultondale, AL | 9,707 | 94 | 1.0x |
Pleasant Grove, AL | 9,638 | 98 | 1.0x |