Cost of living in Albany 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 Albany is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, 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 Albany is 185, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Albany is 1.9x higher than the national average.
Albany ranks as the #544 cheapest in California out of 635.
Albany ranks as the #6,242 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Albany is $963,700.
The median income in Albany is $113,602.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Albany has an overall cost of living index of 185, which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Albany has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 139.
The standard of living in Albany ranks as #544 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Albany ranks as the #91 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Albany, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Albany. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Albany is 120.
The Groceries index in Albany is 131.
The Health index in Albany is 126.
The Housing index in Albany is 319.
The Transportation index in Albany is 142.
The Utilities index in Albany is 137.
Living Expense | Albany | California | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 185 | 139 | 100 | |
Services | 120 | 110 | 100 | |
Groceries | 131 | 112 | 100 | |
Health | 126 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing | 319 | 204 | 100 | |
Transportation | 142 | 126 | 100 | |
Utilities | 137 | 124 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, 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 Albany is $963,700.
The Median Rent in Albany is $2,110.
The Median Income in Albany is $113,602.
The Home Value To Income in Albany is 8.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Albany is 0.22x.
Statistic | Albany | California | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $963,700 | $573,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,110 | $1,698 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $113,602 | $84,097 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 8.5x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Item | Albany | California |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.39 | $1.06 |
Movie | $13.23 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.56 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.39 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $67.86 | $39.05 |
Item | Albany | California |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.73 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.89 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.87 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.35 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $12.66 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.57 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $3.07 | $2.34 |
Item | Albany | California |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $136.92 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $146.83 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $133.38 | $99.13 |
Item | Albany | California |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $3.38 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $62.03 | $50.07 |
Item | Albany | California |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $269.4 | $167.67 |
Phone | $187.26 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Albany. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Berkeley, CA has a cost of living index of 194, 1.0x Albany.
Richmond, CA has a cost of living index of 137, 0.7x Albany.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 1.2x Albany.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Albany |
---|---|---|---|
Berkeley, CA | 119,607 | 194 | 1.0x |
Richmond, CA | 115,677 | 137 | 0.7x |
Mountain View, CA | 82,409 | 220 | 1.2x |
South San Francisco, CA | 66,331 | 182 | 1.0x |
San Bruno, CA | 43,775 | 184 | 1.0x |
San Pablo, CA | 31,975 | 126 | 0.7x |
San Lorenzo, CA | 30,420 | 151 | 0.8x |
El Cerrito, CA | 25,898 | 177 | 1.0x |
Lafayette, CA | 25,384 | 236 | 1.3x |
Emeryville, CA | 12,747 | 149 | 0.8x |