Cost of living in Novato 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 Novato 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 Novato is 182, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Novato is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Novato ranks as the #539 cheapest in California out of 635.
Novato ranks as the #6,225 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Novato is $839,700.
The median income in Novato is $107,975.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Novato has an overall cost of living index of 182, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Novato has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 139.
The standard of living in Novato ranks as #539 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Novato ranks as the #96 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Novato, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Novato. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Novato is 125.
The Groceries index in Novato is 130.
The Health index in Novato is 125.
The Housing index in Novato is 294.
The Transportation index in Novato is 150.
The Utilities index in Novato is 139.
Living Expense | Novato | California | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 182 | 139 | 100 | |
Services | 125 | 110 | 100 | |
Groceries | 130 | 112 | 100 | |
Health | 125 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing | 294 | 204 | 100 | |
Transportation | 150 | 126 | 100 | |
Utilities | 139 | 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 Novato is $839,700.
The Median Rent in Novato is $2,102.
The Median Income in Novato is $107,975.
The Home Value To Income in Novato is 7.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Novato is 0.23x.
Statistic | Novato | California | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $839,700 | $573,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,102 | $1,698 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $107,975 | $84,097 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 7.8x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Item | Novato | California |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.35 | $1.06 |
Movie | $16.41 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $20.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $22.38 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $82.05 | $39.05 |
Item | Novato | California |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.64 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.8 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.83 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.42 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $13.47 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.5 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $3.18 | $2.34 |
Item | Novato | California |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $144.57 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $149.63 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $132.68 | $99.13 |
Item | Novato | California |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $3.46 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $65.51 | $50.07 |
Item | Novato | California |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $267.84 | $167.67 |
Phone | $198.18 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Novato. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Napa, CA has a cost of living index of 155, 0.9x Novato.
San Rafael, CA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.1x Novato.
Petaluma, CA has a cost of living index of 161, 0.9x Novato.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Novato |
---|---|---|---|
Napa, CA | 79,700 | 155 | 0.9x |
San Rafael, CA | 61,158 | 192 | 1.1x |
Petaluma, CA | 60,050 | 161 | 0.9x |
Hercules, CA | 26,050 | 155 | 0.9x |
American Canyon, CA | 21,735 | 148 | 0.8x |
San Anselmo, CA | 12,795 | 213 | 1.2x |
Fairfax, CA | 7,605 | 193 | 1.1x |
Cotati, CA | 7,603 | 155 | 0.9x |
Kentfield, CA | 7,517 | 300 | 1.6x |
Lucas Valley-Marinwood, CA | 6,546 | 207 | 1.1x |