Cost of living in Redwood City 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 Redwood City 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 Redwood City is 212, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Redwood City is 2.1x higher than the national average.
Redwood City ranks as the #586 cheapest in California out of 635.
Redwood City ranks as the #6,337 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Redwood City is $1,520,300.
The median income in Redwood City is $134,287.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Redwood City has an overall cost of living index of 212, which is 2.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Redwood City has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 139.
The standard of living in Redwood City ranks as #586 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Redwood City ranks as the #49 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Redwood City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Redwood City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Redwood City is 119.
The Groceries index in Redwood City is 133.
The Health index in Redwood City is 123.
The Housing index in Redwood City is 405.
The Transportation index in Redwood City is 142.
The Utilities index in Redwood City is 137.
Living Expense | Redwood City | California | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 212 | 139 | 100 | |
Services | 119 | 110 | 100 | |
Groceries | 133 | 112 | 100 | |
Health | 123 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing | 405 | 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 Redwood City is $1,520,300.
The Median Rent in Redwood City is $2,693.
The Median Income in Redwood City is $134,287.
The Home Value To Income in Redwood City is 11.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Redwood City is 0.24x.
Statistic | Redwood City | California | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $1,520,300 | $573,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,693 | $1,698 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $134,287 | $84,097 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 11.3x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Item | Redwood City | 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 | Redwood City | 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 | Redwood City | California |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $136.92 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $146.83 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $133.38 | $99.13 |
Item | Redwood City | California |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $3.38 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $62.03 | $50.07 |
Item | Redwood City | California |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $269.4 | $167.67 |
Phone | $187.26 | $175.64 |