Cost of living in Benton 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 Benton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, 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 Benton is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Benton is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Benton ranks as the #33 cheapest in Illinois out of 338.
Benton ranks as the #491 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Benton is $76,500.
The median income in Benton is $46,530.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Benton has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Benton has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Illinois's index of 92.
The standard of living in Benton ranks as #33 most affordable out of the 338 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Benton ranks as the #305 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Benton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Benton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Benton is 96.
The Groceries index in Benton is 95.
The Health index in Benton is 93.
The Housing index in Benton is 46.
The Transportation index in Benton is 95.
The Utilities index in Benton is 114.
Living Expense | Benton | Illinois | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 83 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 96 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 93 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 46 | 81 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 114 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, 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 Benton is $76,500.
The Median Rent in Benton is $660.
The Median Income in Benton is $46,530.
The Home Value To Income in Benton is 1.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Benton is 0.17x.
Statistic | Benton | Illinois | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $76,500 | $212,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $660 | $1,097 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $46,530 | $72,563 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 1.6x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Benton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Carbondale, IL has a cost of living index of 85, 1.0x Benton.
Marion, IL has a cost of living index of 86, 1.0x Benton.
Mount Vernon, IL has a cost of living index of 79, 1.0x Benton.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Benton |
---|---|---|---|
Carbondale, IL | 22,388 | 85 | 1.0x |
Marion, IL | 16,960 | 86 | 1.0x |
Mount Vernon, IL | 14,614 | 79 | 1.0x |
Herrin, IL | 12,398 | 81 | 1.0x |
Chester, IL | 7,787 | 79 | 1.0x |
West Frankfort, IL | 7,299 | 80 | 1.0x |
Murphysboro, IL | 7,270 | 78 | 0.9x |
Carterville, IL | 5,839 | 93 | 1.1x |
Pinckneyville, IL | 5,262 | 81 | 1.0x |