Cost of living in Waterville 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 Waterville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Maine, 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 Waterville is 97, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Waterville is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Waterville ranks as the #5 cheapest in Maine out of 29.
Waterville ranks as the #2,747 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Waterville is $137,100.
The median income in Waterville is $41,245.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Waterville has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Maine, Waterville has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Maine's index of 112.
The standard of living in Waterville ranks as #5 most affordable out of the 29 places we measured in Maine. By definition, that implies Waterville ranks as the #24 most expensive place in the Pine Tree State.
For more reading on life in Waterville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Waterville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Waterville is 111.
The Groceries index in Waterville is 103.
The Health index in Waterville is 116.
The Housing index in Waterville is 67.
The Transportation index in Waterville is 100.
The Utilities index in Waterville is 106.
Living Expense | Waterville | Maine | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 97 | 112 | 100 | |
Services | 111 | 114 | 100 | |
Groceries | 103 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 116 | 97 | 100 | |
Housing | 67 | 120 | 100 | |
Transportation | 100 | 116 | 100 | |
Utilities | 106 | 104 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Maine, 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 Waterville is $137,100.
The Median Rent in Waterville is $805.
The Median Income in Waterville is $41,245.
The Home Value To Income in Waterville is 3.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Waterville is 0.23x.
Statistic | Waterville | Maine | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $137,100 | $212,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $805 | $927 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $41,245 | $63,182 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.3x | 3.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Waterville | Maine |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.99 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.3 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $14.83 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $26.0 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $46.33 | $39.05 |
Item | Waterville | Maine |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.46 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.34 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.34 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.74 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.09 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.74 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.67 | $2.34 |
Item | Waterville | Maine |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $148.43 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $151.95 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $107.57 | $99.13 |
Item | Waterville | Maine |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $53.63 | $50.07 |
Item | Waterville | Maine |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $200.33 | $167.67 |
Phone | $171.07 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Waterville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bangor, ME has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Waterville.
Auburn, ME has a cost of living index of 97, 1.0x Waterville.
Augusta, ME has a cost of living index of 99, 1.0x Waterville.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Waterville |
---|---|---|---|
Bangor, ME | 31,920 | 101 | 1.0x |
Auburn, ME | 23,790 | 97 | 1.0x |
Augusta, ME | 18,895 | 99 | 1.0x |
Brunswick, ME | 16,554 | 103 | 1.1x |
Brewer, ME | 9,606 | 100 | 1.0x |
Bath, ME | 8,718 | 102 | 1.1x |
Rockland, ME | 6,977 | 98 | 1.0x |
Belfast, ME | 6,890 | 108 | 1.1x |
Topsham, ME | 6,854 | 109 | 1.1x |
Skowhegan, ME | 6,344 | 91 | 0.9x |