Cost of living in Alma 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 Alma is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, 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 Alma is 81, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Alma is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Alma ranks as the #22 cheapest in Michigan out of 175.
Alma ranks as the #290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Alma is $86,000.
The median income in Alma is $39,898.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Alma has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Alma has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 92.
The standard of living in Alma ranks as #22 most affordable out of the 175 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Alma ranks as the #153 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Alma, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Alma. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Alma is 98.
The Groceries index in Alma is 88.
The Health index in Alma is 95.
The Housing index in Alma is 51.
The Transportation index in Alma is 106.
The Utilities index in Alma is 101.
Living Expense | Alma | Michigan | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 81 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 88 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 95 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 51 | 80 | 100 | |
Transportation | 106 | 97 | 100 | |
Utilities | 101 | 100 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, 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 Alma is $86,000.
The Median Rent in Alma is $653.
The Median Income in Alma is $39,898.
The Home Value To Income in Alma is 2.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Alma is 0.2x.
Statistic | Alma | Michigan | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $86,000 | $172,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $653 | $946 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $39,898 | $63,202 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.2x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Alma. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
East Lansing, MI has a cost of living index of 95, 1.2x Alma.
Midland, MI has a cost of living index of 93, 1.1x Alma.
Okemos, MI has a cost of living index of 101, 1.2x Alma.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Alma |
---|---|---|---|
East Lansing, MI | 47,427 | 95 | 1.2x |
Midland, MI | 42,425 | 93 | 1.1x |
Okemos, MI | 25,179 | 101 | 1.2x |
Waverly, MI | 23,328 | 94 | 1.2x |
Mount Pleasant, MI | 21,880 | 89 | 1.1x |
Haslett, MI | 19,333 | 93 | 1.1x |
Flushing, MI | 8,356 | 93 | 1.1x |
Grand Ledge, MI | 7,792 | 87 | 1.1x |
St. Johns, MI | 7,700 | 90 | 1.1x |
St. Louis, MI | 7,435 | 84 | 1.0x |