Cost of living in Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek is 80, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Battle Creek is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Battle Creek ranks as the #15 cheapest in Michigan out of 175.
Battle Creek ranks as the #211 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Battle Creek is $97,600.
The median income in Battle Creek is $45,288.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Battle Creek has an overall cost of living index of 80, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Battle Creek has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 92.
The standard of living in Battle Creek ranks as #15 most affordable out of the 175 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Battle Creek ranks as the #160 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Battle Creek, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Battle Creek. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Battle Creek is 88.
The Groceries index in Battle Creek is 76.
The Health index in Battle Creek is 95.
The Housing index in Battle Creek is 52.
The Transportation index in Battle Creek is 97.
The Utilities index in Battle Creek is 100.
Living Expense | Battle Creek | Michigan | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 80 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 88 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 76 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 95 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 52 | 80 | 100 | |
Transportation | 97 | 97 | 100 | |
Utilities | 100 | 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 Battle Creek is $97,600.
The Median Rent in Battle Creek is $818.
The Median Income in Battle Creek is $45,288.
The Home Value To Income in Battle Creek is 2.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Battle Creek is 0.22x.
Statistic | Battle Creek | Michigan | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $97,600 | $172,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $818 | $946 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $45,288 | $63,202 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.2x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Battle Creek | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.88 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.95 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $16.39 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $16.14 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $19.0 | $39.05 |
Item | Battle Creek | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.83 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.1 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.5 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.73 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.21 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.03 | $2.34 |
Item | Battle Creek | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $63.31 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $102.79 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $98.94 | $99.13 |
Item | Battle Creek | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.02 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $54.29 | $50.07 |
Item | Battle Creek | Michigan |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $167.02 | $167.67 |
Phone | $178.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Battle Creek. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Kalamazoo, MI has a cost of living index of 81, 1.0x Battle Creek.
Portage, MI has a cost of living index of 87, 1.1x Battle Creek.
Union, MO has a cost of living index of 89, 1.1x Battle Creek.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Battle Creek |
---|---|---|---|
Kalamazoo, MI | 74,020 | 81 | 1.0x |
Portage, MI | 48,767 | 87 | 1.1x |
Union, MO | 12,108 | 89 | 1.1x |
Marshall, MI | 6,832 | 80 | 1.0x |
Eastwood, MI | 6,569 | 79 | 1.0x |
Comstock Northwest, MI | 5,438 | 84 | 1.1x |
Springfield, MI | 5,268 | 72 | 0.9x |