Cost of living in Benton Harbor 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 Harbor 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 Benton Harbor is 79, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Benton Harbor is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Benton Harbor ranks as the #10 cheapest in Michigan out of 175.
Benton Harbor ranks as the #155 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Benton Harbor is $61,000.
The median income in Benton Harbor is $24,549.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Benton Harbor has an overall cost of living index of 79, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Benton Harbor has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 92.
The standard of living in Benton Harbor ranks as #10 most affordable out of the 175 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Benton Harbor ranks as the #165 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Benton Harbor, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Benton Harbor. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Benton Harbor is 92.
The Groceries index in Benton Harbor is 93.
The Health index in Benton Harbor is 98.
The Housing index in Benton Harbor is 36.
The Transportation index in Benton Harbor is 96.
The Utilities index in Benton Harbor is 110.
Living Expense | Benton Harbor | Michigan | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 79 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 92 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 93 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 98 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 36 | 80 | 100 | |
Transportation | 96 | 97 | 100 | |
Utilities | 110 | 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 Benton Harbor is $61,000.
The Median Rent in Benton Harbor is $737.
The Median Income in Benton Harbor is $24,549.
The Home Value To Income in Benton Harbor is 2.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Benton Harbor is 0.36x.
Statistic | Benton Harbor | Michigan | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $61,000 | $172,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $737 | $946 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $24,549 | $63,202 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.5x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.36x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Benton Harbor | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.95 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.08 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $17.5 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $15.52 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $26.96 | $39.05 |
Item | Benton Harbor | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.66 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.34 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.67 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.73 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $7.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.17 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.24 | $2.34 |
Item | Benton Harbor | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $82.52 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $102.39 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $101.13 | $99.13 |
Item | Benton Harbor | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.04 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $53.37 | $50.07 |
Item | Benton Harbor | Michigan |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $195.75 | $167.67 |
Phone | $178.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Benton Harbor. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Portage, MI has a cost of living index of 87, 1.1x Benton Harbor.
Goshen, IN has a cost of living index of 87, 1.1x Benton Harbor.
Holland, MI has a cost of living index of 87, 1.1x Benton Harbor.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Benton Harbor |
---|---|---|---|
Portage, MI | 48,767 | 87 | 1.1x |
Goshen, IN | 34,792 | 87 | 1.1x |
Holland, MI | 34,067 | 87 | 1.1x |
Granger, IN | 30,394 | 105 | 1.3x |
Westwood, MI | 8,920 | 83 | 1.1x |
St. Joseph, MI | 7,868 | 91 | 1.2x |
Fair Plain, MI | 7,357 | 84 | 1.1x |
Dunlap, IN | 7,097 | 88 | 1.1x |
Eastwood, MI | 6,569 | 79 | 1.0x |
Westville, IN | 6,062 | 81 | 1.0x |