Cost of living in Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo is 81, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kalamazoo is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Kalamazoo ranks as the #22 cheapest in Michigan out of 175.
Kalamazoo ranks as the #290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Kalamazoo is $125,900.
The median income in Kalamazoo is $44,296.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kalamazoo has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Kalamazoo has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 92.
The standard of living in Kalamazoo ranks as #22 most affordable out of the 175 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Kalamazoo ranks as the #153 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Kalamazoo, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kalamazoo. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kalamazoo is 86.
The Groceries index in Kalamazoo is 78.
The Health index in Kalamazoo is 92.
The Housing index in Kalamazoo is 60.
The Transportation index in Kalamazoo is 98.
The Utilities index in Kalamazoo is 101.
Living Expense | Kalamazoo | Michigan | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 81 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 86 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 78 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 92 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 60 | 80 | 100 | |
Transportation | 98 | 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 Kalamazoo is $125,900.
The Median Rent in Kalamazoo is $869.
The Median Income in Kalamazoo is $44,296.
The Home Value To Income in Kalamazoo is 2.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kalamazoo is 0.24x.
Statistic | Kalamazoo | Michigan | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $125,900 | $172,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $869 | $946 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $44,296 | $63,202 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.8x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kalamazoo. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Battle Creek, MI has a cost of living index of 80, 1.0x Kalamazoo.
Portage, MI has a cost of living index of 87, 1.1x Kalamazoo.
Westwood, MI has a cost of living index of 83, 1.0x Kalamazoo.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kalamazoo |
---|---|---|---|
Battle Creek, MI | 52,434 | 80 | 1.0x |
Portage, MI | 48,767 | 87 | 1.1x |
Westwood, MI | 8,920 | 83 | 1.0x |
Eastwood, MI | 6,569 | 79 | 1.0x |
Comstock Northwest, MI | 5,438 | 84 | 1.0x |
Springfield, MI | 5,268 | 72 | 0.9x |