Cost of living in Albert Lea 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 Albert Lea is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Minnesota, 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 Albert Lea is 85, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Albert Lea is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Albert Lea ranks as the #5 cheapest in Minnesota out of 147.
Albert Lea ranks as the #777 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Albert Lea is $113,900.
The median income in Albert Lea is $51,047.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Albert Lea has an overall cost of living index of 85, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Minnesota, Albert Lea has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Minnesota's index of 95.
The standard of living in Albert Lea ranks as #5 most affordable out of the 147 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies Albert Lea ranks as the #142 most expensive place in the North Star State.
For more reading on life in Albert Lea, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Albert Lea. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Albert Lea is 98.
The Groceries index in Albert Lea is 92.
The Health index in Albert Lea is 97.
The Housing index in Albert Lea is 56.
The Transportation index in Albert Lea is 89.
The Utilities index in Albert Lea is 111.
Living Expense | Albert Lea | Minnesota | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 85 | 95 | 100 | |
Services | 98 | 101 | 100 | |
Groceries | 92 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 97 | 111 | 100 | |
Housing | 56 | 83 | 100 | |
Transportation | 89 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 111 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Minnesota, 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 Albert Lea is $113,900.
The Median Rent in Albert Lea is $746.
The Median Income in Albert Lea is $51,047.
The Home Value To Income in Albert Lea is 2.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Albert Lea is 0.18x.
Statistic | Albert Lea | Minnesota | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $113,900 | $250,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $746 | $1,081 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $51,047 | $77,706 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.2x | 3.2x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
Item | Albert Lea | Minnesota |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.05 | $1.06 |
Movie | $9.5 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $10.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.56 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $24.89 | $39.05 |
Item | Albert Lea | Minnesota |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.78 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.53 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.88 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.63 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $12.07 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.53 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.59 | $2.34 |
Item | Albert Lea | Minnesota |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $91.44 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $126.17 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $93.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Albert Lea | Minnesota |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.01 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.42 | $50.07 |
Item | Albert Lea | Minnesota |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $197.53 | $167.67 |
Phone | $180.82 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Albert Lea. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mankato, MN has a cost of living index of 95, 1.1x Albert Lea.
Owatonna, MN has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Albert Lea.
Austin, MN has a cost of living index of 84, 1.0x Albert Lea.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Albert Lea |
---|---|---|---|
Mankato, MN | 43,938 | 95 | 1.1x |
Owatonna, MN | 26,366 | 92 | 1.1x |
Austin, MN | 26,030 | 84 | 1.0x |
Faribault, MN | 24,310 | 92 | 1.1x |
North Mankato, MN | 14,356 | 96 | 1.1x |
Waseca, MN | 9,237 | 88 | 1.0x |
Clear Lake, IA | 7,673 | 90 | 1.1x |
Kasson, MN | 6,772 | 90 | 1.1x |
Stewartville, MN | 6,620 | 94 | 1.1x |