Cost of living in Laurel 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 Laurel is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Montana, 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 Laurel is 94, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Laurel is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Laurel ranks as the #8 cheapest in Montana out of 23.
Laurel ranks as the #2,290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Laurel is $193,100.
The median income in Laurel is $59,444.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Laurel has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Montana, Laurel has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Montana's index of 103.
The standard of living in Laurel ranks as #8 most affordable out of the 23 places we measured in Montana. By definition, that implies Laurel ranks as the #15 most expensive place in the Treasure State.
For more reading on life in Laurel, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Laurel. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Laurel is 105.
The Groceries index in Laurel is 101.
The Health index in Laurel is 96.
The Housing index in Laurel is 83.
The Transportation index in Laurel is 95.
The Utilities index in Laurel is 89.
Living Expense | Laurel | Montana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 94 | 103 | 100 | |
Services | 105 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 96 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 83 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 111 | 100 | |
Utilities | 89 | 89 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Montana, 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 Laurel is $193,100.
The Median Rent in Laurel is $915.
The Median Income in Laurel is $59,444.
The Home Value To Income in Laurel is 3.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Laurel is 0.18x.
Statistic | Laurel | Montana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $193,100 | $263,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $915 | $886 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $59,444 | $60,560 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.2x | 4.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Laurel. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Billings, MT has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x Laurel.
Lockwood, MT has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Laurel.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Laurel |
---|---|---|---|
Billings, MT | 115,689 | 101 | 1.1x |
Lockwood, MT | 7,162 | 96 | 1.0x |