Cost of living in Central 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 Central is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Carolina, 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 Central is 85, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Central is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Central ranks as the #9 cheapest in South Carolina out of 99.
Central ranks as the #777 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Central is $140,600.
The median income in Central is $36,596.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Central has an overall cost of living index of 85, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Carolina, Central has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than South Carolina's index of 96.
The standard of living in Central ranks as #9 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in South Carolina. By definition, that implies Central ranks as the #90 most expensive place in the Palmetto State.
For more reading on life in Central, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Central. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Central is 97.
The Groceries index in Central is 101.
The Health index in Central is 92.
The Housing index in Central is 64.
The Transportation index in Central is 86.
The Utilities index in Central is 92.
Living Expense | Central | South Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 85 | 96 | 100 | |
Services | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 100 | 100 | |
Health | 92 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 64 | 89 | 100 | |
Transportation | 86 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 92 | 107 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Carolina, 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 Central is $140,600.
The Median Rent in Central is $759.
The Median Income in Central is $36,596.
The Home Value To Income in Central is 3.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Central is 0.25x.
Statistic | Central | South Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $140,600 | $181,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $759 | $970 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $36,596 | $58,234 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.8x | 3.1x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Central | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.32 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.7 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $14.67 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.22 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $33.72 | $39.05 |
Item | Central | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.91 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.24 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.16 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.73 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.61 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.04 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.03 | $2.34 |
Item | Central | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $92.06 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $94.78 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $88.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Central | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.02 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $39.83 | $50.07 |
Item | Central | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $151.76 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.45 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Central. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Columbus, NE has a cost of living index of 90, 1.1x Central.
Seward, NE has a cost of living index of 93, 1.1x Central.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Central |
---|---|---|---|
Columbus, NE | 23,954 | 90 | 1.1x |
Seward, NE | 7,651 | 93 | 1.1x |