Cost of living in Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, 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 Buena Vista is 84, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Buena Vista is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Buena Vista ranks as the #9 cheapest in Virginia out of 186.
Buena Vista ranks as the #629 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Buena Vista is $123,100.
The median income in Buena Vista is $42,156.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Buena Vista has an overall cost of living index of 84, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Buena Vista has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than Virginia's index of 102.
The standard of living in Buena Vista ranks as #9 most affordable out of the 186 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Buena Vista ranks as the #177 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Buena Vista, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Buena Vista. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Buena Vista is 95.
The Groceries index in Buena Vista is 92.
The Health index in Buena Vista is 101.
The Housing index in Buena Vista is 65.
The Transportation index in Buena Vista is 92.
The Utilities index in Buena Vista is 102.
Living Expense | Buena Vista | Virginia | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 84 | 102 | 100 | |
Services | 95 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 92 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 101 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing | 65 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 92 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 102 | 102 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, 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 Buena Vista is $123,100.
The Median Rent in Buena Vista is $874.
The Median Income in Buena Vista is $42,156.
The Home Value To Income in Buena Vista is 2.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Buena Vista is 0.25x.
Statistic | Buena Vista | Virginia | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $123,100 | $295,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $874 | $1,326 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $42,156 | $80,615 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.9x | 3.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Buena Vista | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.03 | $1.06 |
Movie | $7.99 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $11.55 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $18.66 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $35.38 | $39.05 |
Item | Buena Vista | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.13 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.11 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.05 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.01 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.35 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.09 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.88 | $2.34 |
Item | Buena Vista | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $107.5 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $104.17 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $103.5 | $99.13 |
Item | Buena Vista | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.18 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $39.17 | $50.07 |
Item | Buena Vista | Virginia |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $182.71 | $167.67 |
Phone | $177.97 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Buena Vista. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lynchburg, VA has a cost of living index of 88, 1.0x Buena Vista.
Staunton, VA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.2x Buena Vista.
Salem, VA has a cost of living index of 93, 1.1x Buena Vista.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Buena Vista |
---|---|---|---|
Lynchburg, VA | 78,973 | 88 | 1.0x |
Staunton, VA | 25,358 | 99 | 1.2x |
Salem, VA | 25,335 | 93 | 1.1x |
Cave Spring, VA | 25,248 | 98 | 1.2x |
Waynesboro, VA | 22,149 | 96 | 1.1x |
Hollins, VA | 15,857 | 92 | 1.1x |
Stuarts Draft, VA | 11,954 | 95 | 1.1x |
Madison Heights, VA | 10,790 | 86 | 1.0x |
Vinton, VA | 8,039 | 85 | 1.0x |
Lexington, VA | 7,287 | 102 | 1.2x |