Cost of living in Great Falls 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 Great Falls 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 Great Falls is 238, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Great Falls is 2.4x higher than the national average.
Great Falls ranks as the #186 cheapest in Virginia out of 186.
Great Falls ranks as the #6,378 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Great Falls is $1,134,900.
The median income in Great Falls is $250,001.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Great Falls has an overall cost of living index of 238, which is 2.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Great Falls has a cost of living index that's 2.3x higher than Virginia's index of 102.
The standard of living in Great Falls ranks as #186 most affordable out of the 186 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Great Falls ranks as the #0 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Great Falls, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Great Falls. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Great Falls is 113.
The Groceries index in Great Falls is 116.
The Health index in Great Falls is 89.
The Housing index in Great Falls is 526.
The Transportation index in Great Falls is 116.
The Utilities index in Great Falls is 112.
Living Expense | Great Falls | Virginia | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 238 | 102 | 100 | |
Services | 113 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 116 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 89 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing | 526 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 116 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 112 | 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 Great Falls is $1,134,900.
The Median Rent in Great Falls is $2,876.
The Median Income in Great Falls is $250,001.
The Home Value To Income in Great Falls is 4.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Great Falls is 0.14x.
Statistic | Great Falls | Virginia | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $1,134,900 | $295,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,876 | $1,326 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $250,001 | $80,615 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.5x | 3.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.14x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Great Falls | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.43 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.5 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $21.25 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $31.92 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $63.67 | $39.05 |
Item | Great Falls | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.7 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.75 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.49 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.99 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.99 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.74 | $2.34 |
Item | Great Falls | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $75.0 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $97.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $87.0 | $99.13 |
Item | Great Falls | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.44 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $62.0 | $50.07 |
Item | Great Falls | Virginia |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $193.98 | $167.67 |
Phone | $190.63 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Great Falls. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Reston, VA has a cost of living index of 149, 0.6x Great Falls.
Olney, MD has a cost of living index of 150, 0.6x Great Falls.
Sterling, VA has a cost of living index of 132, 0.6x Great Falls.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Great Falls |
---|---|---|---|
Reston, VA | 62,453 | 149 | 0.6x |
Olney, MD | 35,815 | 150 | 0.6x |
Sterling, VA | 31,202 | 132 | 0.6x |
Clarksburg, MD | 27,354 | 153 | 0.6x |
Herndon, VA | 24,574 | 140 | 0.6x |
North Potomac, MD | 24,449 | 167 | 0.7x |
Wolf Trap, VA | 16,394 | 210 | 0.9x |
Kemp Mill, MD | 14,509 | 141 | 0.6x |
Colesville, MD | 14,468 | 140 | 0.6x |
Sugarland Run, VA | 12,928 | 137 | 0.6x |