Cost of living in Kelso 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 Kelso is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, 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 Kelso is 101, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kelso is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Kelso ranks as the #20 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Kelso ranks as the #3,263 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Kelso is $201,800.
The median income in Kelso is $51,203.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kelso has an overall cost of living index of 101, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Kelso has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Washington's index of 115.
The standard of living in Kelso ranks as #20 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Kelso ranks as the #172 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Kelso, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kelso. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kelso is 118.
The Groceries index in Kelso is 114.
The Health index in Kelso is 117.
The Housing index in Kelso is 71.
The Transportation index in Kelso is 130.
The Utilities index in Kelso is 89.
Living Expense | Kelso | Washington | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 101 | 115 | 100 | |
Services | 118 | 112 | 100 | |
Groceries | 114 | 109 | 100 | |
Health | 117 | 119 | 100 | |
Housing | 71 | 129 | 100 | |
Transportation | 130 | 116 | 100 | |
Utilities | 89 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, 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 Kelso is $201,800.
The Median Rent in Kelso is $1,008.
The Median Income in Kelso is $51,203.
The Home Value To Income in Kelso is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kelso is 0.24x.
Statistic | Kelso | Washington | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $201,800 | $397,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,008 | $1,439 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $51,203 | $82,400 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.9x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
Item | Kelso | Washington |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.23 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.1 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.95 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $33.67 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $56.44 | $39.05 |
Item | Kelso | Washington |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.74 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.58 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.12 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.34 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $11.24 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.65 | $2.34 |
Item | Kelso | Washington |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $146.25 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $168.67 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $101.75 | $99.13 |
Item | Kelso | Washington |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.78 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $68.4 | $50.07 |
Item | Kelso | Washington |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $143.85 | $167.67 |
Phone | $170.53 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kelso. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Longview, WA has a cost of living index of 105, 1.0x Kelso.
St. Helens, OR has a cost of living index of 108, 1.1x Kelso.
Columbia, PA has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Kelso.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kelso |
---|---|---|---|
Longview, WA | 37,542 | 105 | 1.0x |
St. Helens, OR | 13,808 | 108 | 1.1x |
Columbia, PA | 10,243 | 91 | 0.9x |
Woodland, WA | 6,368 | 112 | 1.1x |