Cost of living in Elkins 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 Elkins is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in West 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 Elkins is 85, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Elkins is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Elkins ranks as the #11 cheapest in West Virginia out of 31.
Elkins ranks as the #777 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Elkins is $116,200.
The median income in Elkins is $36,909.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Elkins has an overall cost of living index of 85, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to West Virginia, Elkins has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than West Virginia's index of 89.
The standard of living in Elkins ranks as #11 most affordable out of the 31 places we measured in West Virginia. By definition, that implies Elkins ranks as the #20 most expensive place in the Mountain State.
For more reading on life in Elkins, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Elkins. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Elkins is 105.
The Groceries index in Elkins is 101.
The Health index in Elkins is 87.
The Housing index in Elkins is 59.
The Transportation index in Elkins is 88.
The Utilities index in Elkins is 88.
Living Expense | Elkins | West Virginia | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 85 | 89 | 100 | |
Services | 105 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 87 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 59 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 88 | 100 | 100 | |
Utilities | 88 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in West 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 Elkins is $116,200.
The Median Rent in Elkins is $703.
The Median Income in Elkins is $36,909.
The Home Value To Income in Elkins is 3.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Elkins is 0.23x.
Statistic | Elkins | West Virginia | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $116,200 | $128,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $703 | $770 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $36,909 | $50,884 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.1x | 2.5x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Elkins | West Virginia |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.08 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.52 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $13.05 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.39 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $39.86 | $39.05 |
Item | Elkins | West Virginia |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.77 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.24 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.63 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.82 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.01 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.32 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.83 | $2.34 |
Item | Elkins | West Virginia |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $99.07 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $90.46 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $89.59 | $99.13 |
Item | Elkins | West Virginia |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.09 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $36.67 | $50.07 |
Item | Elkins | West Virginia |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $139.04 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.2 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Elkins. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Morgantown, WV has a cost of living index of 94, 1.1x Elkins.
Fairmont, WV has a cost of living index of 88, 1.0x Elkins.
Clarksburg, WV has a cost of living index of 82, 1.0x Elkins.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Elkins |
---|---|---|---|
Morgantown, WV | 29,316 | 94 | 1.1x |
Fairmont, WV | 18,369 | 88 | 1.0x |
Clarksburg, WV | 16,085 | 82 | 1.0x |
Bridgeport, WV | 9,165 | 101 | 1.2x |
Brookhaven, WV | 6,606 | 95 | 1.1x |
Buckhannon, WV | 5,343 | 91 | 1.1x |