Cost of Living
According to annual average data for 2019 data found in the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index, the region boasts a cost of living more than 22.3% less than the national average. Among the 266 urban areas that participated in the index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY to almost 25 percent below the national average in Harlingen, TX. The Kalamazoo-Portage MSA ranked in the top three urban areas in the U.S. with the most favorable cost of living!
Overall
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.
Grocery
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.
Housing
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.
Utilities
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.
Transportation
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.
Health Care
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.
Miscellaneous
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — 2019 Annual Average Data, Published January 2020.