Cost of living in Palmer 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 Palmer is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alaska, 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 Palmer is 116, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Palmer is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Palmer ranks as the #1 cheapest in Alaska out of 22.
Palmer ranks as the #4,151 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Palmer is $420,844.
The median income in Palmer is $70,550.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Palmer has an overall cost of living index of 116, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alaska, Palmer has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Alaska's index of 131.
The standard of living in Palmer ranks as #1 most affordable out of the 22 places we measured in Alaska. By definition, that implies Palmer ranks as the #21 most expensive place in the Last Frontier.
For more reading on life in Palmer, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Palmer. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Palmer is 119.
The Groceries index in Palmer is 126.
The Health index in Palmer is 139.
The Housing index in Palmer is 111.
The Transportation index in Palmer is 113.
The Utilities index in Palmer is 111.
| Living Expense | Palmer | Alaska | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 116 | 131 | 100 | |
| Services | 119 | 120 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 126 | 123 | 100 | |
| Health | 139 | 150 | 100 | |
| Housing | 111 | 136 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 113 | 116 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 111 | 158 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alaska, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Palmer is $420,844.
The Median Rent in Palmer is $1,134.
The Median Income in Palmer is $70,550.
The Home Value To Income in Palmer is 6.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Palmer is 0.19x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Palmer. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Knik-Fairview, AK has a cost of living index of 126, 1.1x Palmer.
Tanaina, AK has a cost of living index of 123, 1.1x Palmer.
Wasilla, AK has a cost of living index of 123, 1.1x Palmer.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Palmer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knik-Fairview, AK | 18,921 | 126 | 1.1x |
| Tanaina, AK | 9,738 | 123 | 1.1x |
| Wasilla, AK | 9,435 | 123 | 1.1x |
| Meadow Lakes, AK | 8,994 | 120 | 1.0x |
| Gateway, AK | 6,716 | 130 | 1.1x |