Cost of living in Altadena 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 Altadena is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, 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 Altadena is 187, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Altadena is 1.9x higher than the national average.
Altadena ranks as the #497 cheapest in California out of 634.
Altadena ranks as the #6,246 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Altadena is $1,136,621.
The median income in Altadena is $129,123.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Altadena has an overall cost of living index of 187, which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Altadena has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Altadena ranks as #497 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Altadena ranks as the #137 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Altadena, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Altadena. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Altadena is 115.
The Groceries index in Altadena is 111.
The Health index in Altadena is 108.
The Housing index in Altadena is 361.
The Transportation index in Altadena is 126.
The Utilities index in Altadena is 111.
| Living Expense | Altadena | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 187 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 111 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 361 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 111 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, 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 Altadena is $1,136,621.
The Median Rent in Altadena is $2,250.
The Median Income in Altadena is $129,123.
The Home Value To Income in Altadena is 8.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Altadena is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Altadena | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,136,621 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,250 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $129,123 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Altadena | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.41 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.07 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | Altadena | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.26 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.08 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $16.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.6 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.76 | $3.7 |
| Item | Altadena | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | Altadena | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Altadena | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Altadena. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Glendale, CA has a cost of living index of 193, 1.0x Altadena.
Pasadena, CA has a cost of living index of 189, 1.0x Altadena.
Walnut, CA has a cost of living index of 194, 1.0x Altadena.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Altadena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale, CA | 192,270 | 193 | 1.0x |
| Pasadena, CA | 136,462 | 189 | 1.0x |
| Walnut, CA | 27,857 | 194 | 1.0x |
| South Pasadena, CA | 26,297 | 226 | 1.2x |
| San Fernando, CA | 23,716 | 148 | 0.8x |
| East San Gabriel, CA | 23,521 | 187 | 1.0x |
| West Puente Valley, CA | 22,198 | 151 | 0.8x |
| Valinda, CA | 21,626 | 145 | 0.8x |
| La Crescenta-Montrose, CA | 19,940 | 197 | 1.1x |
| Vincent, CA | 15,151 | 146 | 0.8x |