Cost of living in Bell Gardens 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 Bell Gardens 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 Bell Gardens is 140, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bell Gardens is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Bell Gardens ranks as the #248 cheapest in California out of 634.
Bell Gardens ranks as the #5,404 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bell Gardens is $679,797.
The median income in Bell Gardens is $55,372.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bell Gardens has an overall cost of living index of 140, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Bell Gardens has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Bell Gardens ranks as #248 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Bell Gardens ranks as the #386 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Bell Gardens, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bell Gardens. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bell Gardens is 116.
The Groceries index in Bell Gardens is 114.
The Health index in Bell Gardens is 106.
The Housing index in Bell Gardens is 195.
The Transportation index in Bell Gardens is 124.
The Utilities index in Bell Gardens is 113.
| Living Expense | Bell Gardens | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 140 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 116 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 195 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 124 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 113 | 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 Bell Gardens is $679,797.
The Median Rent in Bell Gardens is $1,658.
The Median Income in Bell Gardens is $55,372.
The Home Value To Income in Bell Gardens is 12.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bell Gardens is 0.36x.
| Statistic | Bell Gardens | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $679,797 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,658 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $55,372 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 12.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.36x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Bell Gardens | 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 | Bell Gardens | 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 | Bell Gardens | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | Bell Gardens | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Bell Gardens | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bell Gardens. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Downey, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 1.1x Bell Gardens.
South Gate, CA has a cost of living index of 140, 1.0x Bell Gardens.
Lakewood, CA has a cost of living index of 164, 1.2x Bell Gardens.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bell Gardens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey, CA | 111,793 | 160 | 1.1x |
| South Gate, CA | 91,836 | 140 | 1.0x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 1.2x |
| Lynwood, CA | 65,291 | 143 | 1.0x |
| Huntington Park, CA | 53,658 | 139 | 1.0x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.2x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.2x |
| Bell, CA | 32,830 | 140 | 1.0x |
| Maywood, CA | 24,593 | 139 | 1.0x |
| Cudahy, CA | 22,325 | 143 | 1.0x |