Cost of living in Boulder Creek 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 Boulder Creek 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 Boulder Creek is 166, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Boulder Creek is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Boulder Creek ranks as the #411 cheapest in California out of 634.
Boulder Creek ranks as the #5,995 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Boulder Creek is $738,002.
The median income in Boulder Creek is $106,842.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Boulder Creek has an overall cost of living index of 166, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Boulder Creek has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Boulder Creek ranks as #411 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Boulder Creek ranks as the #223 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Boulder Creek, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Boulder Creek. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Boulder Creek is 109.
The Groceries index in Boulder Creek is 115.
The Health index in Boulder Creek is 121.
The Housing index in Boulder Creek is 280.
The Transportation index in Boulder Creek is 132.
The Utilities index in Boulder Creek is 134.
| Living Expense | Boulder Creek | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 166 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 280 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 132 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 134 | 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 Boulder Creek is $738,002.
The Median Rent in Boulder Creek is $1,844.
The Median Income in Boulder Creek is $106,842.
The Home Value To Income in Boulder Creek is 6.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Boulder Creek is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Boulder Creek | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $738,002 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,844 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $106,842 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Boulder Creek | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $33.3 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.94 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $48.51 | $45.56 |
| Item | Boulder Creek | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.79 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.13 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.05 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.92 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.99 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
| Item | Boulder Creek | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Boulder Creek | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
| Item | Boulder Creek | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Boulder Creek. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 1.6x Boulder Creek.
Santa Clara, CA has a cost of living index of 234, 1.4x Boulder Creek.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.7x Boulder Creek.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Boulder Creek |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 1.6x |
| Santa Clara, CA | 129,239 | 234 | 1.4x |
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 1.7x |
| Palo Alto, CA | 67,231 | 334 | 2.0x |
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 2.0x |
| Campbell, CA | 42,848 | 235 | 1.4x |
| Los Gatos, CA | 32,773 | 308 | 1.9x |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 2.0x |
| Saratoga, CA | 30,335 | 342 | 2.1x |
| Scotts Valley, CA | 12,138 | 194 | 1.2x |