Cost of living in Carson 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 Carson 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 Carson is 153, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Carson is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Carson ranks as the #334 cheapest in California out of 634.
Carson ranks as the #5,771 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Carson is $777,291.
The median income in Carson is $107,391.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Carson has an overall cost of living index of 153, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Carson has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Carson ranks as #334 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Carson ranks as the #300 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Carson, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Carson. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Carson is 114.
The Groceries index in Carson is 112.
The Health index in Carson is 109.
The Housing index in Carson is 239.
The Transportation index in Carson is 125.
The Utilities index in Carson is 113.
| Living Expense | Carson | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 153 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 112 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 239 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 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 Carson is $777,291.
The Median Rent in Carson is $1,914.
The Median Income in Carson is $107,391.
The Home Value To Income in Carson is 7.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Carson is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Carson | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $777,291 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,914 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $107,391 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.2x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Carson | 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 | Carson | 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 | Carson | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | Carson | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Carson | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Carson. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Long Beach, CA has a cost of living index of 158, 1.0x Carson.
Torrance, CA has a cost of living index of 190, 1.2x Carson.
Compton, CA has a cost of living index of 137, 0.9x Carson.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Carson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach, CA | 458,491 | 158 | 1.0x |
| Torrance, CA | 143,499 | 190 | 1.2x |
| Compton, CA | 93,525 | 137 | 0.9x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 1.1x |
| Gardena, CA | 59,765 | 153 | 1.0x |
| Fountain Valley, CA | 56,358 | 186 | 1.2x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.1x |
| Cerritos, CA | 48,340 | 181 | 1.2x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.1x |
| West Rancho Dominguez, CA | 22,560 | 139 | 0.9x |