Cost of living in Corte Madera 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 Corte Madera 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 Corte Madera is 260, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Corte Madera is 2.6x higher than the national average.
Corte Madera ranks as the #591 cheapest in California out of 634.
Corte Madera ranks as the #6,436 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Corte Madera is $1,744,669.
The median income in Corte Madera is $220,771.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Corte Madera has an overall cost of living index of 260, which is 2.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Corte Madera has a cost of living index that's 1.8x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Corte Madera ranks as #591 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Corte Madera ranks as the #43 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Corte Madera, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Corte Madera. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Corte Madera is 120.
The Groceries index in Corte Madera is 124.
The Health index in Corte Madera is 127.
The Housing index in Corte Madera is 578.
The Transportation index in Corte Madera is 133.
The Utilities index in Corte Madera is 138.
| Living Expense | Corte Madera | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 260 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 120 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 124 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 127 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 578 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 133 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 138 | 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 Corte Madera is $1,744,669.
The Median Rent in Corte Madera is $3,468.
The Median Income in Corte Madera is $220,771.
The Home Value To Income in Corte Madera is 7.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Corte Madera is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Corte Madera | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,744,669 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,468 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $220,771 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Corte Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.65 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.01 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.38 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $85.43 | $45.56 |
| Item | Corte Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.11 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.18 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.74 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.09 | $3.7 |
| Item | Corte Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | Corte Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Corte Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Corte Madera. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Rafael, CA has a cost of living index of 218, 0.8x Corte Madera.
Hercules, CA has a cost of living index of 173, 0.7x Corte Madera.
Orinda, CA has a cost of living index of 280, 1.1x Corte Madera.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Corte Madera |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Rafael, CA | 60,604 | 218 | 0.8x |
| Hercules, CA | 26,245 | 173 | 0.7x |
| Orinda, CA | 19,472 | 280 | 1.1x |
| Mill Valley, CA | 14,064 | 300 | 1.2x |
| Larkspur, CA | 12,856 | 257 | 1.0x |
| San Anselmo, CA | 12,711 | 235 | 0.9x |
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, CA | 12,153 | 266 | 1.0x |
| Piedmont, CA | 11,012 | 340 | 1.3x |
| Tiburon, CA | 9,035 | 341 | 1.3x |
| Fairfax, CA | 7,523 | 205 | 0.8x |