Cost of living in Hercules 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 Hercules 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 Hercules is 173, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Hercules is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Hercules ranks as the #452 cheapest in California out of 634.
Hercules ranks as the #6,114 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Hercules is $739,767.
The median income in Hercules is $130,583.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Hercules has an overall cost of living index of 173, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Hercules has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Hercules ranks as #452 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Hercules ranks as the #182 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Hercules, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Hercules. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Hercules is 116.
The Groceries index in Hercules is 118.
The Health index in Hercules is 120.
The Housing index in Hercules is 296.
The Transportation index in Hercules is 128.
The Utilities index in Hercules is 135.
| Living Expense | Hercules | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 173 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 116 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 118 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 120 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 296 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 128 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 135 | 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 Hercules is $739,767.
The Median Rent in Hercules is $3,003.
The Median Income in Hercules is $130,583.
The Home Value To Income in Hercules is 5.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Hercules is 0.28x.
| Statistic | Hercules | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $739,767 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,003 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $130,583 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Hercules | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.45 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $27.22 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Hercules | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.7 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.18 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Hercules | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $137.4 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $110.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $118.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Hercules | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.6 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.97 | $59.92 |
| Item | Hercules | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $182.51 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Hercules. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.6x Hercules.
Martinez, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 1.0x Hercules.
San Pablo, CA has a cost of living index of 143, 0.8x Hercules.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Hercules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 1.6x |
| Martinez, CA | 36,926 | 170 | 1.0x |
| San Pablo, CA | 31,771 | 143 | 0.8x |
| Lafayette, CA | 25,277 | 284 | 1.6x |
| American Canyon, CA | 21,698 | 162 | 0.9x |
| Orinda, CA | 19,472 | 280 | 1.6x |
| Pinole, CA | 18,835 | 166 | 1.0x |
| Piedmont, CA | 11,012 | 340 | 2.0x |
| Rodeo, CA | 8,735 | 152 | 0.9x |
| Fairfax, CA | 7,523 | 205 | 1.2x |