Cost of living in Live Oak 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 Live Oak 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 Live Oak is 115, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Live Oak is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Live Oak ranks as the #82 cheapest in California out of 634.
Live Oak ranks as the #4,090 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Live Oak is $390,108.
The median income in Live Oak is $107,500.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Live Oak has an overall cost of living index of 115, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Live Oak has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Live Oak ranks as #82 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Live Oak ranks as the #552 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Live Oak, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Live Oak. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Live Oak is 109.
The Groceries index in Live Oak is 114.
The Health index in Live Oak is 123.
The Housing index in Live Oak is 119.
The Transportation index in Live Oak is 131.
The Utilities index in Live Oak is 133.
| Living Expense | Live Oak | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 115 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 119 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 131 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 133 | 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 Live Oak is $390,108.
The Median Rent in Live Oak is $2,414.
The Median Income in Live Oak is $107,500.
The Home Value To Income in Live Oak is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Live Oak is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Live Oak | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $390,108 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,414 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $107,500 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.6x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Live Oak | 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 | Live Oak | 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 | Live Oak | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Live Oak | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
| Item | Live Oak | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Live Oak. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Santa Cruz, CA has a cost of living index of 205, 1.8x Live Oak.
Watsonville, CA has a cost of living index of 152, 1.3x Live Oak.
Los Gatos, CA has a cost of living index of 308, 2.7x Live Oak.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Live Oak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz, CA | 60,953 | 205 | 1.8x |
| Watsonville, CA | 51,968 | 152 | 1.3x |
| Los Gatos, CA | 32,773 | 308 | 2.7x |
| Saratoga, CA | 30,335 | 342 | 3.0x |
| Scotts Valley, CA | 12,138 | 194 | 1.7x |
| Soquel, CA | 10,691 | 180 | 1.6x |
| Capitola, CA | 9,813 | 183 | 1.6x |
| Rio del Mar, CA | 8,938 | 214 | 1.9x |
| Interlaken, CA | 8,191 | 163 | 1.4x |
| Castroville, CA | 6,870 | 158 | 1.4x |