Cost of living in 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 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 Madera is 115, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Madera is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Madera ranks as the #82 cheapest in California out of 634.
Madera ranks as the #4,090 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Madera is $417,951.
The median income in Madera is $63,619.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Madera has an overall cost of living index of 115, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Madera has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Madera ranks as #82 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Madera ranks as the #552 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Madera, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Madera. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Madera is 103.
The Groceries index in Madera is 102.
The Health index in Madera is 97.
The Housing index in Madera is 124.
The Transportation index in Madera is 119.
The Utilities index in Madera is 139.
| Living Expense | Madera | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 115 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 103 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 124 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 119 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 139 | 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 Madera is $417,951.
The Median Rent in Madera is $1,237.
The Median Income in Madera is $63,619.
The Home Value To Income in Madera is 6.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Madera is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Madera | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $417,951 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,237 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $63,619 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.6x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.56 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.64 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $23.78 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.83 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.21 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.1 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.99 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.96 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.86 | $3.7 |
| Item | Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.88 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $166.71 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $148.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $70.51 | $59.92 |
| Item | Madera | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $299.78 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $191.56 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Madera. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Chowchilla, CA has a cost of living index of 111, 1.0x Madera.
Kerman, CA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.0x Madera.
Madera Acres, CA has a cost of living index of 122, 1.1x Madera.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Madera |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chowchilla, CA | 18,876 | 111 | 1.0x |
| Kerman, CA | 16,492 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Madera Acres, CA | 9,758 | 122 | 1.1x |
| Old Fig Garden, CA | 5,387 | 132 | 1.1x |