Cost of living in Mill Valley 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 Mill Valley 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 Mill Valley is 300, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mill Valley is 3.0x higher than the national average.
Mill Valley ranks as the #609 cheapest in California out of 634.
Mill Valley ranks as the #6,463 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mill Valley is $1,944,158.
The median income in Mill Valley is $208,466.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mill Valley has an overall cost of living index of 300, which is 3.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Mill Valley has a cost of living index that's 2.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Mill Valley ranks as #609 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Mill Valley ranks as the #25 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Mill Valley, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mill Valley. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mill Valley is 121.
The Groceries index in Mill Valley is 124.
The Health index in Mill Valley is 125.
The Housing index in Mill Valley is 703.
The Transportation index in Mill Valley is 133.
The Utilities index in Mill Valley is 137.
| Living Expense | Mill Valley | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 300 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 124 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 125 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 703 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 133 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 137 | 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 Mill Valley is $1,944,158.
The Median Rent in Mill Valley is $3,313.
The Median Income in Mill Valley is $208,466.
The Home Value To Income in Mill Valley is 9.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mill Valley is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Mill Valley | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,944,158 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,313 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $208,466 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Mill Valley | 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 | Mill Valley | 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 | Mill Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | Mill Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Mill Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mill Valley. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
South San Francisco, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 0.7x Mill Valley.
Hercules, CA has a cost of living index of 173, 0.6x Mill Valley.
Larkspur, CA has a cost of living index of 257, 0.9x Mill Valley.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mill Valley |
|---|---|---|---|
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 0.7x |
| Hercules, CA | 26,245 | 173 | 0.6x |
| Larkspur, CA | 12,856 | 257 | 0.9x |
| San Anselmo, CA | 12,711 | 235 | 0.8x |
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, CA | 12,153 | 266 | 0.9x |
| Piedmont, CA | 11,012 | 340 | 1.1x |
| Corte Madera, CA | 10,101 | 260 | 0.9x |
| Fairfax, CA | 7,523 | 205 | 0.7x |
| Sausalito, CA | 7,171 | 276 | 0.9x |
| Kentfield, CA | 7,128 | 336 | 1.1x |