Cost of living in Norwalk 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 Norwalk 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 Norwalk is 149, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Norwalk is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Norwalk ranks as the #311 cheapest in California out of 634.
Norwalk ranks as the #5,665 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Norwalk is $742,357.
The median income in Norwalk is $98,709.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Norwalk has an overall cost of living index of 149, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Norwalk has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Norwalk ranks as #311 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Norwalk ranks as the #323 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Norwalk, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Norwalk. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Norwalk is 118.
The Groceries index in Norwalk is 114.
The Health index in Norwalk is 108.
The Housing index in Norwalk is 226.
The Transportation index in Norwalk is 125.
The Utilities index in Norwalk is 112.
| Living Expense | Norwalk | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 149 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 118 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 226 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 112 | 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 Norwalk is $742,357.
The Median Rent in Norwalk is $2,014.
The Median Income in Norwalk is $98,709.
The Home Value To Income in Norwalk is 7.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Norwalk is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Norwalk | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $742,357 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,014 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $98,709 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.5x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Norwalk | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.41 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.07 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | Norwalk | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.26 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.08 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $16.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.6 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.76 | $3.7 |
| Item | Norwalk | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | Norwalk | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Norwalk | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Norwalk. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Downey, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 1.1x Norwalk.
Lakewood, CA has a cost of living index of 164, 1.1x Norwalk.
Bellflower, CA has a cost of living index of 147, 1.0x Norwalk.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Norwalk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey, CA | 111,793 | 160 | 1.1x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 1.1x |
| Bellflower, CA | 77,396 | 147 | 1.0x |
| South Whittier, CA | 55,201 | 150 | 1.0x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.2x |
| Cerritos, CA | 48,340 | 181 | 1.2x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.1x |
| North Tustin, CA | 26,038 | 204 | 1.4x |
| West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA | 25,459 | 148 | 1.0x |
| West Puente Valley, CA | 22,198 | 151 | 1.0x |