Cost of living in Paradise 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 Paradise 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 Paradise is 117, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Paradise is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Paradise ranks as the #95 cheapest in California out of 634.
Paradise ranks as the #4,212 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Paradise is $320,618.
The median income in Paradise is $67,042.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Paradise has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Paradise has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Paradise ranks as #95 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Paradise ranks as the #539 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Paradise, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Paradise. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Paradise is 110.
The Groceries index in Paradise is 106.
The Health index in Paradise is 113.
The Housing index in Paradise is 134.
The Transportation index in Paradise is 120.
The Utilities index in Paradise is 116.
| Living Expense | Paradise | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 117 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 110 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 111 | 100 | |
| Health | 113 | 107 | 100 | |
| Housing | 134 | 194 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 120 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 116 | 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 Paradise is $320,618.
The Median Rent in Paradise is $1,270.
The Median Income in Paradise is $67,042.
The Home Value To Income in Paradise is 4.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Paradise is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Paradise | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $320,618 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,270 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $67,042 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Paradise | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.44 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.76 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.22 | $18.0 |
| Haircut | $40.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $60.53 | $45.56 |
| Item | Paradise | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.56 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.06 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.93 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.69 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.98 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.49 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.67 | $3.7 |
| Item | Paradise | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $153.5 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $201.43 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $115.72 | $113.29 |
| Item | Paradise | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.51 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Paradise | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $238.53 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.81 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Paradise. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Chico, CA has a cost of living index of 130, 1.1x Paradise.
Oroville, CA has a cost of living index of 110, 0.9x Paradise.
Magalia, CA has a cost of living index of 109, 0.9x Paradise.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Paradise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chico, CA | 102,032 | 130 | 1.1x |
| Oroville, CA | 19,855 | 110 | 0.9x |
| Magalia, CA | 7,784 | 109 | 0.9x |
| Thermalito, CA | 6,645 | 107 | 0.9x |
| Durham, CA | 6,111 | 153 | 1.3x |