Porterville, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Porterville, CA Summary

Cost of living in Porterville 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 Porterville 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 Porterville is 108, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Porterville is 1.1x higher than the national average.

  • Porterville ranks as the #32 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Porterville ranks as the #3,467 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Porterville is $322,858.

  • The median income in Porterville is $59,012.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
108
Porterville's Overall Cost Of Living
1.1x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Porterville, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Porterville has an overall cost of living index of 108, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Porterville has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Porterville ranks as #32 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Porterville ranks as the #602 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Porterville, check out:

32 out of 634
In California
3,467 out of 6,489
In America

Porterville Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Porterville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Porterville is 103.

  • The Groceries index in Porterville is 108.

  • The Health index in Porterville is 95.

  • The Housing index in Porterville is 101.

  • The Transportation index in Porterville is 128.

  • The Utilities index in Porterville is 158.

Living Expense Porterville California National Average
Overall 108 141 100
Services 103 110 100
Groceries 108 112 100
Health 95 110 100
Housing 101 195 100
Transportation 128 125 100
Utilities 158 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Porterville Cost of Living Vs. CA

Porterville, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Porterville is $322,858.

  • The Median Rent in Porterville is $1,111.

  • The Median Income in Porterville is $59,012.

  • The Home Value To Income in Porterville is 5.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Porterville is 0.23x.

Statistic Porterville California United States
Median Home Value $322,858 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $1,111 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $59,012 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 5.5x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.23x 0.24x 0.21x
$322,858
Median Home Value
$1,111
Median Rent
$59,012
Median Income

Porterville, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Porterville Services Costs Vs. California

Item Porterville California
Shampoo $1.48 $1.28
Movie $18.12 $12.13
Bowling $22.67 $18
Haircut $26.25 $24.26
Beauty Salon $89.33 $45.56

Detailed Porterville Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Porterville California
Ground Beef $5.77 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.63 $1.57
Milk $4.91 $4.67
Potatoes $4.9 $4.93
Pizza $13.49 $12.09
Beer $11.13 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.75 $3.7

Detailed Porterville Health Costs Vs. California

Item Porterville California
Optometrist $142.2 $125.68
Doctor $131.33 $135.78
Dentist $131.5 $113.29

Detailed Porterville Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Porterville California
Gasoline $4.62 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.0 $59.92

Detailed Porterville Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Porterville California
All Electricity $231.4 $193.99
Phone $193.81 $192.25

Porterville SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
4/10
Housing
8
Affordability
4
Diversity
8.5
Safety
6
Amenities
9
Education
3
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Porterville

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Porterville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Tulare, CA has a cost of living index of 116, 1.1x Porterville.

  • Lindsay, CA has a cost of living index of 110, 1.0x Porterville.

  • Farmersville, CA has a cost of living index of 107, 1.0x Porterville.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Porterville
Tulare, CA 69,984 116 1.1x
Lindsay, CA 12,572 110 1.0x
Farmersville, CA 10,336 107 1.0x
Exeter, CA 10,280 113 1.0x
Earlimart, CA 7,716 105 1.0x

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