Cost of living in Richmond 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 Richmond 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 Richmond is 158, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Richmond is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Richmond ranks as the #363 cheapest in California out of 634.
Richmond ranks as the #5,857 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Richmond is $590,209.
The median income in Richmond is $90,038.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Richmond has an overall cost of living index of 158, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Richmond has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Richmond ranks as #363 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Richmond ranks as the #271 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Richmond, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Richmond. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Richmond is 112.
The Groceries index in Richmond is 119.
The Health index in Richmond is 120.
The Housing index in Richmond is 242.
The Transportation index in Richmond is 130.
The Utilities index in Richmond is 135.
| Living Expense | Richmond | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 158 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 119 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 120 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 242 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 130 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 135 | 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 Richmond is $590,209.
The Median Rent in Richmond is $1,895.
The Median Income in Richmond is $90,038.
The Home Value To Income in Richmond is 6.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Richmond is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Richmond | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $590,209 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,895 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $90,038 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.6x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Richmond | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.45 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $27.22 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Richmond | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.7 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.18 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Richmond | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $137.4 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $110.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $118.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Richmond | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.6 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.97 | $59.92 |
| Item | Richmond | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $182.51 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Richmond. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.8x Richmond.
San Pablo, CA has a cost of living index of 143, 0.9x Richmond.
Hercules, CA has a cost of living index of 173, 1.1x Richmond.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 1.8x |
| San Pablo, CA | 31,771 | 143 | 0.9x |
| Hercules, CA | 26,245 | 173 | 1.1x |
| El Cerrito, CA | 25,781 | 199 | 1.3x |
| Lafayette, CA | 25,277 | 284 | 1.8x |
| American Canyon, CA | 21,698 | 162 | 1.0x |
| Orinda, CA | 19,472 | 280 | 1.8x |
| Pinole, CA | 18,835 | 166 | 1.1x |
| Piedmont, CA | 11,012 | 340 | 2.2x |
| Fairfax, CA | 7,523 | 205 | 1.3x |