Cost of living in Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest is 111, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ridgecrest is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Ridgecrest ranks as the #54 cheapest in California out of 634.
Ridgecrest ranks as the #3,765 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Ridgecrest is $267,498.
The median income in Ridgecrest is $88,107.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ridgecrest has an overall cost of living index of 111, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Ridgecrest has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Ridgecrest ranks as #54 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Ridgecrest ranks as the #580 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Ridgecrest, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ridgecrest. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ridgecrest is 106.
The Groceries index in Ridgecrest is 108.
The Health index in Ridgecrest is 92.
The Housing index in Ridgecrest is 98.
The Transportation index in Ridgecrest is 126.
The Utilities index in Ridgecrest is 156.
| Living Expense | Ridgecrest | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 111 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 108 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 92 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 98 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 156 | 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 Ridgecrest is $267,498.
The Median Rent in Ridgecrest is $1,178.
The Median Income in Ridgecrest is $88,107.
The Home Value To Income in Ridgecrest is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ridgecrest is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Ridgecrest | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $267,498 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,178 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $88,107 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Ridgecrest | 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 |
| Item | Ridgecrest | 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 |
| Item | Ridgecrest | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $142.2 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $131.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $131.5 | $113.29 |
| Item | Ridgecrest | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.62 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Ridgecrest | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $231.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $193.81 | $192.25 |