Cost of living in San Anselmo 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 San Anselmo 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 San Anselmo is 235, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in San Anselmo is 2.4x higher than the national average.
San Anselmo ranks as the #576 cheapest in California out of 634.
San Anselmo ranks as the #6,412 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in San Anselmo is $1,574,966.
The median income in San Anselmo is $170,457.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, San Anselmo has an overall cost of living index of 235, which is 2.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, San Anselmo has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in San Anselmo ranks as #576 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies San Anselmo ranks as the #58 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in San Anselmo, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in San Anselmo. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in San Anselmo is 121.
The Groceries index in San Anselmo is 123.
The Health index in San Anselmo is 126.
The Housing index in San Anselmo is 499.
The Transportation index in San Anselmo is 134.
The Utilities index in San Anselmo is 135.
| Living Expense | San Anselmo | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 235 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 123 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 126 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 499 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 134 | 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 San Anselmo is $1,574,966.
The Median Rent in San Anselmo is $2,750.
The Median Income in San Anselmo is $170,457.
The Home Value To Income in San Anselmo is 9.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in San Anselmo is 0.19x.
| Statistic | San Anselmo | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,574,966 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,750 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $170,457 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.2x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | San Anselmo | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.65 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.01 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.38 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $85.43 | $45.56 |
| Item | San Anselmo | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.11 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.18 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.74 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.09 | $3.7 |
| Item | San Anselmo | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | San Anselmo | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | San Anselmo | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around San Anselmo. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Rafael, CA has a cost of living index of 218, 0.9x San Anselmo.
Petaluma, CA has a cost of living index of 183, 0.8x San Anselmo.
Hercules, CA has a cost of living index of 173, 0.7x San Anselmo.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. San Anselmo |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Rafael, CA | 60,604 | 218 | 0.9x |
| Petaluma, CA | 59,321 | 183 | 0.8x |
| Hercules, CA | 26,245 | 173 | 0.7x |
| Mill Valley, CA | 14,064 | 300 | 1.3x |
| Larkspur, CA | 12,856 | 257 | 1.1x |
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, CA | 12,153 | 266 | 1.1x |
| Corte Madera, CA | 10,101 | 260 | 1.1x |
| Fairfax, CA | 7,523 | 205 | 0.9x |
| Kentfield, CA | 7,128 | 336 | 1.4x |
| Lucas Valley-Marinwood, CA | 6,331 | 234 | 1.0x |