Cost of living in Valley Center 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 Valley Center 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 Valley Center is 166, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Valley Center is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Valley Center ranks as the #411 cheapest in California out of 634.
Valley Center ranks as the #5,995 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Valley Center is $922,509.
The median income in Valley Center is $116,620.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Valley Center has an overall cost of living index of 166, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Valley Center has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Valley Center ranks as #411 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Valley Center ranks as the #223 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Valley Center, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Valley Center. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Valley Center is 112.
The Groceries index in Valley Center is 116.
The Health index in Valley Center is 107.
The Housing index in Valley Center is 282.
The Transportation index in Valley Center is 126.
The Utilities index in Valley Center is 106.
| Living Expense | Valley Center | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 166 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 116 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 282 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 106 | 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 Valley Center is $922,509.
The Median Rent in Valley Center is $1,163.
The Median Income in Valley Center is $116,620.
The Home Value To Income in Valley Center is 7.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Valley Center is 0.12x.
| Statistic | Valley Center | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $922,509 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,163 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $116,620 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.12x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Valley Center | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.5 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.89 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.92 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.77 | $45.56 |
| Item | Valley Center | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.47 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.05 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.98 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.25 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
| Item | Valley Center | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
| Item | Valley Center | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
| Item | Valley Center | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Valley Center. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Oceanside, CA has a cost of living index of 156, 0.9x Valley Center.
Escondido, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 0.9x Valley Center.
Carlsbad, CA has a cost of living index of 195, 1.2x Valley Center.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Valley Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oceanside, CA | 172,542 | 156 | 0.9x |
| Escondido, CA | 149,913 | 149 | 0.9x |
| Carlsbad, CA | 114,500 | 195 | 1.2x |
| Temecula, CA | 110,404 | 147 | 0.9x |
| Vista, CA | 98,646 | 154 | 0.9x |
| San Marcos, CA | 94,078 | 162 | 1.0x |
| Encinitas, CA | 61,585 | 214 | 1.3x |
| Poway, CA | 48,515 | 176 | 1.1x |
| Fallbrook, CA | 32,467 | 155 | 0.9x |
| Ramona, CA | 22,829 | 154 | 0.9x |