Cost of living in Whittier 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 Whittier 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 Whittier is 164, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Whittier is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Whittier ranks as the #400 cheapest in California out of 634.
Whittier ranks as the #5,968 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Whittier is $800,239.
The median income in Whittier is $92,374.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Whittier has an overall cost of living index of 164, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Whittier has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Whittier ranks as #400 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Whittier ranks as the #234 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Whittier, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Whittier. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Whittier is 115.
The Groceries index in Whittier is 110.
The Health index in Whittier is 108.
The Housing index in Whittier is 269.
The Transportation index in Whittier is 123.
The Utilities index in Whittier is 113.
| Living Expense | Whittier | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 164 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 110 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 269 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 123 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 113 | 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 Whittier is $800,239.
The Median Rent in Whittier is $1,829.
The Median Income in Whittier is $92,374.
The Home Value To Income in Whittier is 8.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Whittier is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Whittier | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $800,239 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,829 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $92,374 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Whittier | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.41 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.07 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | Whittier | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.26 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.08 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $16.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.6 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.76 | $3.7 |
| Item | Whittier | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | Whittier | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Whittier | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Whittier. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lakewood, CA has a cost of living index of 164, 1.0x Whittier.
La Habra, CA has a cost of living index of 159, 1.0x Whittier.
Pico Rivera, CA has a cost of living index of 147, 0.9x Whittier.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Whittier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 1.0x |
| La Habra, CA | 62,233 | 159 | 1.0x |
| Pico Rivera, CA | 60,821 | 147 | 0.9x |
| South Whittier, CA | 55,201 | 150 | 0.9x |
| Hacienda Heights, CA | 54,956 | 167 | 1.0x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.0x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.0x |
| North Tustin, CA | 26,038 | 204 | 1.2x |
| West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA | 25,459 | 148 | 0.9x |
| West Puente Valley, CA | 22,198 | 151 | 0.9x |