Cost of living in Woodside 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 Woodside 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 Woodside is 334, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Woodside is 3.3x higher than the national average.
Woodside ranks as the #621 cheapest in California out of 634.
Woodside ranks as the #6,476 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Woodside is $3,706,415.
The median income in Woodside is $250,001.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Woodside has an overall cost of living index of 334, which is 3.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Woodside has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Woodside ranks as #621 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Woodside ranks as the #13 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Woodside, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Woodside. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Woodside is 108.
The Groceries index in Woodside is 113.
The Health index in Woodside is 121.
The Housing index in Woodside is 838.
The Transportation index in Woodside is 129.
The Utilities index in Woodside is 133.
| Living Expense | Woodside | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 334 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 838 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 129 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 133 | 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 Woodside is $3,706,415.
The Median Rent in Woodside is $3,501.
The Median Income in Woodside is $250,001.
The Home Value To Income in Woodside is 14.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Woodside is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Woodside | California | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $3,706,415 | $763,287 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $3,501 | $1,956 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $250,001 | $96,334 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 14.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.24x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Woodside | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $33.3 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $33.94 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $48.51 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Woodside | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.79 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $2.13 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $5.05 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $14.92 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $10.99 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Woodside | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Woodside | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Woodside | California | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Woodside. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 0.8x Woodside.
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 0.7x Woodside.
Palo Alto, CA has a cost of living index of 334, 1.0x Woodside.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Woodside | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 0.8x | 
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 0.7x | 
| Palo Alto, CA | 67,231 | 334 | 1.0x | 
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 1.0x | 
| San Bruno, CA | 42,612 | 220 | 0.7x | 
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 1.0x | 
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 0.9x | 
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.5x | 
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 0.9x | 
| Millbrae, CA | 22,589 | 289 | 0.9x |