Cost of living in Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, 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 Steamboat Springs is 146, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Steamboat Springs is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Steamboat Springs ranks as the #91 cheapest in Colorado out of 113.
Steamboat Springs ranks as the #5,591 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Steamboat Springs is $1,299,288.
The median income in Steamboat Springs is $100,156.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Steamboat Springs has an overall cost of living index of 146, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Colorado, Steamboat Springs has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Colorado's index of 111.
The standard of living in Steamboat Springs ranks as #91 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Steamboat Springs ranks as the #22 most expensive place in the Centennial State.
For more reading on life in Steamboat Springs, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Steamboat Springs. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Steamboat Springs is 96.
The Groceries index in Steamboat Springs is 103.
The Health index in Steamboat Springs is 102.
The Housing index in Steamboat Springs is 269.
The Transportation index in Steamboat Springs is 93.
The Utilities index in Steamboat Springs is 89.
| Living Expense | Steamboat Springs | Colorado | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 146 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 96 | 102 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 102 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 269 | 134 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 89 | 89 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, 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 Steamboat Springs is $1,299,288.
The Median Rent in Steamboat Springs is $1,909.
The Median Income in Steamboat Springs is $100,156.
The Home Value To Income in Steamboat Springs is 13.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Steamboat Springs is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Steamboat Springs | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,299,288 | $540,183 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,909 | $1,693 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $100,156 | $92,470 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 13.0x | 5.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.22x | 0.21x |
| Item | Steamboat Springs | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.17 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.19 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $13.22 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.78 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $39.16 | $45.56 |
| Item | Steamboat Springs | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.39 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.32 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.74 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.2 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.79 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.97 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.92 | $3.7 |
| Item | Steamboat Springs | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $165.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $123.46 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $113.42 | $113.29 |
| Item | Steamboat Springs | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.36 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $54.73 | $59.92 |
| Item | Steamboat Springs | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $158.34 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.74 | $192.25 |