Cost of living in Gainesville 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 Gainesville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Georgia, 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 Gainesville is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Gainesville is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Gainesville ranks as the #111 cheapest in Georgia out of 158.
Gainesville ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Gainesville is $374,251.
The median income in Gainesville is $64,636.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Gainesville has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Georgia, Gainesville has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Georgia's index of 91.
The standard of living in Gainesville ranks as #111 most affordable out of the 158 places we measured in Georgia. By definition, that implies Gainesville ranks as the #47 most expensive place in the Peach State.
For more reading on life in Gainesville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Gainesville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Gainesville is 100.
The Groceries index in Gainesville is 102.
The Health index in Gainesville is 98.
The Housing index in Gainesville is 120.
The Transportation index in Gainesville is 95.
The Utilities index in Gainesville is 83.
| Living Expense | Gainesville | Georgia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 91 | 100 | |
| Services | 100 | 99 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
| Housing | 120 | 85 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 92 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 83 | 86 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Georgia, 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 Gainesville is $374,251.
The Median Rent in Gainesville is $1,234.
The Median Income in Gainesville is $64,636.
The Home Value To Income in Gainesville is 5.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Gainesville is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Gainesville | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $374,251 | $332,047 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,234 | $1,306 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $64,636 | $74,664 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.8x | 4.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Gainesville | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.35 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.26 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $23.87 | $18 |
| Haircut | $17.24 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $50.47 | $45.56 |
| Item | Gainesville | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.77 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.62 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.17 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.21 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.31 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.78 | $3.7 |
| Item | Gainesville | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $82.73 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $125.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $119.4 | $113.29 |
| Item | Gainesville | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.34 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $57.12 | $59.92 |
| Item | Gainesville | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $135.93 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $189.93 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Gainesville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sugar Hill, GA has a cost of living index of 108, 1.0x Gainesville.
Buford, GA has a cost of living index of 105, 1.0x Gainesville.
Jefferson, GA has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Gainesville.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Gainesville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Hill, GA | 25,285 | 108 | 1.0x |
| Buford, GA | 17,611 | 105 | 1.0x |
| Jefferson, GA | 14,249 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Braselton, GA | 14,139 | 116 | 1.1x |
| Flowery Branch, GA | 10,286 | 110 | 1.1x |
| Auburn, GA | 8,222 | 92 | 0.9x |
| Cumming, GA | 7,869 | 104 | 1.0x |
| Dahlonega, GA | 7,194 | 126 | 1.2x |
| Oakwood, GA | 5,499 | 92 | 0.9x |