Bloomington, IL Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Bloomington, IL Summary

Cost of living in Bloomington 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 Bloomington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, 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 Bloomington is 98, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Bloomington is 1.0x lower than the national average.

  • Bloomington ranks as the #130 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.

  • Bloomington ranks as the #2,372 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Bloomington is $259,478.

  • The median income in Bloomington is $75,449.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
98
Bloomington's Overall Cost Of Living
1.0x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Bloomington, IL?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bloomington has an overall cost of living index of 98, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Illinois, Bloomington has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Illinois's index of 97.

The standard of living in Bloomington ranks as #130 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Bloomington ranks as the #206 most expensive place in the Prairie State.

For more reading on life in Bloomington, check out:

130 out of 336
In Illinois
2,372 out of 6,489
In America

Bloomington Cost Of Living Vs. Illinois

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bloomington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Bloomington is 111.

  • The Groceries index in Bloomington is 100.

  • The Health index in Bloomington is 111.

  • The Housing index in Bloomington is 90.

  • The Transportation index in Bloomington is 102.

  • The Utilities index in Bloomington is 85.

Living Expense Bloomington Illinois National Average
Overall 98 97 100
Services 111 95 100
Groceries 100 99 100
Health 111 93 100
Housing 90 95 100
Transportation 102 102 100
Utilities 85 91 100
For more reading on cost of living around Illinois, check out:
Bloomington Cost of Living Vs. IL

Bloomington, IL Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, 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 Bloomington is $259,478.

  • The Median Rent in Bloomington is $1,004.

  • The Median Income in Bloomington is $75,449.

  • The Home Value To Income in Bloomington is 3.4x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Bloomington is 0.16x.

Statistic Bloomington Illinois United States
Median Home Value $259,478 $283,508 $303,400
Median Rent $1,004 $1,227 $1,348
Median Income $75,449 $81,702 $78,538
Home Value To Income 3.4x 3.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.16x 0.18x 0.21x
$259,478
Median Home Value
$1,004
Median Rent
$75,449
Median Income

Bloomington, IL Costs By Category

Detailed Bloomington Services Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Bloomington Illinois
Shampoo $1.22 $1.28
Movie $10.08 $12.13
Bowling $17.74 $18
Haircut $30.34 $24.26
Beauty Salon $42.25 $45.56

Detailed Bloomington Groceries Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Bloomington Illinois
Ground Beef $6.21 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.57 $1.57
Milk $4.84 $4.67
Potatoes $4.83 $4.93
Pizza $13.11 $12.09
Beer $9.47 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.93 $3.7

Detailed Bloomington Health Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Bloomington Illinois
Optometrist $242.88 $125.68
Doctor $139.32 $135.78
Dentist $123.04 $113.29

Detailed Bloomington Transportation Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Bloomington Illinois
Gasoline $3.55 $3.46
Tire Balancing $56.15 $59.92

Detailed Bloomington Utilities Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Bloomington Illinois
All Electricity $145.92 $193.99
Phone $198.19 $192.25

Bloomington SnackAbility

7.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8.5/10
Housing
7
Affordability
8.5
Diversity
8.5
Safety
8
Amenities
9
Education
8.5
Commute
9.5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Bloomington

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bloomington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Champaign, IL has a cost of living index of 95, 1.0x Bloomington.

  • Normal, IL has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Bloomington.

  • Urbana, IL has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Bloomington.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Bloomington
Champaign, IL 88,822 95 1.0x
Normal, IL 52,908 101 1.0x
Urbana, IL 38,447 91 0.9x
Morton, IL 16,503 96 1.0x
Washington, IL 15,946 95 1.0x
Mahomet, IL 9,755 104 1.1x
Savoy, IL 8,807 105 1.1x
Monticello, IL 6,332 99 1.0x
Mount Zion, IL 6,076 84 0.9x
Eureka, IL 5,095 89 0.9x

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