Cost of living in Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa is 94, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ottawa is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Ottawa ranks as the #107 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Ottawa ranks as the #1,806 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Ottawa is $207,661.
The median income in Ottawa is $73,011.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ottawa has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Ottawa has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Ottawa ranks as #107 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Ottawa ranks as the #229 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Ottawa, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ottawa. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ottawa is 104.
The Groceries index in Ottawa is 95.
The Health index in Ottawa is 99.
The Housing index in Ottawa is 71.
The Transportation index in Ottawa is 115.
The Utilities index in Ottawa is 81.
| Living Expense | Ottawa | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 94 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 95 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 99 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 71 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 115 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 81 | 91 | 100 | |
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 Ottawa is $207,661.
The Median Rent in Ottawa is $922.
The Median Income in Ottawa is $73,011.
The Home Value To Income in Ottawa is 2.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ottawa is 0.15x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Ottawa. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Streator, IL has a cost of living index of 86, 0.9x Ottawa.
Peru, IL has a cost of living index of 89, 0.9x Ottawa.
LaSalle, IL has a cost of living index of 91, 1.0x Ottawa.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Ottawa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streator, IL | 12,274 | 86 | 0.9x |
| Peru, IL | 9,863 | 89 | 0.9x |
| LaSalle, IL | 9,471 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Mendota, IL | 6,915 | 82 | 0.9x |
| Spring Valley, IL | 5,508 | 82 | 0.9x |