Wood River, IL Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Wood River, IL Summary

Cost of living in Wood River 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 Wood River 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 Wood River is 83, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Wood River is 0.8x lower than the national average.

  • Wood River ranks as the #29 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.

  • Wood River ranks as the #306 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Wood River is $126,648.

  • The median income in Wood River is $65,960.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
83
Wood River's Overall Cost Of Living
0.8x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Wood River, IL?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Wood River has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Illinois, Wood River has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Illinois's index of 97.

The standard of living in Wood River ranks as #29 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Wood River ranks as the #307 most expensive place in the Prairie State.

For more reading on life in Wood River, check out:

29 out of 336
In Illinois
306 out of 6,489
In America

Wood River Cost Of Living Vs. Illinois

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

  • The Services index in Wood River is 93.

  • The Groceries index in Wood River is 98.

  • The Health index in Wood River is 89.

  • The Housing index in Wood River is 57.

  • The Transportation index in Wood River is 93.

  • The Utilities index in Wood River is 103.

Living Expense Wood River Illinois National Average
Overall 83 97 100
Services 93 95 100
Groceries 98 99 100
Health 89 93 100
Housing 57 95 100
Transportation 93 102 100
Utilities 103 91 100
For more reading on cost of living around Illinois, check out:
Wood River Cost of Living Vs. IL

Wood River, 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 Wood River is $126,648.

  • The Median Rent in Wood River is $915.

  • The Median Income in Wood River is $65,960.

  • The Home Value To Income in Wood River is 1.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Wood River is 0.17x.

Statistic Wood River Illinois United States
Median Home Value $126,648 $283,508 $303,400
Median Rent $915 $1,227 $1,348
Median Income $65,960 $81,702 $78,538
Home Value To Income 1.9x 3.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.17x 0.18x 0.21x
$126,648
Median Home Value
$915
Median Rent
$65,960
Median Income

Wood River, IL Costs By Category

Detailed Wood River Services Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Wood River Illinois
Shampoo $1.11 $1.28
Movie $11.28 $12.13
Bowling $16.92 $18
Haircut $21.19 $24.26
Beauty Salon $40.57 $45.56

Detailed Wood River Groceries Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Wood River Illinois
Ground Beef $6.4 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.36 $1.57
Milk $4.5 $4.67
Potatoes $5.28 $4.93
Pizza $10.84 $12.09
Beer $9.47 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.75 $3.7

Detailed Wood River Health Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Wood River Illinois
Optometrist $125.72 $125.68
Doctor $124.51 $135.78
Dentist $100.78 $113.29

Detailed Wood River Transportation Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Wood River Illinois
Gasoline $3.2 $3.46
Tire Balancing $50.0 $59.92

Detailed Wood River Utilities Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Wood River Illinois
All Electricity $133.84 $193.99
Phone $188.69 $192.25

Wood River SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
5
Affordability
8.5
Diversity
5
Safety
N/A
Amenities
8
Education
6
Commute
7

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Wood River

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

  • Edwardsville, IL has a cost of living index of 100, 1.2x Wood River.

  • Alton, IL has a cost of living index of 83, 1.0x Wood River.

  • Collinsville, IL has a cost of living index of 89, 1.1x Wood River.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Wood River
Edwardsville, IL 26,543 100 1.2x
Alton, IL 25,430 83 1.0x
Collinsville, IL 24,126 89 1.1x
Old Jamestown, MO 21,121 101 1.2x
Godfrey, IL 17,743 94 1.1x
Fairview Heights, IL 16,255 94 1.1x
Glen Carbon, IL 13,521 102 1.2x
Troy, IL 10,889 94 1.1x
Bethalto, IL 9,244 89 1.1x
Maryville, IL 8,280 99 1.2x

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