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 Indiana, 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 101, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bloomington is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Bloomington ranks as the #106 cheapest in Indiana out of 128.
Bloomington ranks as the #2,735 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bloomington is $311,921.
The median income in Bloomington is $48,918.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bloomington has an overall cost of living index of 101, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Indiana, Bloomington has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Indiana's index of 92.
The standard of living in Bloomington ranks as #106 most affordable out of the 128 places we measured in Indiana. By definition, that implies Bloomington ranks as the #22 most expensive place in the Hoosier State.
For more reading on life in Bloomington, check out:
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 98.
The Groceries index in Bloomington is 101.
The Health index in Bloomington is 96.
The Housing index in Bloomington is 112.
The Transportation index in Bloomington is 98.
The Utilities index in Bloomington is 103.
| Living Expense | Bloomington | Indiana | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 101 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 96 | 94 | 100 | |
| Housing | 112 | 73 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 98 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 103 | 107 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Indiana, 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 $311,921.
The Median Rent in Bloomington is $1,160.
The Median Income in Bloomington is $48,918.
The Home Value To Income in Bloomington is 6.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bloomington is 0.28x.
| Statistic | Bloomington | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $311,921 | $251,301 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,160 | $1,020 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $48,918 | $70,051 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.4x | 3.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.17x | 0.21x |
| Item | Bloomington | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.36 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.48 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.61 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.42 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $47.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Bloomington | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.88 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.74 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.78 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.01 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.45 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.53 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.55 | $3.7 |
| Item | Bloomington | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $173.41 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $108.22 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $104.94 | $113.29 |
| Item | Bloomington | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.56 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $47.16 | $59.92 |
| Item | Bloomington | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $206.98 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.02 | $192.25 |
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:
Greenwood, IN has a cost of living index of 99, 1.0x Bloomington.
Columbus, IN has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Bloomington.
Elizabethtown, KY has a cost of living index of 95, 0.9x Bloomington.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bloomington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood, IN | 64,237 | 99 | 1.0x |
| Columbus, IN | 51,104 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 31,870 | 95 | 0.9x |
| Brownsburg, IN | 30,310 | 101 | 1.0x |
| Washington, IN | 12,192 | 84 | 0.8x |
| Martinsville, IN | 11,913 | 88 | 0.9x |
| Danville, IN | 11,049 | 98 | 1.0x |
| Bargersville, IN | 10,163 | 106 | 1.0x |
| Mooresville, IN | 9,608 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Ellettsville, IN | 6,653 | 94 | 0.9x |