Cost of living in College Park 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 College Park is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Maryland, 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 College Park is 131, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in College Park is 1.3x higher than the national average.
College Park ranks as the #117 cheapest in Maryland out of 194.
College Park ranks as the #5,035 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in College Park is $440,329.
The median income in College Park is $74,867.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, College Park has an overall cost of living index of 131, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Maryland, College Park has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Maryland's index of 121.
The standard of living in College Park ranks as #117 most affordable out of the 194 places we measured in Maryland. By definition, that implies College Park ranks as the #77 most expensive place in the Old Line State.
For more reading on life in College Park, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in College Park. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in College Park is 118.
The Groceries index in College Park is 106.
The Health index in College Park is 111.
The Housing index in College Park is 182.
The Transportation index in College Park is 107.
The Utilities index in College Park is 112.
| Living Expense | College Park | Maryland | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 131 | 121 | 100 | |
| Services | 118 | 105 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 107 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 96 | 100 | |
| Housing | 182 | 150 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 99 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 112 | 113 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Maryland, 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 College Park is $440,329.
The Median Rent in College Park is $1,846.
The Median Income in College Park is $74,867.
The Home Value To Income in College Park is 5.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in College Park is 0.3x.
| Statistic | College Park | Maryland | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $440,329 | $427,628 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,846 | $1,662 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $74,867 | $101,652 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.9x | 4.2x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.3x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | College Park | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.63 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.72 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.56 | $18 |
| Haircut | $41.31 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $73.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | College Park | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.72 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.31 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.83 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.15 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.83 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.41 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.7 | $3.7 |
| Item | College Park | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.83 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $156.21 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $135.09 | $113.29 |
| Item | College Park | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.37 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.27 | $59.92 |
| Item | College Park | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $227.7 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.71 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around College Park. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Olney, MD has a cost of living index of 153, 1.2x College Park.
Chillum, MD has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x College Park.
Ilchester, MD has a cost of living index of 136, 1.0x College Park.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. College Park |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olney, MD | 36,000 | 153 | 1.2x |
| Chillum, MD | 35,163 | 130 | 1.0x |
| Ilchester, MD | 27,552 | 136 | 1.0x |
| North Laurel, MD | 25,201 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Greenbelt, MD | 24,572 | 120 | 0.9x |
| North Potomac, MD | 23,994 | 172 | 1.3x |
| Langley Park, MD | 22,057 | 121 | 0.9x |
| Hyattsville, MD | 20,861 | 131 | 1.0x |
| East Riverdale, MD | 19,043 | 123 | 0.9x |
| Adelphi, MD | 17,210 | 127 | 1.0x |