Cost of living in Mount Rainier 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 Mount Rainier 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 Mount Rainier is 134, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mount Rainier is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Mount Rainier ranks as the #130 cheapest in Maryland out of 194.
Mount Rainier ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mount Rainier is $456,272.
The median income in Mount Rainier is $68,281.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mount Rainier has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Maryland, Mount Rainier has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Maryland's index of 121.
The standard of living in Mount Rainier ranks as #130 most affordable out of the 194 places we measured in Maryland. By definition, that implies Mount Rainier ranks as the #64 most expensive place in the Old Line State.
For more reading on life in Mount Rainier, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mount Rainier. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mount Rainier is 115.
The Groceries index in Mount Rainier is 107.
The Health index in Mount Rainier is 111.
The Housing index in Mount Rainier is 189.
The Transportation index in Mount Rainier is 107.
The Utilities index in Mount Rainier is 110.
| Living Expense | Mount Rainier | Maryland | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 134 | 121 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 105 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 107 | 107 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 96 | 100 | |
| Housing | 189 | 150 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 99 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 110 | 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 Mount Rainier is $456,272.
The Median Rent in Mount Rainier is $1,434.
The Median Income in Mount Rainier is $68,281.
The Home Value To Income in Mount Rainier is 6.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mount Rainier is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Mount Rainier | Maryland | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $456,272 | $427,628 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,434 | $1,662 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $68,281 | $101,652 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.7x | 4.2x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Mount Rainier | 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 | Mount Rainier | 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 | Mount Rainier | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.83 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $156.21 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $135.09 | $113.29 |
| Item | Mount Rainier | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.37 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.27 | $59.92 |
| Item | Mount Rainier | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $227.7 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.71 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mount Rainier. 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, 1.1x Mount Rainier.
Chillum, MD has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x Mount Rainier.
North Laurel, MD has a cost of living index of 132, 1.0x Mount Rainier.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mount Rainier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olney, MD | 36,000 | 153 | 1.1x |
| Chillum, MD | 35,163 | 130 | 1.0x |
| North Laurel, MD | 25,201 | 132 | 1.0x |
| North Potomac, MD | 23,994 | 172 | 1.3x |
| Hyattsville, MD | 20,861 | 131 | 1.0x |
| Kemp Mill, MD | 14,437 | 145 | 1.1x |
| Colesville, MD | 14,075 | 140 | 1.0x |
| Travilah, MD | 11,128 | 224 | 1.7x |
| Bladensburg, MD | 9,552 | 124 | 0.9x |
| South Kensington, MD | 8,057 | 191 | 1.4x |