Cost of living in Houghton Lake 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 Houghton Lake is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, 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 Houghton Lake is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Houghton Lake is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Houghton Lake ranks as the #23 cheapest in Michigan out of 180.
Houghton Lake ranks as the #306 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Houghton Lake is $198,297.
The median income in Houghton Lake is $50,861.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Houghton Lake has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Houghton Lake has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 90.
The standard of living in Houghton Lake ranks as #23 most affordable out of the 180 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Houghton Lake ranks as the #157 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Houghton Lake, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Houghton Lake. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Houghton Lake is 90.
The Groceries index in Houghton Lake is 93.
The Health index in Houghton Lake is 94.
The Housing index in Houghton Lake is 60.
The Transportation index in Houghton Lake is 96.
The Utilities index in Houghton Lake is 103.
| Living Expense | Houghton Lake | Michigan | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 83 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 90 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 93 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 60 | 72 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 103 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, 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 Houghton Lake is $198,297.
The Median Rent in Houghton Lake is $791.
The Median Income in Houghton Lake is $50,861.
The Home Value To Income in Houghton Lake is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Houghton Lake is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Houghton Lake | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $198,297 | $258,642 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $791 | $1,084 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $50,861 | $71,149 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.9x | 3.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Houghton Lake | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.4 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.22 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.17 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.53 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $56.27 | $45.56 |
| Item | Houghton Lake | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.51 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.69 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.84 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.99 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.38 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Houghton Lake | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $91.4 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $139.14 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $120.35 | $113.29 |
| Item | Houghton Lake | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.42 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.57 | $59.92 |
| Item | Houghton Lake | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $180.47 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $184.98 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Houghton Lake. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mount Pleasant, MI has a cost of living index of 88, 1.1x Houghton Lake.
Cadillac, MI has a cost of living index of 84, 1.0x Houghton Lake.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Houghton Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant, MI | 21,420 | 88 | 1.1x |
| Cadillac, MI | 10,404 | 84 | 1.0x |