Cost of living in St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph is 96, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. Joseph is 1.0x lower than the national average.
St. Joseph ranks as the #109 cheapest in Michigan out of 180.
St. Joseph ranks as the #2,104 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in St. Joseph is $328,351.
The median income in St. Joseph is $77,765.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. Joseph has an overall cost of living index of 96, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, St. Joseph has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Michigan's index of 90.
The standard of living in St. Joseph ranks as #109 most affordable out of the 180 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies St. Joseph ranks as the #71 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in St. Joseph, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in St. Joseph. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in St. Joseph is 88.
The Groceries index in St. Joseph is 98.
The Health index in St. Joseph is 86.
The Housing index in St. Joseph is 101.
The Transportation index in St. Joseph is 96.
The Utilities index in St. Joseph is 108.
| Living Expense | St. Joseph | Michigan | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 96 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 88 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 86 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 101 | 72 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 108 | 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 St. Joseph is $328,351.
The Median Rent in St. Joseph is $1,079.
The Median Income in St. Joseph is $77,765.
The Home Value To Income in St. Joseph is 4.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. Joseph is 0.17x.
| Statistic | St. Joseph | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $328,351 | $258,642 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,079 | $1,084 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $77,765 | $71,149 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.2x | 3.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | St. Joseph | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.14 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $8.35 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.07 | $18 |
| Haircut | $19.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $26.42 | $45.56 |
| Item | St. Joseph | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.62 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.38 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.65 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.58 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.14 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.06 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.59 | $3.7 |
| Item | St. Joseph | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $74.5 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $121.31 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $112.0 | $113.29 |
| Item | St. Joseph | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.34 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $54.56 | $59.92 |
| Item | St. Joseph | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $205.85 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $184.44 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around St. Joseph. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Kalamazoo, MI has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x St. Joseph.
Portage, MI has a cost of living index of 94, 1.0x St. Joseph.
Goshen, IN has a cost of living index of 88, 0.9x St. Joseph.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo, MI | 73,132 | 87 | 0.9x |
| Portage, MI | 49,015 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Goshen, IN | 34,374 | 88 | 0.9x |
| Granger, IN | 30,279 | 102 | 1.1x |
| Chesterton, IN | 14,326 | 107 | 1.1x |
| Benton Harbor, MI | 9,023 | 78 | 0.8x |
| Westwood, MI | 8,968 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Fair Plain, MI | 6,992 | 84 | 0.9x |
| Dunlap, IN | 6,602 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Westville, IN | 5,291 | 86 | 0.9x |