Cost of living in Clayton 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 Clayton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Missouri, 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 Clayton is 147, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Clayton is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Clayton ranks as the #140 cheapest in Missouri out of 142.
Clayton ranks as the #5,616 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Clayton is $836,013.
The median income in Clayton is $128,898.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Clayton has an overall cost of living index of 147, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Missouri, Clayton has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than Missouri's index of 88.
The standard of living in Clayton ranks as #140 most affordable out of the 142 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies Clayton ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Show Me State.
For more reading on life in Clayton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Clayton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Clayton is 94.
The Groceries index in Clayton is 98.
The Health index in Clayton is 88.
The Housing index in Clayton is 270.
The Transportation index in Clayton is 95.
The Utilities index in Clayton is 101.
| Living Expense | Clayton | Missouri | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 147 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 88 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 270 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 101 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Missouri, 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 Clayton is $836,013.
The Median Rent in Clayton is $1,648.
The Median Income in Clayton is $128,898.
The Home Value To Income in Clayton is 6.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Clayton is 0.15x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Clayton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Chesterfield, MO has a cost of living index of 121, 0.8x Clayton.
Wildwood, MO has a cost of living index of 124, 0.8x Clayton.
Ballwin, MO has a cost of living index of 109, 0.7x Clayton.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Clayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield, MO | 49,591 | 121 | 0.8x |
| Wildwood, MO | 35,168 | 124 | 0.8x |
| Ballwin, MO | 30,835 | 109 | 0.7x |
| Kirkwood, MO | 29,302 | 117 | 0.8x |
| Collinsville, IL | 24,126 | 89 | 0.6x |
| Fairview Heights, IL | 16,255 | 94 | 0.6x |
| Swansea, IL | 14,603 | 93 | 0.6x |
| Town and Country, MO | 11,605 | 161 | 1.1x |
| Columbia, IL | 11,063 | 99 | 0.7x |
| Richmond Heights, MO | 9,179 | 106 | 0.7x |