Cost of living in Etowah 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 Etowah is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, 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 Etowah is 103, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Etowah is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Etowah ranks as the #92 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Etowah ranks as the #2,952 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Etowah is $411,679.
The median income in Etowah is $73,000.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Etowah has an overall cost of living index of 103, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Etowah has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than North Carolina's index of 96.
The standard of living in Etowah ranks as #92 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Etowah ranks as the #65 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Etowah, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Etowah. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Etowah is 102.
The Groceries index in Etowah is 98.
The Health index in Etowah is 112.
The Housing index in Etowah is 118.
The Transportation index in Etowah is 91.
The Utilities index in Etowah is 109.
| Living Expense | Etowah | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 103 | 96 | 100 | |
| Services | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 118 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 91 | 91 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 109 | 92 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, 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 Etowah is $411,679.
The Median Rent in Etowah is $1,442.
The Median Income in Etowah is $73,000.
The Home Value To Income in Etowah is 5.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Etowah is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Etowah | North Carolina | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $411,679 | $332,681 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,442 | $1,162 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $73,000 | $69,904 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 5.6x | 4.8x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Etowah | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.33 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $13.07 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $15.89 | $18.0 | 
| Haircut | $28.0 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $48.22 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Etowah | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.47 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.61 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $5.27 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $10.44 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $10.44 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.8 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Etowah | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $155.11 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $166.73 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $113.89 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Etowah | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.29 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $49.99 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Etowah | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $221.84 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $186.82 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Etowah. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Asheville, NC has a cost of living index of 115, 1.1x Etowah.
Hendersonville, NC has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Etowah.
Fletcher, NC has a cost of living index of 108, 1.0x Etowah.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Etowah | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | 94,369 | 115 | 1.1x | 
| Hendersonville, NC | 15,253 | 100 | 1.0x | 
| Fletcher, NC | 8,022 | 108 | 1.0x | 
| Brevard, NC | 7,795 | 101 | 1.0x | 
| Mills River, NC | 7,214 | 110 | 1.1x |