Cost of living in Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge is 135, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Oak Ridge is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Oak Ridge ranks as the #154 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Oak Ridge ranks as the #5,216 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Oak Ridge is $577,411.
The median income in Oak Ridge is $140,583.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Oak Ridge has an overall cost of living index of 135, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Oak Ridge has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Oak Ridge ranks as #154 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Oak Ridge ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Oak Ridge, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Oak Ridge. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Oak Ridge is 104.
The Groceries index in Oak Ridge is 98.
The Health index in Oak Ridge is 112.
The Housing index in Oak Ridge is 215.
The Transportation index in Oak Ridge is 92.
The Utilities index in Oak Ridge is 91.
| Living Expense | Oak Ridge | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 135 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 215 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 92 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 91 | 95 | 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 Oak Ridge is $577,411.
The Median Rent in Oak Ridge is -.
The Median Income in Oak Ridge is $140,583.
The Home Value To Income in Oak Ridge is 4.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Oak Ridge is nanx.
| Statistic | Oak Ridge | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $577,411 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | - | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $140,583 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.1x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | nanx | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Oak Ridge | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.25 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.58 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $22.17 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $52.72 | $45.56 |
| Item | Oak Ridge | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.81 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.58 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.01 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.34 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.17 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Oak Ridge | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $147.25 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.28 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $126.56 | $113.29 |
| Item | Oak Ridge | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.31 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $48.78 | $59.92 |
| Item | Oak Ridge | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $163.41 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.82 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Oak Ridge. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Greensboro, NC has a cost of living index of 91, 0.7x Oak Ridge.
Winston-Salem, NC has a cost of living index of 93, 0.7x Oak Ridge.
High Point, NC has a cost of living index of 91, 0.7x Oak Ridge.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Oak Ridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro, NC | 298,564 | 91 | 0.7x |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 250,887 | 93 | 0.7x |
| High Point, NC | 115,263 | 91 | 0.7x |
| Kernersville, NC | 27,439 | 102 | 0.8x |
| Jamestown, ND | 15,774 | 90 | 0.7x |
| Archdale, NC | 11,992 | 89 | 0.7x |
| Summerfield, NC | 11,031 | 121 | 0.9x |
| Stokesdale, NC | 5,943 | 104 | 0.8x |