Cost of living in Sawmills 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 Sawmills 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 Sawmills is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sawmills is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Sawmills ranks as the #32 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Sawmills ranks as the #1,206 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Sawmills is $216,379.
The median income in Sawmills is $56,534.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sawmills has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Sawmills has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Sawmills ranks as #32 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Sawmills ranks as the #125 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Sawmills, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sawmills. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Sawmills is 101.
The Groceries index in Sawmills is 101.
The Health index in Sawmills is 110.
The Housing index in Sawmills is 65.
The Transportation index in Sawmills is 96.
The Utilities index in Sawmills is 87.
| Living Expense | Sawmills | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 110 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 65 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 87 | 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 Sawmills is $216,379.
The Median Rent in Sawmills is $719.
The Median Income in Sawmills is $56,534.
The Home Value To Income in Sawmills is 3.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sawmills is 0.15x.
| Statistic | Sawmills | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $216,379 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $719 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $56,534 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.8x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Sawmills | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.27 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.55 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $18.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $59.75 | $45.56 |
| Item | Sawmills | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.27 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.39 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.61 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.96 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.47 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.81 | $3.7 |
| Item | Sawmills | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $143.74 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $148.29 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $115.52 | $113.29 |
| Item | Sawmills | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.29 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $53.32 | $59.92 |
| Item | Sawmills | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $167.89 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $189.9 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Sawmills. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Hickory, NC has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Sawmills.
Lenoir, NC has a cost of living index of 85, 0.9x Sawmills.
Morganton, NC has a cost of living index of 95, 1.1x Sawmills.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sawmills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory, NC | 43,747 | 99 | 1.1x |
| Lenoir, NC | 18,282 | 85 | 0.9x |
| Morganton, NC | 17,541 | 95 | 1.1x |
| Newton, NC | 13,223 | 90 | 1.0x |
| St. Stephens, NC | 9,409 | 90 | 1.0x |
| Conover, NC | 8,491 | 92 | 1.0x |