Cost of living in Valley City 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 Valley City 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 Dakota, 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 Valley City is 89, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Valley City is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Valley City ranks as the #3 cheapest in North Dakota out of 13.
Valley City ranks as the #1,060 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Valley City is $195,224.
The median income in Valley City is $56,471.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Valley City has an overall cost of living index of 89, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Dakota, Valley City has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than North Dakota's index of 94.
The standard of living in Valley City ranks as #3 most affordable out of the 13 places we measured in North Dakota. By definition, that implies Valley City ranks as the #10 most expensive place in the Peace Garden State.
For more reading on life in Valley City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Valley City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Valley City is 92.
The Groceries index in Valley City is 92.
The Health index in Valley City is 105.
The Housing index in Valley City is 75.
The Transportation index in Valley City is 96.
The Utilities index in Valley City is 111.
| Living Expense | Valley City | North Dakota | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 89 | 94 | 100 | |
| Services | 92 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 92 | 93 | 100 | |
| Health | 105 | 111 | 100 | |
| Housing | 75 | 87 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 111 | 100 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Dakota, 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 Valley City is $195,224.
The Median Rent in Valley City is $782.
The Median Income in Valley City is $56,471.
The Home Value To Income in Valley City is 3.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Valley City is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Valley City | North Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $195,224 | $281,608 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $782 | $934 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $56,471 | $75,949 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.5x | 3.7x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.15x | 0.21x |
| Item | Valley City | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.04 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $8.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $22.5 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $38.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Valley City | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.52 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.38 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.48 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.11 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.88 | $3.7 |
| Item | Valley City | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $140.67 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $169.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $96.0 | $113.29 |
| Item | Valley City | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.27 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $57.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Valley City | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $222.79 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $191.52 | $192.25 |