Cost of living in Brookhaven 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 Brookhaven is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Pennsylvania, 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 Brookhaven is 110, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Brookhaven is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Brookhaven ranks as the #197 cheapest in Pennsylvania out of 255.
Brookhaven ranks as the #3,657 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Brookhaven is $265,167.
The median income in Brookhaven is $96,393.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Brookhaven has an overall cost of living index of 110, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Pennsylvania, Brookhaven has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Pennsylvania's index of 100.
The standard of living in Brookhaven ranks as #197 most affordable out of the 255 places we measured in Pennsylvania. By definition, that implies Brookhaven ranks as the #58 most expensive place in the Keystone State.
For more reading on life in Brookhaven, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Brookhaven. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Brookhaven is 106.
The Groceries index in Brookhaven is 107.
The Health index in Brookhaven is 105.
The Housing index in Brookhaven is 121.
The Transportation index in Brookhaven is 107.
The Utilities index in Brookhaven is 93.
| Living Expense | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 110 | 100 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 107 | 101 | 100 | |
| Health | 105 | 95 | 100 | |
| Housing | 121 | 93 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 108 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 108 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Pennsylvania, 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 Brookhaven is $265,167.
The Median Rent in Brookhaven is $1,557.
The Median Income in Brookhaven is $96,393.
The Home Value To Income in Brookhaven is 2.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Brookhaven is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $265,167 | $281,782 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,557 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $96,393 | $76,081 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 2.8x | 3.7x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.41 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.71 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.5 | $18 |
| Haircut | $30.14 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $47.42 | $45.56 |
| Item | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.73 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.52 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.81 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.4 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.33 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.96 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $113.67 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $149.53 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $132.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.5 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $74.86 | $59.92 |
| Item | Brookhaven | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $173.73 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.79 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Brookhaven. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Chester, PA has a cost of living index of 89, 0.8x Brookhaven.
Phoenixville, PA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.0x Brookhaven.
Ardmore, PA has a cost of living index of 124, 1.1x Brookhaven.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Brookhaven |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester, PA | 33,209 | 89 | 0.8x |
| Phoenixville, PA | 19,062 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Ardmore, PA | 14,165 | 124 | 1.1x |
| Woodlyn, PA | 10,276 | 103 | 0.9x |
| Conshohocken, PA | 9,235 | 128 | 1.2x |
| Audubon, PA | 9,014 | 129 | 1.2x |
| Village Green-Green Ridge, PA | 8,725 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Haddon Heights, NJ | 7,488 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Swarthmore, PA | 6,524 | 134 | 1.2x |
| Penn Wynne, PA | 6,220 | 131 | 1.2x |