Cost of living in Ephrata 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 Ephrata 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 Ephrata is 100, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ephrata is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Ephrata ranks as the #142 cheapest in Pennsylvania out of 255.
Ephrata ranks as the #2,621 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Ephrata is $252,022.
The median income in Ephrata is $68,117.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ephrata has an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Pennsylvania, Ephrata has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Pennsylvania's index of 100.
The standard of living in Ephrata ranks as #142 most affordable out of the 255 places we measured in Pennsylvania. By definition, that implies Ephrata ranks as the #113 most expensive place in the Keystone State.
For more reading on life in Ephrata, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ephrata. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ephrata is 108.
The Groceries index in Ephrata is 100.
The Health index in Ephrata is 111.
The Housing index in Ephrata is 87.
The Transportation index in Ephrata is 110.
The Utilities index in Ephrata is 93.
| Living Expense | Ephrata | Pennsylvania | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 100 | 101 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 95 | 100 | |
| Housing | 87 | 93 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 110 | 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 Ephrata is $252,022.
The Median Rent in Ephrata is $1,070.
The Median Income in Ephrata is $68,117.
The Home Value To Income in Ephrata is 3.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ephrata is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Ephrata | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $252,022 | $281,782 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,070 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $68,117 | $76,081 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.7x | 3.7x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Ephrata | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.43 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.52 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $15.56 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.17 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $40.39 | $45.56 |
| Item | Ephrata | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.65 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.45 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.49 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.37 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.67 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.13 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.77 | $3.7 |
| Item | Ephrata | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.25 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $177.4 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $118.44 | $113.29 |
| Item | Ephrata | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.66 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $68.88 | $59.92 |
| Item | Ephrata | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $169.62 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $195.81 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Ephrata. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Wyomissing, PA has a cost of living index of 117, 1.2x Ephrata.
Columbia, PA has a cost of living index of 93, 0.9x Ephrata.
Willow Street, PA has a cost of living index of 120, 1.2x Ephrata.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Ephrata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyomissing, PA | 11,100 | 117 | 1.2x |
| Columbia, PA | 10,217 | 93 | 0.9x |
| Willow Street, PA | 10,010 | 120 | 1.2x |
| Lititz, PA | 9,599 | 104 | 1.0x |
| Millersville, PA | 8,711 | 103 | 1.0x |
| Mount Joy, PA | 8,310 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Leola, PA | 8,107 | 109 | 1.1x |
| New Holland, PA | 5,743 | 104 | 1.0x |
| Shillington, PA | 5,462 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Whitfield, PA | 5,346 | 110 | 1.1x |