Cost of living in Garden 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 Garden 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 South 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 Garden City is 97, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Garden City is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Garden City ranks as the #55 cheapest in South Carolina out of 99.
Garden City ranks as the #2,245 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Garden City is $247,889.
The median income in Garden City is $50,027.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Garden City has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Carolina, Garden City has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than South Carolina's index of 93.
The standard of living in Garden City ranks as #55 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in South Carolina. By definition, that implies Garden City ranks as the #44 most expensive place in the Palmetto State.
For more reading on life in Garden City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Garden City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Garden City is 98.
The Groceries index in Garden City is 103.
The Health index in Garden City is 90.
The Housing index in Garden City is 93.
The Transportation index in Garden City is 88.
The Utilities index in Garden City is 122.
| Living Expense | Garden City | South Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 97 | 93 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 102 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 90 | 92 | 100 | |
| Housing | 93 | 81 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 88 | 92 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 122 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South 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 Garden City is $247,889.
The Median Rent in Garden City is $1,382.
The Median Income in Garden City is $50,027.
The Home Value To Income in Garden City is 5.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Garden City is 0.33x.
| Statistic | Garden City | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $247,889 | $302,294 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,382 | $1,126 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $50,027 | $66,818 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.0x | 4.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.33x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Garden City | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.38 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.3 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.43 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.38 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $56.15 | $45.56 |
| Item | Garden City | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.22 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.67 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.59 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.51 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.83 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.61 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.77 | $3.7 |
| Item | Garden City | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $78.1 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $137.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $97.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Garden City | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.18 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $46.64 | $59.92 |
| Item | Garden City | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $258.5 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $194.25 | $192.25 |