Cost of living in Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Texas, 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 Santa Fe is 100, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Santa Fe is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Santa Fe ranks as the #240 cheapest in Texas out of 414.
Santa Fe ranks as the #2,621 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Santa Fe is $330,167.
The median income in Santa Fe is $95,815.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Fe has an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Texas, Santa Fe has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Texas's index of 92.
The standard of living in Santa Fe ranks as #240 most affordable out of the 414 places we measured in Texas. By definition, that implies Santa Fe ranks as the #174 most expensive place in the Lone Star State.
For more reading on life in Santa Fe, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Fe. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Santa Fe is 101.
The Groceries index in Santa Fe is 99.
The Health index in Santa Fe is 92.
The Housing index in Santa Fe is 100.
The Transportation index in Santa Fe is 91.
The Utilities index in Santa Fe is 104.
| Living Expense | Santa Fe | Texas | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 92 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 100 | 82 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 91 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 104 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Texas, 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 Santa Fe is $330,167.
The Median Rent in Santa Fe is $974.
The Median Income in Santa Fe is $95,815.
The Home Value To Income in Santa Fe is 3.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Fe is 0.12x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Santa Fe. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Pearland, TX has a cost of living index of 113, 1.1x Santa Fe.
Galveston, TX has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Santa Fe.
Friendswood, TX has a cost of living index of 118, 1.2x Santa Fe.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearland, TX | 125,983 | 113 | 1.1x |
| Galveston, TX | 53,348 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Friendswood, TX | 40,827 | 118 | 1.2x |
| La Porte, TX | 36,077 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Alvin, TX | 27,700 | 99 | 1.0x |
| Dickinson, TX | 21,612 | 98 | 1.0x |
| La Marque, TX | 18,833 | 89 | 0.9x |
| Seabrook, TX | 13,617 | 112 | 1.1x |
| Webster, TX | 12,283 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Bacliff, TX | 9,935 | 93 | 0.9x |