Cost of living in Bluefield 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 Bluefield is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, 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 Bluefield is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bluefield is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Bluefield ranks as the #12 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Bluefield ranks as the #1,206 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bluefield is $131,624.
The median income in Bluefield is $53,500.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bluefield has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Bluefield has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Bluefield ranks as #12 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Bluefield ranks as the #178 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Bluefield, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bluefield. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bluefield is 98.
The Groceries index in Bluefield is 99.
The Health index in Bluefield is 92.
The Housing index in Bluefield is 73.
The Transportation index in Bluefield is 87.
The Utilities index in Bluefield is 93.
| Living Expense | Bluefield | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 92 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 73 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 87 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, 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 Bluefield is $131,624.
The Median Rent in Bluefield is $818.
The Median Income in Bluefield is $53,500.
The Home Value To Income in Bluefield is 2.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bluefield is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bluefield. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Blacksburg, VA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.3x Bluefield.
Christiansburg, VA has a cost of living index of 100, 1.1x Bluefield.
Beckley, WV has a cost of living index of 89, 1.0x Bluefield.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bluefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg, VA | 45,288 | 114 | 1.3x |
| Christiansburg, VA | 22,820 | 100 | 1.1x |
| Beckley, WV | 16,977 | 89 | 1.0x |
| Radford, VA | 16,505 | 93 | 1.0x |
| Bluefield, WV | 9,511 | 84 | 0.9x |
| Pulaski, VA | 8,937 | 88 | 1.0x |
| Wytheville, VA | 8,224 | 93 | 1.0x |
| Princeton, WV | 5,780 | 84 | 0.9x |
| Marion, VA | 5,694 | 86 | 1.0x |
| Richlands, VA | 5,188 | 86 | 1.0x |