Cost of living in Triangle 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 Triangle 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 Triangle is 141, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Triangle is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Triangle ranks as the #114 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Triangle ranks as the #5,438 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Triangle is $565,926.
The median income in Triangle is $114,837.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Triangle has an overall cost of living index of 141, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Triangle has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Triangle ranks as #114 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Triangle ranks as the #76 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Triangle, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Triangle. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Triangle is 110.
The Groceries index in Triangle is 114.
The Health index in Triangle is 108.
The Housing index in Triangle is 210.
The Transportation index in Triangle is 112.
The Utilities index in Triangle is 99.
| Living Expense | Triangle | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 141 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 110 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 108 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 210 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 112 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 99 | 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 Triangle is $565,926.
The Median Rent in Triangle is $1,606.
The Median Income in Triangle is $114,837.
The Home Value To Income in Triangle is 4.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Triangle is 0.17x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Triangle. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Burke, VA has a cost of living index of 160, 1.1x Triangle.
Cherry Hill, VA has a cost of living index of 130, 0.9x Triangle.
West Springfield, VA has a cost of living index of 153, 1.1x Triangle.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Triangle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burke, VA | 43,336 | 160 | 1.1x |
| Cherry Hill, VA | 23,443 | 130 | 0.9x |
| West Springfield, VA | 22,905 | 153 | 1.1x |
| Montclair, VA | 22,295 | 145 | 1.0x |
| Burke Centre, VA | 17,447 | 144 | 1.0x |
| Kingstowne, VA | 17,436 | 151 | 1.1x |
| Fort Hunt, VA | 16,519 | 188 | 1.3x |
| Kings Park West, VA | 13,281 | 163 | 1.2x |
| Newington Forest, VA | 12,434 | 149 | 1.1x |
| Long Branch, VA | 7,066 | 152 | 1.1x |