Cost of living in Bennington 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 Bennington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Vermont, 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 Bennington is 99, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bennington is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Bennington ranks as the #1 cheapest in Vermont out of 12.
Bennington ranks as the #2,497 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bennington is $248,089.
The median income in Bennington is $53,839.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bennington has an overall cost of living index of 99, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Vermont, Bennington has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Vermont's index of 111.
The standard of living in Bennington ranks as #1 most affordable out of the 12 places we measured in Vermont. By definition, that implies Bennington ranks as the #11 most expensive place in the Green Mountain State.
For more reading on life in Bennington, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bennington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bennington is 108.
The Groceries index in Bennington is 104.
The Health index in Bennington is 92.
The Housing index in Bennington is 90.
The Transportation index in Bennington is 98.
The Utilities index in Bennington is 101.
| Living Expense | Bennington | Vermont | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 99 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 106 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 104 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 92 | 107 | 100 | |
| Housing | 90 | 113 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 98 | 108 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 101 | 121 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Vermont, 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 Bennington is $248,089.
The Median Rent in Bennington is $1,095.
The Median Income in Bennington is $53,839.
The Home Value To Income in Bennington is 4.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bennington is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Bennington | Vermont | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $248,089 | $400,246 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,095 | $1,193 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $53,839 | $78,024 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.6x | 5.1x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Bennington | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.28 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.08 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $15.96 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.28 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $51.36 | $45.56 |
| Item | Bennington | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.06 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.6 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.85 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.09 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.9 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.74 | $3.7 |
| Item | Bennington | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $132.47 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $111.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $111.69 | $113.29 |
| Item | Bennington | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.55 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $50.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Bennington | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $196.7 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $195.71 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bennington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Albany, NY has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Bennington.
Saratoga Springs, NY has a cost of living index of 126, 1.3x Bennington.
Niskayuna, NY has a cost of living index of 115, 1.2x Bennington.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, NY | 100,081 | 101 | 1.0x |
| Saratoga Springs, NY | 28,542 | 126 | 1.3x |
| Niskayuna, NY | 20,774 | 115 | 1.2x |
| Cohoes, NY | 18,043 | 99 | 1.0x |
| North Adams, MA | 12,660 | 96 | 1.0x |
| Rensselaer, NY | 9,247 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Colonie, NY | 7,705 | 109 | 1.1x |
| Westmere, NY | 7,616 | 113 | 1.1x |
| Scotia, NY | 7,260 | 98 | 1.0x |
| Mechanicville, NY | 5,143 | 98 | 1.0x |