Birch Bay, WA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Birch Bay, WA Summary

Cost of living in Birch Bay 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 Birch Bay is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Washington, 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 Birch Bay is 122, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Birch Bay is 1.2x higher than the national average.

  • Birch Bay ranks as the #53 cheapest in Washington out of 192.

  • Birch Bay ranks as the #4,541 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Birch Bay is $503,248.

  • The median income in Birch Bay is $77,120.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
122
Birch Bay's Overall Cost Of Living
1.2x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Birch Bay, WA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Birch Bay has an overall cost of living index of 122, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Washington, Birch Bay has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Washington's index of 118.

The standard of living in Birch Bay ranks as #53 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Birch Bay ranks as the #139 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.

For more reading on life in Birch Bay, check out:

53 out of 192
In Washington
4,541 out of 6,489
In America

Birch Bay Cost Of Living Vs. Washington

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Birch Bay. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Birch Bay is 123.

  • The Groceries index in Birch Bay is 110.

  • The Health index in Birch Bay is 116.

  • The Housing index in Birch Bay is 142.

  • The Transportation index in Birch Bay is 120.

  • The Utilities index in Birch Bay is 92.

Living Expense Birch Bay Washington National Average
Overall 122 118 100
Services 123 111 100
Groceries 110 112 100
Health 116 122 100
Housing 142 135 100
Transportation 120 124 100
Utilities 92 91 100
For more reading on cost of living around Washington, check out:
Birch Bay Cost of Living Vs. WA

Birch Bay, WA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, 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 Birch Bay is $503,248.

  • The Median Rent in Birch Bay is $1,201.

  • The Median Income in Birch Bay is $77,120.

  • The Home Value To Income in Birch Bay is 6.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Birch Bay is 0.19x.

Statistic Birch Bay Washington United States
Median Home Value $503,248 $595,737 $303,400
Median Rent $1,201 $1,682 $1,348
Median Income $77,120 $94,952 $78,538
Home Value To Income 6.5x 6.3x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.19x 0.21x 0.21x
$503,248
Median Home Value
$1,201
Median Rent
$77,120
Median Income

Birch Bay, WA Costs By Category

Detailed Birch Bay Services Costs Vs. Washington

Item Birch Bay Washington
Shampoo $1.21 $1.28
Movie $14.34 $12.13
Bowling $22.57 $18
Haircut $28.08 $24.26
Beauty Salon $51.55 $45.56

Detailed Birch Bay Groceries Costs Vs. Washington

Item Birch Bay Washington
Ground Beef $6.04 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.19 $1.57
Milk $4.95 $4.67
Potatoes $4.4 $4.93
Pizza $14.85 $12.09
Beer $11.4 $10.41
Toothpaste $4.05 $3.7

Detailed Birch Bay Health Costs Vs. Washington

Item Birch Bay Washington
Optometrist $219.25 $125.68
Doctor $165.08 $135.78
Dentist $120.58 $113.29

Detailed Birch Bay Transportation Costs Vs. Washington

Item Birch Bay Washington
Gasoline $4.43 $3.46
Tire Balancing $64.11 $59.92

Detailed Birch Bay Utilities Costs Vs. Washington

Item Birch Bay Washington
All Electricity $163.64 $193.99
Phone $200.8 $192.25

Birch Bay SnackAbility

6
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
8.5
Affordability
5
Diversity
8
Safety
N/A
Amenities
7
Education
8
Commute
6

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Birch Bay

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Birch Bay. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Bellingham, WA has a cost of living index of 136, 1.1x Birch Bay.

  • Mount Vernon, WA has a cost of living index of 123, 1.0x Birch Bay.

  • Oak Harbor, WA has a cost of living index of 125, 1.0x Birch Bay.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Birch Bay
Bellingham, WA 92,367 136 1.1x
Mount Vernon, WA 35,312 123 1.0x
Oak Harbor, WA 24,396 125 1.0x
Anacortes, WA 17,837 139 1.1x
Lynden, WA 16,025 134 1.1x
Ferndale, WA 15,447 130 1.1x
Sedro-Woolley, WA 12,633 119 1.0x
Burlington, WA 9,637 120 1.0x
Stanwood, WA 8,351 129 1.1x
Sudden Valley, WA 6,963 136 1.1x

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