Cost of living in Elk Plain 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 Elk Plain 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 Elk Plain is 127, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Elk Plain is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Elk Plain ranks as the #76 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Elk Plain ranks as the #4,833 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Elk Plain is $504,623.
The median income in Elk Plain is $101,250.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Elk Plain has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Elk Plain has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Elk Plain ranks as #76 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Elk Plain ranks as the #116 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Elk Plain, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Elk Plain. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Elk Plain is 118.
The Groceries index in Elk Plain is 114.
The Health index in Elk Plain is 127.
The Housing index in Elk Plain is 154.
The Transportation index in Elk Plain is 126.
The Utilities index in Elk Plain is 95.
| Living Expense | Elk Plain | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 127 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 118 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 127 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 154 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 91 | 100 | |
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 Elk Plain is $504,623.
The Median Rent in Elk Plain is $1,908.
The Median Income in Elk Plain is $101,250.
The Home Value To Income in Elk Plain is 5.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Elk Plain is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Elk Plain | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $504,623 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,908 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $101,250 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.0x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Elk Plain | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.38 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.92 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.09 | $18 |
| Haircut | $23.76 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $54.27 | $45.56 |
| Item | Elk Plain | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.71 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.55 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.14 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $3.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.74 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.15 | $3.7 |
| Item | Elk Plain | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $191.81 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $192.99 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $127.12 | $113.29 |
| Item | Elk Plain | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.2 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $78.74 | $59.92 |
| Item | Elk Plain | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $169.3 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $204.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Elk Plain. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Tacoma, WA has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x Elk Plain.
South Hill, WA has a cost of living index of 135, 1.1x Elk Plain.
Lakewood, WA has a cost of living index of 127, 1.0x Elk Plain.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Elk Plain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, WA | 220,482 | 130 | 1.0x |
| South Hill, WA | 68,161 | 135 | 1.1x |
| Lakewood, WA | 63,034 | 127 | 1.0x |
| Puyallup, WA | 42,642 | 135 | 1.1x |
| Parkland, WA | 39,174 | 122 | 1.0x |
| Graham, WA | 35,090 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Spanaway, WA | 34,322 | 125 | 1.0x |
| Frederickson, WA | 24,219 | 131 | 1.0x |
| Fife, WA | 10,902 | 133 | 1.0x |
| Sumner, WA | 10,674 | 134 | 1.1x |