Cost of living in Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg is 108, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ellensburg is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Ellensburg ranks as the #27 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Ellensburg ranks as the #3,467 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Ellensburg is $453,132.
The median income in Ellensburg is $49,888.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ellensburg has an overall cost of living index of 108, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Ellensburg has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Ellensburg ranks as #27 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Ellensburg ranks as the #165 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Ellensburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ellensburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ellensburg is 102.
The Groceries index in Ellensburg is 103.
The Health index in Ellensburg is 113.
The Housing index in Ellensburg is 122.
The Transportation index in Ellensburg is 117.
The Utilities index in Ellensburg is 94.
| Living Expense | Ellensburg | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 108 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 102 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 113 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 122 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 117 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 94 | 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 Ellensburg is $453,132.
The Median Rent in Ellensburg is $1,258.
The Median Income in Ellensburg is $49,888.
The Home Value To Income in Ellensburg is 9.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ellensburg is 0.3x.
| Statistic | Ellensburg | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $453,132 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,258 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $49,888 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.1x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.3x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Ellensburg | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.17 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.58 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $15.45 | $18 |
| Haircut | $31.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $35.69 | $45.56 |
| Item | Ellensburg | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.39 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.52 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.07 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.43 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.43 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.49 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.97 | $3.7 |
| Item | Ellensburg | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $191.81 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $151.56 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $123.54 | $113.29 |
| Item | Ellensburg | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.21 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.61 | $59.92 |
| Item | Ellensburg | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $169.17 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.47 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Ellensburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Yakima, WA has a cost of living index of 100, 0.9x Ellensburg.
Wenatchee, WA has a cost of living index of 118, 1.1x Ellensburg.
East Wenatchee, WA has a cost of living index of 117, 1.1x Ellensburg.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Ellensburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | 96,810 | 100 | 0.9x |
| Wenatchee, WA | 35,502 | 118 | 1.1x |
| East Wenatchee, WA | 14,114 | 117 | 1.1x |
| Terrace Heights, WA | 9,480 | 109 | 1.0x |
| Toppenish, WA | 8,746 | 96 | 0.9x |
| Selah, WA | 8,301 | 111 | 1.0x |
| Quincy, WA | 7,922 | 101 | 0.9x |
| Union Gap, WA | 6,511 | 96 | 0.9x |