Cost of living in Mercer Island 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 Mercer Island 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 Mercer Island is 263, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mercer Island is 2.6x higher than the national average.
Mercer Island ranks as the #192 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Mercer Island ranks as the #6,439 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mercer Island is $2,263,983.
The median income in Mercer Island is $202,359.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mercer Island has an overall cost of living index of 263, which is 2.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Mercer Island has a cost of living index that's 2.2x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Mercer Island ranks as #192 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Mercer Island ranks as the #0 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Mercer Island, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mercer Island. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mercer Island is 121.
The Groceries index in Mercer Island is 115.
The Health index in Mercer Island is 139.
The Housing index in Mercer Island is 595.
The Transportation index in Mercer Island is 130.
The Utilities index in Mercer Island is 104.
| Living Expense | Mercer Island | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 263 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 139 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 595 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 130 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 104 | 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 Mercer Island is $2,263,983.
The Median Rent in Mercer Island is $2,464.
The Median Income in Mercer Island is $202,359.
The Home Value To Income in Mercer Island is 11.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mercer Island is 0.15x.
| Statistic | Mercer Island | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,263,983 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,464 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $202,359 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.2x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Mercer Island | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.4 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.37 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.59 | $18 |
| Haircut | $50.2 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $72.25 | $45.56 |
| Item | Mercer Island | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.54 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.55 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.1 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.49 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.4 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $12.14 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.96 | $3.7 |
| Item | Mercer Island | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $198.49 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $236.25 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.39 | $113.29 |
| Item | Mercer Island | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.66 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $67.2 | $59.92 |
| Item | Mercer Island | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $193.41 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $202.97 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mercer Island. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bellevue, WA has a cost of living index of 202, 0.8x Mercer Island.
Kent, WA has a cost of living index of 137, 0.5x Mercer Island.
Renton, WA has a cost of living index of 147, 0.6x Mercer Island.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mercer Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue, WA | 151,199 | 202 | 0.8x |
| Kent, WA | 135,015 | 137 | 0.5x |
| Renton, WA | 105,279 | 147 | 0.6x |
| Auburn, WA | 85,455 | 134 | 0.5x |
| SeaTac, WA | 31,143 | 132 | 0.5x |
| Bainbridge Island, WA | 24,607 | 185 | 0.7x |
| Tukwila, WA | 21,479 | 129 | 0.5x |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA | 17,577 | 145 | 0.6x |
| Port Orchard, WA | 16,398 | 135 | 0.5x |
| White Center, WA | 15,017 | 145 | 0.6x |