Cost of living in Port Townsend 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 Port Townsend 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 Port Townsend is 128, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Port Townsend is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Port Townsend ranks as the #80 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Port Townsend ranks as the #4,889 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Port Townsend is $647,424.
The median income in Port Townsend is $60,015.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Port Townsend has an overall cost of living index of 128, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Port Townsend has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Port Townsend ranks as #80 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Port Townsend ranks as the #112 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Port Townsend, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Port Townsend. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Port Townsend is 112.
The Groceries index in Port Townsend is 111.
The Health index in Port Townsend is 124.
The Housing index in Port Townsend is 163.
The Transportation index in Port Townsend is 116.
The Utilities index in Port Townsend is 90.
| Living Expense | Port Townsend | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 128 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 111 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 124 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 163 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 116 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 90 | 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 Port Townsend is $647,424.
The Median Rent in Port Townsend is $1,151.
The Median Income in Port Townsend is $60,015.
The Home Value To Income in Port Townsend is 10.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Port Townsend is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Port Townsend | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $647,424 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,151 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $60,015 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.8x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Port Townsend | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.23 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.82 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $18.58 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.78 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $67.83 | $45.56 |
| Item | Port Townsend | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.76 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.22 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.98 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.43 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.95 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.47 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.48 | $3.7 |
| Item | Port Townsend | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $187.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $228.42 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $136.92 | $113.29 |
| Item | Port Townsend | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.35 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $87.22 | $59.92 |
| Item | Port Townsend | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $153.78 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $202.97 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Port Townsend. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bremerton, WA has a cost of living index of 123, 1.0x Port Townsend.
Mount Vernon, WA has a cost of living index of 123, 1.0x Port Townsend.
Bainbridge Island, WA has a cost of living index of 185, 1.4x Port Townsend.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Port Townsend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton, WA | 44,531 | 123 | 1.0x |
| Mount Vernon, WA | 35,312 | 123 | 1.0x |
| Bainbridge Island, WA | 24,607 | 185 | 1.4x |
| Oak Harbor, WA | 24,396 | 125 | 1.0x |
| Port Angeles, WA | 20,087 | 115 | 0.9x |
| Port Orchard, WA | 16,398 | 135 | 1.1x |
| Poulsbo, WA | 11,962 | 140 | 1.1x |
| Snohomish, WA | 10,177 | 137 | 1.1x |
| Burlington, WA | 9,637 | 120 | 0.9x |
| Sequim, WA | 8,130 | 114 | 0.9x |