Cost of living in Elm Grove 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 Elm Grove is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Wisconsin, 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 Elm Grove is 126, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Elm Grove is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Elm Grove ranks as the #144 cheapest in Wisconsin out of 146.
Elm Grove ranks as the #4,776 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Elm Grove is $657,491.
The median income in Elm Grove is $133,304.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Elm Grove has an overall cost of living index of 126, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Wisconsin, Elm Grove has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Wisconsin's index of 95.
The standard of living in Elm Grove ranks as #144 most affordable out of the 146 places we measured in Wisconsin. By definition, that implies Elm Grove ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Badger State.
For more reading on life in Elm Grove, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Elm Grove. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Elm Grove is 97.
The Groceries index in Elm Grove is 103.
The Health index in Elm Grove is 112.
The Housing index in Elm Grove is 182.
The Transportation index in Elm Grove is 97.
The Utilities index in Elm Grove is 103.
| Living Expense | Elm Grove | Wisconsin | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 126 | 95 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 98 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 100 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 111 | 100 | |
| Housing | 182 | 88 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 97 | 100 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 103 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Wisconsin, 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 Elm Grove is $657,491.
The Median Rent in Elm Grove is $1,788.
The Median Income in Elm Grove is $133,304.
The Home Value To Income in Elm Grove is 4.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Elm Grove is 0.16x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Elm Grove. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Milwaukee, WI has a cost of living index of 94, 0.7x Elm Grove.
West Allis, WI has a cost of living index of 97, 0.8x Elm Grove.
Wauwatosa, WI has a cost of living index of 111, 0.9x Elm Grove.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Elm Grove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 569,756 | 94 | 0.7x |
| West Allis, WI | 59,588 | 97 | 0.8x |
| Wauwatosa, WI | 47,718 | 111 | 0.9x |
| Brookfield, WI | 41,592 | 121 | 1.0x |
| New Berlin, WI | 40,384 | 114 | 0.9x |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | 38,963 | 114 | 0.9x |
| Greenfield, WI | 37,361 | 103 | 0.8x |
| Mequon, WI | 25,259 | 133 | 1.1x |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | 14,750 | 126 | 1.0x |
| Cedarburg, WI | 12,317 | 116 | 0.9x |