Bluefield, WV Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Bluefield, WV Summary

Cost of living in Bluefield 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 Bluefield is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in West Virginia, 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 Bluefield is 84, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Bluefield is 0.8x lower than the national average.

  • Bluefield ranks as the #4 cheapest in West Virginia out of 30.

  • Bluefield ranks as the #406 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Bluefield is $106,406.

  • The median income in Bluefield is $43,826.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
84
Bluefield's Overall Cost Of Living
0.8x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Bluefield, WV?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bluefield has an overall cost of living index of 84, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to West Virginia, Bluefield has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than West Virginia's index of 87.

The standard of living in Bluefield ranks as #4 most affordable out of the 30 places we measured in West Virginia. By definition, that implies Bluefield ranks as the #26 most expensive place in the Mountain State.

For more reading on life in Bluefield, check out:

4 out of 30
In West Virginia
406 out of 6,489
In America

Bluefield Cost Of Living Vs. West Virginia

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bluefield. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Bluefield is 101.

  • The Groceries index in Bluefield is 99.

  • The Health index in Bluefield is 94.

  • The Housing index in Bluefield is 53.

  • The Transportation index in Bluefield is 90.

  • The Utilities index in Bluefield is 94.

Living Expense Bluefield West Virginia National Average
Overall 84 87 100
Services 101 95 100
Groceries 99 99 100
Health 94 96 100
Housing 53 62 100
Transportation 90 93 100
Utilities 94 95 100
For more reading on cost of living around West Virginia, check out:
Bluefield Cost of Living Vs. WV

Bluefield, WV Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in West Virginia, 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 Bluefield is $106,406.

  • The Median Rent in Bluefield is $790.

  • The Median Income in Bluefield is $43,826.

  • The Home Value To Income in Bluefield is 2.4x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Bluefield is 0.22x.

Statistic Bluefield West Virginia United States
Median Home Value $106,406 $170,604 $303,400
Median Rent $790 $850 $1,348
Median Income $43,826 $57,917 $78,538
Home Value To Income 2.4x 2.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.22x 0.18x 0.21x
$106,406
Median Home Value
$790
Median Rent
$43,826
Median Income

Bluefield, WV Costs By Category

Detailed Bluefield Services Costs Vs. West Virginia

Item Bluefield West Virginia
Shampoo $1.72 $1.28
Movie $15.61 $12.13
Bowling $27.24 $18
Haircut $27.83 $24.26
Beauty Salon $59.17 $45.56

Detailed Bluefield Groceries Costs Vs. West Virginia

Item Bluefield West Virginia
Ground Beef $5.67 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.41 $1.57
Milk $4.83 $4.67
Potatoes $5.33 $4.93
Pizza $12.62 $12.09
Beer $11.14 $10.41
Toothpaste $4.1 $3.7

Detailed Bluefield Health Costs Vs. West Virginia

Item Bluefield West Virginia
Optometrist $130.89 $125.68
Doctor $159.79 $135.78
Dentist $125.44 $113.29

Detailed Bluefield Transportation Costs Vs. West Virginia

Item Bluefield West Virginia
Gasoline $3.51 $3.46
Tire Balancing $80.0 $59.92

Detailed Bluefield Utilities Costs Vs. West Virginia

Item Bluefield West Virginia
All Electricity $200.62 $193.99
Phone $184.83 $192.25

Bluefield SnackAbility

4
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
4/10
Housing
4
Affordability
8
Diversity
8.5
Safety
7
Amenities
8
Education
7
Commute
9

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Bluefield

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bluefield. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Blacksburg, VA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.4x Bluefield.

  • Christiansburg, VA has a cost of living index of 100, 1.2x Bluefield.

  • Beckley, WV has a cost of living index of 89, 1.1x Bluefield.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Bluefield
Blacksburg, VA 45,288 114 1.4x
Christiansburg, VA 22,820 100 1.2x
Beckley, WV 16,977 89 1.1x
Radford, VA 16,505 93 1.1x
Pulaski, VA 8,937 88 1.0x
Wytheville, VA 8,224 93 1.1x
Princeton, WV 5,780 84 1.0x
Marion, VA 5,694 86 1.0x
Richlands, VA 5,188 86 1.0x
Bluefield, VA 5,016 90 1.1x

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