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.
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:
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 | |
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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Item | Bluefield | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $130.89 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $159.79 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $125.44 | $113.29 |
| Item | Bluefield | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.51 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $80.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Bluefield | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $200.62 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $184.83 | $192.25 |
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 |