Cost of Living Index
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This report represents the ninth edition of a new format for the Cost of Living Index. Starting in 2007, C2ER has published an Annual Review of data for the preceding year. The data contained within the report represents unweighted average prices submitted for the first three quarters of the year, with new index numbers calculated using the modified weights for the upcoming year applied to these average prices. For further details on the annual average methodology, please visit our website at http://coli.org/Method.asp.
Among the 273 urban areas that participated in the 2015 Cost of Living Index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY to more than 20 percent below the national average in McAllen, TX. The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).
| The Ten Most and Least Expensive Urban Areas in the Cost of Living Index (COLI) Annual Review 2015 National Average for 273 Urban Areas = 100 |
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| Most Expensive | Least Expensive | ||||
| Ranking | Urban Areas | COL Index | Ranking | Urban Areas | COL Index |
| 1 | New York (Manhattan) NY | 227.4 | 1 | McAllen TX | 78.3 |
| 2 | Honolulu HI | 188.2 | 2 | Harlingen TX | 79.7 |
| 3 | San Francisco CA | 176.4 | 3 | Richmond IN | 81.2 |
| 4 | New York (Brooklyn) NY | 173.2 | 4 | Norman OK | 81.5 |
| 5 | Hilo HI | 149.0 | 5 | Ashland OH | 82.3 |
| 6 | Orange County CA | 148.6 | 6 | Youngstown-Warren OH | 82.8 |
| 7 | Oakland CA | 147.0 | 7 | Jackson MS | 83.2 |
| 8 | Stamford CT | 146.9 | 8 | Hattiesburg MS | 83.2 |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA | 146.8 | 9 | Idaho Falls ID | 83.2 |
| 10 | San Diego CA | 144.8 | 10 | Tupelo MS | 84.2 |
The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected three times a year by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations or university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences in the index numbers should not be interpreted as significant.
The composite index is based on six components: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services.
