The Ten Most and Least Expensive Urban Areas
03 Jun, 2013
Among the 302 urban areas that participated in the first quarter 2013 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), N.Y. to just over 19 percent below the national average in Harlingen, Texas. The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER – The Council for Community and Economic Research.
The 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 60 different items for which prices are collected quarterly by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing a measurable difference.
The composite index is based on six component categories – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services.
For complete details, contact Dean Frutiger at dfrutiger@crec.net or Erol Yildirim at ey@crec.net.
Illustration by artur84 at Free Digital Photos.net
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The Ten Most and Least Expensive Urban Areas in the Cost of Living Index (COLI) First Quarter 2013 National Average for 302 Urban Areas = 100
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