Cost of Living in Atascadero, CA

An Overview of Cost of Living in Atascadero, CA

Knowing the cost of living in Atascadero allows individuals to create a realistic budget. This helps them understand how their income will cover expenses and whether they need to make financial adjustments. The cost of living in any region can fluctuate due to various factors. To assess the cost of living consistently across different areas, a national average of 100 serves as the basis for the cost of living index. The cost of living in Atascadero stands at 154, marking it 54% higher than the national average.

If you prioritize affordability when seeking a new place to live, Atascadero may not be your ideal choice, as it ranks among the most expensive locations in the entire United States. A very small amount of areas exhibit a cost of living at least 20% higher than the national average, and unfortunately, Atascadero falls into this category, which may not align with your preferences for a budget-friendly living environment.

Housing costs are a major factor in the Atascadero cost of living index, and they often eat up a big chunk of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, housing expenses for both homeownership and rentals were 146.2% higher than what's typical in an average city. That includes the prices of homes and rents, as well as mortgage rates and insurance.

Is Atascadero Affordable?

Is Atascadero an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Atascadero, the median home price is 186.7% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 51.6% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Atascadero come in at $79,620, which is 43.9% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Atascadero?

Taxes: Regions that impose higher taxes, including sales and income taxes, can contribute to an increased cost of living. Higher taxes for everyday necessities such as clothing, utilities and food inevitably leads to higher expenditures. Additionally, a higher income tax rate can also play a role in elevating the overall cost of living. In Atascadero, the prevailing sales tax rate starts at 7.25%, and income tax rates kick off at 1%.

Housing: When there's a high demand for housing in trendy places, it can cause property prices and rental rates to soar, leading to a significantly higher cost of living. Conversely, in less desirable locations, where demand is low, prices tend to decrease, resulting in a more budget-friendly cost of living. In Atascadero, the housing index is 146.2% higher than the national average.

Groceries: Grocery prices have seen substantial hikes in the last 2-3 years, with some markets witnessing food cost increases of over 20% during this period. Conversely, certain markets have experienced only moderate upticks. These variations in food expenses can have a substantial impact on the overall cost of living in any locality. In Atascadero, the groceries index is 6.6% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Atascadero cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.