An Overview of Cost of Living in Agawam Town, MA
Getting a feel for the cost of living in Agawam Town is essential for anyone planning to relocate, as it empowers them to make informed financial decisions, secure a comfortable lifestyle and maintain financial stability in their new environment. The cost of living in Agawam Town is 112, which is 12% higher than the national average. Relocating individuals may need to adjust their savings and investment strategies based on the cost of living in the new location. It influences decisions about retirement planning, investments and financial goals.
Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Agawam Town, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 24.1% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.
Is Agawam Town Affordable?
Wondering if Agawam Town is affordable? It's a question that often comes up when you're thinking about a new city since affordability can really shape your decisions. The cost of living index (covered earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a part in the affordability equation. In Agawam Town, for example, the median home price is 26.4% higher than what folks pay nationally, and monthly rent is 18.7% higher than the usual rates. Plus, income levels matter too, with Agawam Town boasting a median household income of $72,396, which is 30.9% higher than the national average.
What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Agawam Town?
Urbanization: Larger, urban areas boasting abundant amenities and robust employment prospects often exhibit a heightened cost of living, driven by the increased demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural locales or regions marked by diminished demand typically offer a more limited range of amenities and experience slower job market expansion. This translates into a more affordable cost of living.
Transportation: In cities with limited or no public transportation, residents may find it necessary to own and maintain vehicles, thereby elevating the cost of living. Monthly expenditures include fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potential lease or financing commitments. In Agawam Town, the transportation index stands at 3.7% lower than the national average.
Groceries: Grocery costs have continued to increase significantly over the last 2-3 years. In some markets the cost of food has gone up by more than 20% in that period. While other markets have managed to see only a moderate uptick. These food costs can have a major impact on the cost of living in any area. In Agawam Town, the groceries index is 0.7% higher than the national average.
Where is the Data From?
The Agawam Town 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.