Cost of Living in Joliet, IL

An Overview of Cost of Living in Joliet, IL

The cost of living in Joliet affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Joliet is 103, which is 3% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.

In Joliet, daily expenses such as food, housing, goods and services, transportation and health care are in line with comparable areas and about average when compared to all cities across the nation. This ensures that the cost of living in Joliet will resemble that of an average city, contributing to a manageable cost of living.

Is Joliet Affordable?

Is Joliet affordable? It's a key consideration when pondering a move, as affordability often shapes your choices. The cost of living index (we discussed it earlier), coupled with housing costs and income levels, serves as the cornerstone for determining a location's affordability. Take Joliet, for instance, where the median home price falls 4.5% higher than the national average, and monthly rent rates are 13.5% higher than usual. Additionally, median income levels contribute to the equation, with Joliet flaunting a median household income of $72,871, 31.7% higher than the national norm.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Joliet?

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 Joliet, the groceries index is 2.7% lower than the national average.

Transportation: If public transportation is limited or not available, residents may need to own and maintain vehicles, which can add to the cost of living. Gas, insurance, regular maintenance and potentially lease or finance payments will all need to be paid on a monthly basis. In Joliet, the transportation index is 13.6% higher than the national average.

Utilities: Like everything else, utilities costs can range significantly depending on factors like climate, energy sources available, location and even state regulations. Things like electricity, water, heating and waste disposal costs can be higher or lower, depending on the city or state. The utilities index in Joliet comes in at 20.1% lower than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Joliet 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. Published on a quarterly basis, it compiles data from more than 300 independent researchers, encompassing over 60 goods and services. These items have been meticulously selected to represent various consumer expenditure categories, in 6 categories. Weightings assigned to cost differentials draw from government survey data tracking spending patterns among professional and executive households. While the C2ER index excludes data on sales or income tax rates, AreaVibes incorporates tax rates into the overall cost of living score for each region.