Cost of Living in Long Beach, MS

An Overview of Cost of Living in Long Beach, MS

Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Long Beach? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Long Beach stands at 96, making it 4% lower than the national average. The cost of living directly affects the affordability of one's desired lifestyle. Knowing the cost of housing, transportation, groceries and other essentials in the new area allows people to gauge whether they can maintain their preferred standard of living.

The cost of living in Long Beach aligns closely with the national average when compared to other cities across the nation. Everyday essentials such as groceries, goods and services, health care and utility bills are priced at a level consistent with the average in similar urban areas. Long Beach residents can anticipate that their daily expenses won't be significantly higher than those in an average city, ensuring that the cost of living remains manageable.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Long Beach?

The most insightful perspective on a city comes from its residents. We recently surveyed 5 locals to gauge their perception of the cost of living in Long Beach. The feedback revealed that 20% of respondents found the cost of living to be reasonable, with prices on the decline, while 80% regarded it as notably expensive with prices that continue to rise.

Is Long Beach Affordable?

Is Long Beach an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Long Beach is 14.3% lower than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 8.4% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Long Beach has a median household income of $60,313, which is 9% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Long Beach?

Groceries: Over the past 2-3 years, grocery expenses have experienced substantial upward trends. In certain markets, food prices have surged by over 20% during this period, while others have witnessed more modest increases. These fluctuations in food costs can wield significant influence over the overall cost of living in a given region. In Long Beach, the groceries index is 4.4% lower than the national average.

Taxes: Cities that enforce higher taxes, covering both sales taxes and income taxes, can be a factor contributing to a higher cost of living. Paying more in taxes for everyday essentials like clothing and food inevitably leads to higher expenses. A higher income tax rate can further contribute to an overall elevated cost of living. In Long Beach, the baseline sales tax rate begins at 7%, and income tax rates start at 0%.

Urbanization: Urban areas with a wealth of amenities and employment opportunities tend to come with a higher price tag for living. Why? Well, more people want to be there, which drives up home prices and rents. On the flip side, less densely populated rural areas or places where there's not as much demand usually mean fewer attractions, things to do and slower job growth. That often results in a lower cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The Long Beach 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.