Cost of Living in San Dimas, CA

An Overview of Cost of Living in San Dimas, CA

Knowing the cost of living in San Dimas 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 San Dimas stands at 164, marking it 64% higher than the national average.

If you value affordability in your search for a new place to live, San Dimas may not be the most suitable option, as it stands out as one of the priciest areas in the entire United States. Only a small fraction of regions have a cost of living that is more than 20% higher than the national average, and regrettably, San Dimas falls into this category, which may not align with your desire for an affordable place to call home.

Housing costs significantly influence the San Dimas cost of living index, typically accounting for a substantial portion of one's post-tax income. Regrettably, within this particular region, expenses related to both residential ownership and renting exceeded those observed in an average city by 187%. This entails elements such as housing and rental prices, mortgage interest rates and insurance costs.

The things you purchase regularly, like clothes, haircuts, movie tickets and gym memberships, can make a big dent in your budget and make up 33% of the cost of living index. Unfortunately in San Dimas, these items will cost you 12% more than what's considered the norm, making it a more expensive place to call home.

The cost of groceries continues to rise at an alarming rate. Over the last two years, grocery prices have increased by more than 10%! Unfortunately, in San Dimas, the news isn't any better as grocery prices are 13.1% higher than the national average.

Is San Dimas Affordable?

Is San Dimas 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 San Dimas, for instance, where the median home price falls 227.3% higher than the national average, and monthly rent rates are 92.7% higher than usual. Additionally, median income levels contribute to the equation, with San Dimas flaunting a median household income of $90,234, 63.1% higher than the national norm.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in San Dimas?

Transportation: When public transportation options are limited or non-existent, residents frequently resort to vehicle ownership, which can significantly contribute to the overall cost of living. Monthly financial obligations encompass fuel, insurance, regular maintenance and potentially lease or financing expenses. In San Dimas, the transportation index is 23.9% higher than the national average.

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 San Dimas, the housing index is 187% higher than the national average.

Urbanization: Larger, urban centers, known for their wealth of amenities and strong employment prospects, often exhibit an elevated cost of living, primarily attributable to the heightened demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this scenario leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural areas or regions characterized by diminished demand typically provide a more limited array of amenities and experience slower job market growth, resulting in a more affordable cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The San Dimas 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.