F
65%
Overall NAT. AVG.
20%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
172%
Housing NAT. AVG.
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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Shoreline Washington National
Cost of living165118100
Goods & Services120111100
Groceries116110100
Health care138120100
Housing272135100
Transportation128123100
Utilities10292100

An Overview of Cost of Living in Shoreline, WA

Understanding the cost of living in Shoreline can help future residents assess whether their current financial situation aligns with the expenses they will encounter. It enables them to plan for potential changes in their budget and lifestyle. The Shoreline cost of living index is 165, which is 65% higher than the national average. The cost of living index is calculated by taking into account multiple categories, which encompass both the cost of everyday expenditures and larger expenses as well.

If you prioritize affordability when seeking a new place to live, Shoreline 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, Shoreline falls into this category, which may not align with your preferences for a budget-friendly living environment.

Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Shoreline, 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 172.3% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.

Recurring essentials like haircuts, toothpaste, and entertainment, from movies to gym sessions, can really add up in your budget and make up 33% of the cost of living index. In Shoreline, you you will have to spend 19.5% more than average when compared to the typical prices for these items, making it a more expensive place to live.

The relentless increase in grocery prices is a noteworthy trend. In the last two years, grocery costs have experienced an upward trajectory of over 10%. Unfortunately, Shoreline is no exception, where grocery prices are 16.3% above the national average.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Shoreline?

Nobody knows their city better than the people who actually live there. So, we asked 10 local residents how they would rate the cost of living in Shoreline and this is how they responded. 20% of people said that the cost of living was affordable, with prices decreasing, while 80% of people said that the cost of living was very expensive and prices continue to rise.

Is Shoreline Affordable?

Is Shoreline 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 Shoreline, the median home price is 215.1% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 72.3% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Shoreline come in at $91,524, which is 65.4% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Shoreline?

Housing: A sought-after location with high housing demand often leads to increased property values and rental rates, which can significantly inflate the overall cost of living. Conversely, areas with low housing demand, particularly in less desirable locales, tend to experience the opposite effect, causing prices to drop and contributing to a more affordable cost of living. In Shoreline, the housing index stands at 172.3% higher than the national average.

Healthcare: Healthcare expenses and insurance premiums can vary significantly depending on the specific city or state. Factors such as accessibility to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor's visits, dental care expenses, prescription costs and specialized medical care fees can all influence the overall cost of living. In Shoreline, healthcare costs are 37.6% higher than the national average.

Utilities: Much like any other costs, utility expenses can exhibit considerable variations, influenced by factors such as climate, available energy sources, geographic location and state regulations. The costs associated with electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can vary significantly depending on the city or state in question. In Shoreline, the utilities index stands at 2.1% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Shoreline 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.

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Shoreline is 40% higher than the Washington average
  • The cost of living in Shoreline is 65% higher than the national average
  • Shoreline housing is 172% higher than the national average
  • Washington general sales tax is 27% higher than the national average
  • Washington state income tax is 100% lower than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Shoreline

See all the best places to live around Shoreline

Compare Shoreline, WA Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$116,866$9,739$2,727$3,506
      Renters$51,415$4,285$1,200$1,543
      The affordability of the housing market in Shoreline, WA as well as the overall cost of living can be predicted by what percent of the monthly income is spent on housing related costs. This is konwn as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The overall rule of thumb is that no more than 28% of your gross income should be spent on the overall costs related to housing and no more than 36% of gross income on all expenses and debts. Among Shoreline homeowners, the median income is $116,866. This indicates that a monthly maximum of $2,727 should be spent by homeowners on all housing related costs. Renters have a median income of $51,415. This indicates that renters would have a maximum of $1,200 for their rent related monthly costs.

      Washington Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Washington 6.5% 10.4%

      Washington Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Washington 0% 0%

      Goods & Services

      Item Shoreline National avg. Difference
      Haircut $50.20$24.26106.9%
      Beauty Salon $72.25$45.5658.6%
      Toothpaste $3.96$3.706.9%
      Shampoo $1.40$1.289.5%
      Movie $16.37$12.1334.9%
      Bowling $21.59$18.0019.9%

      Groceries

      Item Shoreline National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $5.54$5.845.1%
      Fried Chicken $2.55$1.5762.0%
      Milk $5.10$4.679.2%
      Potatoes $4.49$4.938.9%
      Pizza $14.40$12.0919.2%
      Beer $12.14$10.4116.6%

      Health Care

      Item Shoreline National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $198.49$125.6857.9%
      Doctor $236.25$135.7874.0%
      Dentist $149.39$113.2931.9%
      Ibuprofen $12.47$10.6517.0%
      Lipitor $446.40$468.604.7%

      Housing

      Item Shoreline National avg. Difference
      Home Price $582,000.00$184,700.00215.1%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $4,924.20$2,346.69109.8%
      Apartment Rent $1,635.00$949.0072.3%

      Transportation

      Item Shoreline National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $4.66$3.4634.8%
      Tire Balancing $67.20$59.9212.1%

      Utilities

      Item Shoreline National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $193.41$193.990.3%
      Phone $202.97$192.255.6%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Port Gamble Tribal Community, WA7831066.3%
      Navy Yard City, WA2,97311414.3%
      Bremerton, WA41,25812222.2%
      Enetai, WA1,99312322.9%
      Suquamish, WA4,32712727.5%
      Shoreline, WA56,83516564.8%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Welland, ON56,929n/a 
      Caldwell, ID56,7341022.3%
      Saint-Hyacinthe, QC56,946n/a 
      Palm Beach Gardens, FL56,97913434.3%
      Arcadia, CA57,053226126.3%
      Shoreline, WA56,83516564.8%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.