Charleston, IL Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Charleston, IL Summary

Cost of living in Charleston research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Charleston is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Charleston is 83, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Charleston is 0.8x lower than the national average.

  • Charleston ranks as the #33 cheapest in Illinois out of 338.

  • Charleston ranks as the #491 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Charleston is $111,100.

  • The median income in Charleston is $44,371.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
83
Charleston's Overall Cost Of Living
0.8x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Charleston, IL?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Charleston has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Illinois, Charleston has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Illinois's index of 92.

The standard of living in Charleston ranks as #33 most affordable out of the 338 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Charleston ranks as the #305 most expensive place in the Prairie State.

For more reading on life in Charleston, check out:

33 out of 338
In Illinois
491 out of 6,412
In America

Charleston Cost Of Living Vs. Illinois

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Charleston. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Charleston is 90.

  • The Groceries index in Charleston is 94.

  • The Health index in Charleston is 100.

  • The Housing index in Charleston is 58.

  • The Transportation index in Charleston is 97.

  • The Utilities index in Charleston is 99.

Living Expense Charleston Illinois National Average
Overall 83 92 100
Services 90 95 100
Groceries 94 98 100
Health 100 96 100
Housing 58 81 100
Transportation 97 105 100
Utilities 99 90 100
For more reading on cost of living around Illinois, check out:
Charleston Cost of Living Vs. IL

Charleston, IL Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Charleston is $111,100.

  • The Median Rent in Charleston is $753.

  • The Median Income in Charleston is $44,371.

  • The Home Value To Income in Charleston is 2.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Charleston is 0.2x.

Statistic Charleston Illinois United States
Median Home Value $111,100 $212,600 $244,900
Median Rent $753 $1,097 $1,163
Median Income $44,371 $72,563 $69,021
Home Value To Income 2.5x 2.9x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.2x 0.18x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Charleston, IL
$111,100
Median Home Value
$753
Median Rent
$44,371
Median Income

Charleston, IL Costs By Category

Detailed Charleston Services Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Charleston Illinois
Shampoo $1.04 $1.06
Movie $10.0 $10.68
Bowling $15.0 $14.67
Haircut $20.83 $18.62
Beauty Salon $40.11 $39.05

Detailed Charleston Groceries Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Charleston Illinois
Ground Beef $4.26 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.37 $1.39
Milk $2.22 $2.05
Potatoes $2.94 $3.29
Pizza $12.39 $10.62
Beer $8.5 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.63 $2.34

Detailed Charleston Health Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Charleston Illinois
Optometrist $79.14 $108.57
Doctor $121.67 $116.17
Dentist $103.67 $99.13

Detailed Charleston Transportation Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Charleston Illinois
Gasoline $2.28 $2.22
Tire Balancing $43.67 $50.07

Detailed Charleston Utilities Costs Vs. Illinois

Item Charleston Illinois
All Electricity $153.31 $167.67
Phone $191.29 $175.64

Charleston SnackAbility

6
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
5/10
Housing
5
Affordability
7
Diversity
7
Safety
N/A
Amenities
9
Education
8
Commute
9.5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Charleston

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Charleston. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Champaign, IL has a cost of living index of 93, 1.1x Charleston.

  • Urbana, IL has a cost of living index of 91, 1.1x Charleston.

  • Mattoon, IL has a cost of living index of 78, 0.9x Charleston.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Charleston
Champaign, IL 88,343 93 1.1x
Urbana, IL 39,189 91 1.1x
Mattoon, IL 16,982 78 0.9x
Effingham, IL 12,218 83 1.0x
Mahomet, IL 9,297 100 1.2x
Savoy, IL 8,793 99 1.2x
Monticello, IL 6,202 94 1.1x
Mount Zion, IL 6,092 87 1.0x
Pana, IL 5,304 76 0.9x

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