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C2ER (Council for Community and Economic Research) is a membership organization created in 1961 to promote excellence in community and economic research by working to improve data availability, enhance data quality, and foster learning about regional economic analytic methods. The ACCRA Cost of Living Index provides a useful and reasonably accurate measurement of living cost differences among urban areas. It measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating cities, both metropolitan and non metropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.
Salina’s composite cost of living index (87.4%) is one of the lowest in the state and is well below the national average of 100. Not only is Salina one of the nicest cities in the mid-west to live in, it is also one of the most inexpensive cities in the state and nation in which to live. Contributing to the low cost of living in Salina is the low transportation costs as well as inexpensive quality health care.
The ACCRA Cost of Living Index statistically illustrates this issue best in the following tables.
Kansas Cities
Composite |
Grocery |
Housing |
Utilities |
Transportation |
Health Care |
Misc. Goods & Services |
|
| Salina | 87.4 | 88.0 | 76.9 | 97.8 | 93.6 | 90.5 | 91.2 |
| Lawrence | 92.4 | 87.6 | 89.8 | 87.8 | 95.2 | 94.9 | 96.9 |
| Hutchinson | 93.8 | 88.9 | 96.2 | 89.3 | 94.4 | 90.5 | 95.1 |
| Manhattan | 95.5 | 93.2 | 100.9 | 95.0 | 95.6 | 84.7 | 93.0 |
| Garden City | 86.9 | 96.6 | 74.9 | 94.4 | 93.0 | 87.9 | 89.8 |
| Dodge City | 89.0 | 87.6 | 82.6 | 89.1 | 95.0 | 91.0 | 93.1 |
| Hays | 89.2 | 93.0 | 81.7 | 93.6 | 91.7 | 80.5 | 93.5 |
| Average of Kansas Cities | 90.6 | 90.7 | 86.1 | 92.4 | 94.1 | 88.6 | 93.2 |
Salina vs. U.S. Non Metropolitan Cities
Composite |
Grocery |
Housing |
Utilities |
Transportation |
Health Care |
Misc. Goods & Services |
|
| Salina, KS | 87.4 | 88.0 | 76.9 | 97.8 | 93.6 | 90.5 | 91.2 |
| Montgomery, AL | 97.8 | 97.3 | 99.0 | 102.0 | 102.9 | 90.3 | 94.9 |
| Fresno, CA | 119.8 | 116.3 | 147.1 | 104.9 | 109.0 | 108.2 | 105.7 |
| Palm Springs, CA | 128.0 | 114.0 | 172.0 | 98.9 | 113.3 | 104.2 | 109.8 |
| Pueblo, CO | 86.7 | 102.5 | 75.6 | 84.9 | 90.1 | 94.0 | 89.3 |
| Tampa, FL | 99.1 | 98.5 | 89.8 | 103.0 | 105.3 | 92.9 | 105.4 |
| Ames, IA | 93.7 | 93.2 | 91.5 | 93.7 | 105.7 | 95.8 | 91.9 |
| Hastings, NE | 91.6 | 102.4 | 85.7 | 97.7 | 90.2 | 86.4 | 92.1 |
| Reno, NV | 110.8 | 109.6 | 120.9 | 99.2 | 103.2 | 110.2 | 108.1 |
| Stillwater, OK | 90.0 | 93.7 | 79.2 | 103.5 | 90.7 | 97.5 | 93.3 |
| Plano, TX | 95.0 | 100.4 | 80.9 | 113.5 | 101.1 | 99.9 | 97.5 |
| Richmond, VA | 107.6 | 95.7 | 114.7 | 113.4 | 106.0 | 105.8 | 104.6 |
| Average of US Cities | 109.1 | 109.3 | 111.6 | 109.6 | 101.6 | 106.2 | 106.9 |
Source: Council
for Community and Economic Research – First Quarter 2008
Revised: May 2008
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