The high cost of living in certain US cities is due to many reasons. Choosing for living an expensive city, Americans pay for the amenities and advantages that it offers. It can be a comfortable climate, career prospects, a developed infrastructure or a rich cultural life.
Here we have prepared for you a list of the most expensive cities in the United States, based on data from the US Council for Social and Economic Research.
If you want to move to the USA for working, studying or maybe even for living and still can not decide what city to choose from, we are going to give you a short travel guide around 10 the most expensive for living cities in the USA.
10. Seattle
The cost of living: 44.9% higher than the average in the USA.
Population: 684,451 people.
Average family income: $ 70,594 (average for the United States: $ 53,889).
The average cost of housing: 452,800 dollars (US average: 178,600 dollars).
Unemployment rate: 4.5% (US average: 4.9%).
Seattle is the leader in terms of economic development among US cities. It houses the offices of Microsoft, Amazon and many other companies from the high-tech industry, that attract a huge number of specialists from around the world. This inevitably leads to higher prices in the real estate market. The cost of housing for owners and tenants here is already almost 80% higher than the national average, and they even continue to grow.
9. Stamford, Connecticut
The cost of living: 45.7% above the US average.
Population: 128,874 people.
Average family income: 79 359 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 501,200 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 5.0%.
Stamford overtakes most US cities in the number of millionaires per capita. But no matter how expensive life in Stamford is, it is almost the same as in neighboring New York. Besides, everything is not so bad with transportation costs. Thanks to a developed network of electric trains connecting Stamford with New York, as well as a favorable location on the northeast railway line, transportation costs are only 11% above the average ones.
8. Boston
The cost of living: 47.9% higher than the US average.
Population: 667,137 people.
Average family income: 55,777 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 393,600 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 3.4%.
Thanks to a huge number of universities, hospitals, historical attractions, as well as jobs for technology professionals, Boston is one of the most attractive cities for life. But despite the fact that the popularity of the city automatically makes life more expensive in it, a large number of students and recent graduates suggest that life in the city is quite accessible to those who are just getting back on their feet. For example, food products in Boston are only 6% more expensive than in other cities of the USA.
7. Oakland, California
The cost of living: 48.4% above the US average.
Population: 419,267 people.
Average family income: 54 618 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 458,500 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 3.8%.
The average income in Auckland is almost the same as the average for the United States, but the cost of housing here is two and a half times higher. In 2016, property prices in Auckland rose by 9.6%, and it is expected that this year they will rise again 2.9% more.
6. Washington DC
The cost of living: 49% above the US average.
Population: 681,170 people.
Average family income: 70 848 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 475,800 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 3.8%.
Those who want to live in Washington will have to fork out for housing: rent and mortgage payments are more than double times higher than the average for the United States. As for the other costs, they are not very different from the average. And the cost of medical services in the District of Columbia is even slightly below average. There is a great network of city buses and subways here, so the cost of transport is not very expensive. Moreover, there are many free museums in Washington.
5. Brooklyn, New York
The cost of living: 73.3% higher than the US average.
Population: 2,629,150 people.
Average family income: 48,201 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 570,200 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 4.8%.
Technically, Brooklyn is one of the districts of New York, but lately it has increasingly been referred to as an independent territorial unit. Just a few years ago, Brooklyn was considered a good alternative for those who could not afford to live in Manhattan. Now things are different. The cost of housing, including the cost of rent and mortgage, here is three times higher than the national average.
4. San Francisco
The cost of living: 77.2% above the US average.
Population: 864,816 people.
Average family income: 81,294 dollars.
Average housing cost: $ 799,600.
Unemployment rate: 3.8%.
Years of continuous economic growth, driven by the rapidly growing incomes of high-tech companies, have led San Francisco to become one of the most expensive cities in the country. Even despite the high salaries, it is very difficult for people to live here.
Due to fantastically high prices for housing, buying real estate here is almost unreal, and renting a house or a flat will cost you a fortune. To rent an apartment in San Francisco, you will have to pay an average of $ 3,548 per month. This is more than three times the average rental price in other cities in the United States.
3. Honolulu
The cost of living: 90.1% above the US average.
Population: 992,605 people.
Average family income: 74 460 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 580,200 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 2.8%.
Life in this paradise is not cheap: the people of Honolulu are paying almost more for everything than their compatriots on the mainland. Most goods sold in Hawaii are imported, that make quite high prices. According to statistics, food in Honolulu is the most expensive among the 288 major US settlements. And the price of gasoline is 30% higher than on the continent.
2. Sunnyvale, CA
The cost of living: 122.9% higher than the US average.
Population: 151,754 people.
Average family income: 105 401 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 790 300 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 3.8%.
Sunnyvale, like the entire Silicon Valley, is famous for its exorbitant high cost and the fact that it houses the world’s largest high-tech companies. In Sunnyvale there is the headquarters of Yahoo, as well as offices of such giants as Intel, Tesla, Google and Apple. It is not surprising that the prices for housing are incredibly high here: 375% more expensive than the national average. Six-figure wages, one of the highest in the United States, allow the city residents to cope with an unbearable financial burden.
1. Manhattan, New York
The cost of living: 127.8% higher than the average for the United States.
Population: 1,643,347 people.
Average family income: 72,871 dollars.
The average cost of housing: 848,700 dollars.
Unemployment rate: 4.8%.
In the rating of real estate prices in the United States, Manhattan takes the first position. Renting an apartment here will cost an average of $ 4,239 per month. In the grocery store, you will pay 43% more, and you will have to pay 30% more for medical services and transportation than residents of other US cities pay. And to enjoy life in Manhattan, you will have to fall in love with the crowd: the population density here is almost 27,000 people per km².
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