City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Bloomington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,426/mo | 8.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $327,100 | 41.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $87,381 | 0.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 101.0 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 93.0 | 7.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 102.2 | 4.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 102.8 | 6.8% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $99,594 in Bloomington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin and Bloomington have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Bloomington than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $79,675 in Bloomington to keep the same standard of living.