Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Bloomington's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Bloomington?
Your $100,000 in Bloomington has the same purchasing power as $114,666 in the average US city. You'd need $14,666 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Bloomington's cost index of 87, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Bloomington? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: your dollar carries more weight here and the labor market runs tight, plus 3 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Bloomington sits at 87 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 13% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $959/mo against a typical household income of $73,119, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
The unemployment rate in Bloomington sits at roughly 3.3%, which is a tight labor market by US standards. Salaries get nudged up faster, openings are easier to find, and switching jobs is less of a leap than it is in a softer market.
Bloomington reports roughly 539 crime incidents per 100,000 residents, well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. As always, citywide numbers paper over real differences between neighborhoods — but the broader trend here is on the calmer end of the US distribution.
The average one-way commute in Bloomington is about 16 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
47% of adults 25 and over in Bloomington hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Bloomington's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes — and a lot of it. With winter averages near 22°F, Bloomington sees real accumulation most years. Salt for the steps, tires that handle ice, and a sense of humor about February are the usual costs of admission.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Bloomington averages roughly 22°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Bloomington runs about 82°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Bloomington falls in roughly USDA Zone 7. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Bloomington is at about 846 feet (258 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
By the numbers, yes. Bloomington reports roughly 539 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. The big caveat applies as always: every city has neighborhoods that look nothing like the citywide average. But the citywide average here is genuinely good.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Bloomington's composite cost-of-living index is 87, roughly 13% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Mostly car-dependent. Bloomington's Walk Score of 46/100 means a handful of errands work on foot — depending on the neighborhood — but most residents still need a car for the rest. Transit Score is 32 out of 100.
Roughly $61,047 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Bloomington runs about $959/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.