Have you ever compared the cost of living when planning on moving or taking a new job? Have you wondered where this data comes from?
YCDA, like many other economic development organizations across the country, participates in the Council for Community and Economic Research’s (C2ER) quarterly Cost of Living Index data collection. Our staff is quite litterally the “boots on the ground,” collecting local pricing data on everything from housing and medical costs to fuel and grocers. This data is compiled by C2ER to develop a comprehensive, comparative database from which the cost of living for various regions and cities is extrapolated.
How do you interpre the COLI index? The average for all participating metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) equals 100. If the COLI indxs for an MSA is lower, then it isw below the national average. If the number is grater than 100, the cost of living is higher by the percentage reflected in the index score.
For more information about the Cost-Of-Living Index, visit coli.org Here you can compare cities, wages, and a variety of other data sets from around the United States.
To have a look at how Yakima County compares to the rest of the nation, check out our comparative tool on our website.
