(FINDLAY, Ohio, February 6, 2018) – Among the 270 urban areas that participated in the 2018 Cost of Living Index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY, to almost 25 percent below the national average in Harlingen, TX.   The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER – The Council for Community and Economic Research.

The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 50,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected three times a year by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, or university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences in the index numbers should not be interpreted as significant.

The composite index is based on six components – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services.

The City of Findlay’s 2018 Cost of Living Index averaged over three quarters was 96.7, 3.3 percent below that of the national average. The City of Findlay’s composite index reflects the following six different categories of consumer expenditures.

Additionally, Findlay ranked third most expensive among the eight participating Ohio urban areas.

Findlay’s data showed that it has ranked most affordable for utility costs in 2018. Findlay was the third most affordable for grocery items, only above Lima and Cincinnati, and also ranked third most affordable for transportation costs, above Ashland and Columbus.

Since it is cold and flu season, which communities have the highest and lowest prices of orange juice and ibuprofen?

C2ER collects more than 50,000 prices from communities across the US for the COLI. Two of those items, orange juice and ibuprofen, are essential for those suffering from seasonal bouts of flu and colds.  Below is a list of the most, and least, expensive places to buy those items.

For more information on the C2ER Cost of Living Index, contact the Chamber at 419-422-3313 or e-mail info@FindlayHancockChamber.com.