Just 2 of 26 metros miss priciest places list

Finding a cost of living “bargain” in California is becoming an even more elusive search, and only two of 26 metro areas in the state were not among the nation’s 100 priciest places to live.

My trusty spreadsheet reviewed an annual cost-of-living index by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that tracks a broad sample of expenses for 382 metropolitan areas — including 26 in California. Comparative cost surges came from averages of the three most recent years — 2018 to 2020, a period of growth and the pandemic chill — versus 2008 to 2010, the before-during-after period around the Great Recession.

The bureau’s “price parity” indexes are another metric showing how living in California has gotten even more expensive, relative to other parts of the nation.

Consider that from 2008 to 2010, just nine of California’s 26 metros had a cost of living that ranked outside the costliest 100 U.S. communities, according to this federal math. Fresno was the 110th-most-expensive spot of 382 metros, followed by Redding (111), Yuba City (113), Bakersfield (116), Hanford (120), Madera (128), Merced (154), Visalia (176) and El Centro (197).

In 2018-2020, that short list shrank to just Hanford (101) and El Centro (193).

Details

Monterey County suffered the state’s largest cost-of-living jump in this 10-year period, by the yardstick.

The decade’s 5.5 percentagepoint jump — also the thirdlargest in the nation — pushed Monterey County’s cost of living to a level 10.9% above the nation’s average. That makes it the eighth-priciest place to live.

California metros with the biggest cost hikes were a decidedly northern group.

SACRAMENTO » This expense ratio rose 4.4 points, secondlargest statewide and No. 13 nationally — to 6.8% above the 2018-20s average (No. 20 of all U.S. metros).

SAN FRANCISCO » Up 3.9 points to 18.6% above average (No. 1).

MODESTO » Up 3.7 points to 3.3% above average (No. 38).

MERCED » Up 3.6 points to

0.1% below average (No. 72).

VENTURA COUNTY » Up 3.6 points to 11.9% above average (No. 6).

STOCKTON » Up 3.6 points to 4.4% above average (No. 29).

SAN LUIS OBISPO » Up 3.5 points to 9.6% above average (No. 17).

VISALIA » Up 3.2 points to 1.3% below average (No. 84).

REDDING » Up 2.9 points to 0.8% above average (No. 62).