Overall
102.4
Above avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
Cost-of-living indicators for Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 102.4
- Overall RPP
- #53
- of 387 metros
- 108.2
- Rents RPP
- $98K
- $100K national buys
Mount Vernon ranks #53 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- similar cost to North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota
The verdict
Mount Vernon is more expensive than 86% of U.S. metros, an overall cost index of 102.4, 2.4% above the national average, led by rents at 108.2.
- top 14%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 105.0
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 96.0
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $97,615 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $102,443.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Mount Vernon's overall RPP fell -3.4 points, from 105.9 in 2023 to 102.4 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 121.6 to 108.2. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 0.5 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2022, when the index jumped 5.4 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Mount Vernon overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 102.9 |
| 2009 | 101.1 |
| 2010 | 100.0 |
| 2011 | 100.0 |
| 2012 | 98.7 |
| 2013 | 98.9 |
| 2014 | 96.9 |
| 2015 | 101.3 |
| 2016 | 101.4 |
| 2017 | 101.5 |
| 2018 | 104.0 |
| 2019 | 101.7 |
| 2020 | 102.1 |
| 2021 | 100.3 |
| 2022 | 105.8 |
| 2023 | 105.9 |
| 2024 | 102.4 |
Housing-led cost profile
How Mount Vernon's cost structure works
Housing is the defining pressure in Mount Vernon: rents index at 108.2, the furthest component above the national benchmark. The overall index of 102.4 places Mount Vernon in the top quartile for cost; the rent line explains why a similar headline RPP can still require a different housing budget.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. They resemble Mount Vernon across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Mount Vernon's overall index has stayed within 0.5 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Mount Vernon vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
102 Top 14% higher than 86% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Mount Vernon cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
108.2 RPP
- Services
Services
96 RPP
- Overall
Overall
102.4 RPP
- Goods
Goods
105 RPP
What this shows Mount Vernon's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 108.2 depart furthest from 100, while goods sits at 105.0. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Mount Vernon's cost comes from
Metros near Mount Vernon's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, this metro): goods RPP 105, rents RPP 108.2
- North Port: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 128
- Bozeman: goods RPP 96, rents RPP 139.2
- Worcester: goods RPP 97, rents RPP 113
- Cape Coral: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 125.1
- Philadelphia: goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 113.1
- Fresno: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 95.7
Price Index Summary
Goods
105.0
Above avg
Services
96.0
Below avg
Rents
108.2
Above avg
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$102,443
in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$51,222
$75,000 nationally
$76,832
$125,000 nationally
$128,054
$150,000 nationally
$153,665
$200,000 nationally
$204,886
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
F
19/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability F
19th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
WA-relative analysis
Goods prices places Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA near the bottom of WA's metros
Among the 11 WA metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ranks #1 - the 9th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 11
9th percentile in WA
Services prices
#4 of 11
64th percentile in WA
Rent prices
#6 of 11
45th percentile in WA
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within WA only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (102.4 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (108.2 here).
Other WA Metros
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 111.1 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 105.6 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 103.9 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 103.7 Bellingham, WA 103.3 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 100.3
View all WA metros → Cheapest in WA → Most expensive in WA →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Mount Vernon's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Goods 103.1 · Services 93.5 · Rents 111.8 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Goods 100.4 · Services 96.2 · Rents 111.0 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Goods 100.6 · Services 95.3 · Rents 104.5 Bellingham, WA
Goods 105.0 · Services 99.9 · Rents 112.9 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
Goods 105.0 · Services 100.6 · Rents 115.0 Salem, OR
Goods 105.3 · Services 104.7 · Rents 110.3
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA's index of 102.4.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Mount Vernon
How to read Mount Vernon's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $97,615 in Mount Vernon. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 108.2, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Mount Vernon head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA?
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 102.4, meaning it is 2.4% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 105.0, services at 96.0, and rents at 108.2. It ranks #53 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $102,443 in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA. Conversely, $100K earned in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA has the purchasing power of $97,615 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA?
Rents in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA are indexed at 108.2, which is 8.2% above the national average. This is close to the U.S. average.
Is Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA's overall cost index changed by -0.5 points (from 102.9 to 102.4). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA?
The priciest category in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA is rents at 108.2, 8.2% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 96.0, 4.0% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Bozeman, Worcester. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA's 102.4.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.