Overall
89.2
Cheap
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
Cost-of-living indicators for Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 89.2
- Overall RPP
- #306
- of 387 metros
- 61.9
- Rents RPP
- $112K
- $100K national buys
Sierra Vista ranks #306 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 4.6 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Tulsa
The verdict
Sierra Vista costs less than 79% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 89.2, 10.8% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 61.9.
- bottom 21%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 96.2
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 91.9
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $112,054 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $89,243.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 4.6 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2018, when the index dropped 4.2 points from the year before.
Sierra Vista overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 93.8 |
| 2009 | 93.1 |
| 2010 | 91.8 |
| 2011 | 92.1 |
| 2012 | 93.5 |
| 2013 | 92.5 |
| 2014 | 92.4 |
| 2015 | 94.1 |
| 2016 | 93.0 |
| 2017 | 93.8 |
| 2018 | 89.6 |
| 2019 | 91.0 |
| 2020 | 88.5 |
| 2021 | 87.7 |
| 2022 | 88.0 |
| 2023 | 87.3 |
| 2024 | 89.2 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Sierra Vista's overall RPP rose +2.0 points, from 87.3 in 2023 to 89.2 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 86.5 to 91.9. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$89,243
in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$44,622
$75,000 nationally
$66,932
$125,000 nationally
$111,554
$150,000 nationally
$133,865
$200,000 nationally
$178,486
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
B
81/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability B
81st 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.
Sierra Vista vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
89 Bottom 21% higher than 21% 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
Sierra Vista cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
61.9 RPP
- Services
Services
91.9 RPP
- Overall
Overall
89.2 RPP
- Goods
Goods
96.2 RPP
What this shows Sierra Vista's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 61.9 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 91.9. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Sierra Vista's cost comes from
Metros near Sierra Vista's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Sierra Vista (Sierra Vista, this metro): goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 61.9
- Tulsa: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 68.2
- Sandusky: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 59.5
- Columbus: goods RPP 96.3, rents RPP 61.2
- Rapid City: goods RPP 95.5, rents RPP 72.6
- Lynchburg: goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 63.9
- Little Rock: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 68.3
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.2
Below avg
Services
91.9
Below avg
Rents
61.9
Cheap
Housing-led affordability profile
How Sierra Vista's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Sierra Vista: rents index at 61.9, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 89.2.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Rome, GA, Columbus, GA-AL, Dalton, GA. They resemble Sierra Vista 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, Sierra Vista's overall index has fallen by 4.6 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.
AZ-relative analysis
Rent prices places Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ near the bottom of AZ's metros
Among the 7 AZ metros PlainCost tracks with reported rent prices data, Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ ranks #7 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 7
14th percentile in AZ
Services prices
#3 of 7
57th percentile in AZ
Rent prices
#7 of 7
0th percentile in AZ
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 AZ only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ: 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 (89.2 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (61.9 here).
Other AZ Metros
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 103.3 Flagstaff, AZ 100.3 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 98.3 Tucson, AZ 96.9 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 94.1 Yuma, AZ 92.7
View all AZ metros → Cheapest in AZ → Most expensive in AZ →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ's index of 89.2.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Sierra Vista'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.
Rome, GA
Goods 96.3 · Services 90.7 · Rents 60.3 Columbus, GA-AL
Goods 96.3 · Services 89.7 · Rents 61.2 Dalton, GA
Goods 96.3 · Services 88.8 · Rents 63.3 Peoria, IL
Goods 93.6 · Services 90.5 · Rents 63.8 Macon-Bibb County, GA
Goods 96.3 · Services 89.5 · Rents 58.9 Battle Creek, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 95.0 · Rents 61.0
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Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Sierra Vista
How to read Sierra Vista'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 $112,054 in Sierra Vista. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 61.9, 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 89.2, meaning it is 10.8% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.2, services at 91.9, and rents at 61.9. It ranks #306 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $89,243 in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ. Conversely, $100K earned in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ has the purchasing power of $112,054 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
Rents in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ are indexed at 61.9, which is 38.1% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ's overall cost index changed by -4.6 points (from 93.8 to 89.2). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
The priciest category in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ is goods at 96.2, 3.8% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 61.9, 38.1% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Tulsa, Sandusky, Columbus. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ's 89.2.
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.