Modesto pays $2.4K more for household bills than US average, report says.
Original Source: The Modesto Bee
By Dominique Williams
You might be paying more money for bills in Modesto than the United States average, but the numbers don’t come close to what other Californians are paying, according to housing data.
DoxoINSIGHTS, a U.S. bill pay market analysis company, released a report in early August ranking Modesto as the 356th most expensive city in California for household bills. There are 482 towns and cities in the state.
Doxo looked at bill payment activity and behavior, U.S. Census Bureau data and what residents consider “essential bills” to conduct its analysis.
MODESTO RANKS LOW ON EXPENSIVE CITIES LIST
Stanislaus County is the 30th most expensive county to live in California, according to Doxo’s report. There are 58 counties in California, but data was not available for Alpine, Modoc and Sierra counties.
Modesto residents pay $2,383 more for their bills per year than the average person living in the United States, the report says.
The median household income is $67,011, according to 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data. The median household income in the country is $69,021. Doxo estimated a slightly lower average income for households, making bills for Modesto roughly 44% of an annual $63,983, the company calculated.
On average, households in Modesto pay $2,245 per month, or $26,940 per year, on bills such as rent or mortgage, utilities, auto loans and cable, the report states. The national bill average is $2,046 per month.
Zillow, which uses a different formula for calculating rent costs, clocks the median rent for all bedrooms and all property types in Modesto at $1,975 per month.
Here’s a breakdown of how much Modesto residents are paying for bills on average each month compared to the rest of the country, according to Doxo:
Mortgage
- Modesto- $1,608
- National- $1,321
Rent
- Modesto- $1,345
- National- $1,191
Auto loan
- Modesto- $580
- National- $467
Utility
- Modesto- $267
- National- $351
Auto insurance
- Modesto- $151
- National- $207
Health insurance
- Modesto- $115
- National- $120
Cellphone
- Modesto- $133
- National- $119
Cable and internet
- Modesto- $128
- National- $118
Life insurance
- Modesto- $62
- National- $89
Alarm and security
- Modesto- $101
- National- $84
HOW CALIFORNIA COMPARES TO OTHER STATES
California is the second most expensive state in the country for household bills, according to Doxo. The only state that beats it is Hawaii, whose residents pay an average of $3,070 on bills each month.
Marin County is the most expensive county to live in the state. San Ramon is the most expensive city, according to the study.
Californians spend $9,498 more for bills each year than the U.S. average, the state Doxo report says. These bills account for 40% of Californian’s average $85,267 annual income.
On average, households in California pay $2,838 per month, or $34,055 per year, on bills.
This is how much Californians pay for bills on average each month, according to Doxo:
- Mortgage- $2,402
- Rent- $1,762
- Auto loan- $532
- Utility- $368
- Auto insurance- $196
- Health insurance- $132
- Cellphone- $114
- Cable and internet- $117
- Life insurance- $110
- Alarm and security- $101