EAU CLAIRE, WI - Eau Claire averaged an overall cost of living of 95.1 for the entire year of 2017, according to the report released by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Published since 1968, the Cost of Living Index has been the most consistent source of city-to-city cost comparisons available. The national average equals 100 and each participant's index is a percentage of the average for all places.

Prices of consumer goods and services are collected by Eau Claire's Economic Development Division three times a year in order to measure regional differences. The composite index is based on six components - housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. Eau Claire's composite index slightly worsened from 95.0 in 2016 to 95.1 over the past year.

While everday living expenses in Eau Claire fall below the national average, they are also some of the lowest of the six Wisconsin metro areas participating in the survey. Among the indivdual categories, Eau Claire ranks particulatly well nationally and compared to the other Wisconsin metro areas in the Housing, Utilities, and Grocery Items categories.

The full report is available upon request.