FAIRMONT — For upper-income professionals, Morgantown’s cost of living is only average when compared to 330 other cities across the nation, according to a recent survey by a national, nonprofit organization.
But the cost-of-living index for the Monongalia-Preston County metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is higher than the three other West Virginia communities in the survey, said Amy Higginbotham.
Martinsburg-Berkeley County in the Eastern Panhandle was second highest in the state with a composite index of 97.7 in the market-basket survey. Charleston was third at 92.8, and Vienna was 91.1.
Morgantown’s composite index was 99.7. The national average composite score was 100.
“It kinds of gives you a sense for the cost of living for persons whose incomes are in the top 20 percent” of income, said Higginbotham. An economist, she is a research associate at the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University.
She and several other persons took the three-day survey for ACCRA. The acronym stands for The Council for Community and Economic Research, located on the Arlington, Va., campus of George Mason University. Started in 1961, ACCRA is the only national group for professionals in applied community research and economic development. The group’s Web site is: www.accra.org.
The results for the latest survey are for the April-June quarter. The in-depth field check covers the cost of 26 grocery items, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. ACCRA asks for the cost of very specific items, Higginbotham said.
“We had to survey six grocery stores, 10 doctors, 10 dentists, 10 Realtors, 10 landlords, 10 gas stations and so on” in the three-day period, Higginbotham said.
But the survey does not include taxes and other non-consumer expenditures.
In her article in the Morgantown MSA Economic Monitor, Higginbotham notes that this missing data “could drastically influence the costs to live in the participating cities” in the survey. The quarterly Monitor publication is done by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at WVU. The publication is sponsored by Clear Mountain Bank. ACCRA did not provide the income range for the survey, but it is defined in the survey as the top 20 percent of income.
Morgantown’s national ranking of average “was balanced by higher-than-average utility and health-care costs and lower-than-average costs for ‘miscellaneous goods and services,’” Higginbotham notes.
“Grocery items in Morgantown ... was only slightly above the average (nationally) but was the highest in the state. The cost of housing for Morgantown was ... the highest out of West Virginia but was still 1.6 percent below the U.S. average,” her article states.
Among major northeastern cities, Morgantown’s cost of living is low. New York was the most expensive, with a cost of living index (204.7) more than double Morgantown’s.
Next highest was Los Angeles at 156.1, followed by Washington, D.C. (140.9) and Boston at 136.4.
Higginbotham also pulled up five other college communities from the ACCRA survey.
“When looking at other college towns in the eastern U.S., Morgantown falls in the middle with fellow Big East towns of Cincinnati, Ohio (94.3), Louisville, Ky. (97.6), and Pittsburgh, Pa. (95.2) with total indexes slightly below Morgantown,” Higginbotham said.
Charlottesville, Va., home of the University of Virginia, had a composite index of 107.1.
E-mail Bill Byrd at bbyrd@timeswv.com.
In Today's TWV
September 17, 2006
Morgantown living costs ‘average’ for nation
Higher than three other state communities included in the survey
- In Today's TWV
-
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
Osama bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a firefight with elite American forces Monday, then quickly buried at sea in a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run.
-
Construction around FSU
Construction matters were on the minds of the Fairmont State Board of Governors Thursday as they discussed projects to widen Locust Avenue and the continuing renovation of the historic Kennedy Barn.
First, a project to widen Locust Avenue to three lanes has been a priority for the state for several years. -
Goal: Redevelop site of former black Elks
City officials are hoping to solicit a buyer to redevelop the former site of the former black Elks building at the corner of Everest Drive and Cleveland Avenue.
Following the structure’s emergency demolition last weekend, city manager Jim Snider said the city is hoping someone will come forward to develop the site and recoup the city’s $72,000 demolition cost. -
Investigation continues into suspicious container, plastic jug that were blown up
Fairmont police detectives will continue their investigation into a suspicious can and jug that were blown up late Friday night by a State Police bomb squad, police said.
No one was injured, but the incident forced drivers to detour around Fairmont Avenue from Seventh to 10th streets while the area was secured and the containers were safely destroyed. -
Years of planning, work lead to new Baxter fire hall
In 1968, the Baxter Volunteer Fire Department opened its doors for the first time.
The department had its humble beginnings in a small pole building near the ball field. Over the years, the firefighters made do with the small building, adding on as they could, according to Destry Jones, Baxter fire chief. -
AmberView participation rising
Fairview Middle School has a higher percentage of students enrolled in AmberView than any other school in the state, officials said Friday.
AmberView is an innovative program, developed in West Virginia, that assists law enforcement by quickly issuing an up-to-date digital picture of a missing or abducted child. AmberView officials have seen participation rise dramatically in the last year. -
Police investigate, detonate suspected bomb
West Side’s main thoroughfare was blocked for hours while police investigated and then detonated a suspected bomb Friday night.
Fairmont City Police responded to a report of a suspicious package Friday after a 911 call from a passerby. -
Student housing at FSU booming
While enrollment may be down at Fairmont State this year, student housing is booming.
The university’s board of governors received preliminary enrollment numbers at its meeting Thursday. -
Jay to speak at convention
U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, an early supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, will be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month, a campaign aide said.
Rockefeller, 71, who is seeking a fifth-straight term in the Senate, will speak on Wednesday, Aug. 27, said Jessica Tice, his campaign press secretary. -
A strong ‘heartbeat’
“The chamber is the heartbeat of every community,” Gov. Joe Manchin told a crowd of approximately 375 people during the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 55th Annual Dinner.
Members of the business community gathered at Fairmont State University’s Falcon Center Thursday night for the event, which also serves as the chamber’s annual meeting. - More In Today's TWV Headlines
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
