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ImageThe Tompkins County cost of living composite index for the first quarter of 2009 is 103.3% compared to a national average of 100%. To compare our region with nearby cities, Syracuse came in at 98.6%, Rochester at 99.5% and Manhattan at 219.3%. The component that is pushing our index up is utilities which account for 10% of the total.

The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce participates in data collection for the ACCRA Cost of Living Index. The Cost of Living Index provides a useful and reasonably accurate measure to compare cost of living differences among urban areas, covering more than 300 cities every quarter. Items on which the Index is based have been carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures. The ACCRA Cost of Living Index is the most reliable source of city-to-city comparisons of key consumer costs available anywhere. ACCRA COLI data is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN Money, and the President's Council of Economic Advisors.

The Cost of Living Index is always available at tompkinschamber.org under Visitor/Relocation Info. This is a great tool to share with friends, family or soon-to-be co-workers looking to relocate to the area, or if you are considering leaving Ithaca. Simply input your current location and salary and select a different city. ACCRA Coli will create a balance sheet to compare what your current salary would equal in a different city and provide a comparison chart for the cost of food, medical, automotive and many other necessity items.

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