Evening star., 1936-08-23
Differences in
City Living Costs
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.


dreds Of millions of dollars which now
out over the land, and so 1t probably is
but natural that the city should have a
high living cost. The Division of Social
Research of the Works Progress Admin
istration has just made a survey OF 50
cities in an effort to make some COM
parsons In living costs, and 1t is found
that all Of the cities covered scale down
from Washington.
The facts established do not pertain to
the wealthy people Of the Capital. There
are many millionaires at Washington.
Indeed, Washington has been called the
city Of millionaires. Many persons of
great wealth, upon retirement from
active business, come to Washington to
live because they like the cosmopolitan
society and like to be at the political
heart Of the country.
The living costs of such people do not
concern the w. p. A. The figures here
employed relate to the poor. A theo-
retical standard family has been assumed.
1t consists Of four persons-the parents
and boy Of 13, a girl of years. This
family lives in either a small house or
an apartment with water and sewer con-
nections, gas and electricity, bath room.
The family has a small radio, but no
automobile. A daily paper Is read, but
the family can not afford to go to the
movies more than once a week. There
is money for car fare and a small amount
Of surplus for medical care.
Now, with this theoretical standard
family in mind, shopping was done in
Washington and the SO other cities COW
cred. This included all kinds of shop
ping-shopping for the house or apart
ment, as well as for food, public utility
costs and all the things that go to make
up what is regarded as a maintenance
standard of living. The result was that
Washington is shown to be the most
expensive city, while Mobile, Ala, is
the least so.
Fifty-nine cities do not by long way
include all the important American
cities, but care was exercised in picking
out cities believed to be representative
of the parts of the country in which
they are located. Even to cover that
many was a task of magnitude Some
idea of how large a task it was can be
gained from the statement that, in doing
the shopping. the pricing Of the various
items, no less than 1,4300o0 quotations
were gathered.
What places Washington at the top
of the list is the scale Of rents. For
houses and apartments alike. rents at
the National Capital are above those
elsewhere. AS rents constitute basic
and substantial item in any living cost,
the high Washington scale has brought
its total living cost to the top. OF the
pitiaS nOuarad found 70 he
lowest in Portland, Greg. Figuring the
Washington rent scale as representing
100 per cent. the Portland scale Is only
463. That is, the house in Washington
which would rent for s10o a month could
be rented in Portland for $4630 In
several other cities rents are less than
half what they are in Washington.
There does not seem to be any very
intelligible pattern to the American liv-
ing costs. There is. perhaps, reason for
the high rents at Washington. But there
seems to be no sensible reason why
Bridgeport, Conn, should have the high
est food costs of all the SO cities investi-
gated. Bridgeport has excellent trans
portation facilities and is in a rich agri-
cultural region. Yet the market basket
costs more there than in any other of
these cities.
Cedar Rapids Iowa, Is at the other end
of the scale. 1t has the lowest food COSTS
What costs $1o2 80 in Bridgeport can be
purchased in Cedar Rapids for $87.70.
The size of cities does not seem to make
any particular difference Albuquerque,
N. Mex. is a small place, but food costs
there are higher than they are in New
York City. In Philadelphia one can buy
for 500 go food which in Columbia, s. c.,
costs s100.7O
1t must be borne in mind that this
survey is not dealing with fancy foods,
fruits out Of season and all that The
diet shopped for in this survey was of
the simplest Merely such foods as would
prove most nourishing at the price. That
is the circumstance that makes 1t seem
somewhat odd that there should be so
much difference in prices.
Somehow one is accustomed to aSSo-
ciate costly clothing with great and gilt
tertng cities, but II one is shopping for
the sort Of apparel a poor man and his
family wear. the big city is the place to
go. In all the SO cities covered by the
w. p A. survey 1t was found that Butte,
Mont. is the most expensive so far as
clothing Is concerned. In Butte 1t costs
$l1970 to buy the same articles. the same
amount of clothing which can be pur-
chased in New York City for $3.50. II
one goes to Dallas. Tex. he can get the
same things for only 5000. Here is a
differential of $2930 between prices in
two American cities. Such things are
difficult to explain.
A category called household operation
costs which includes such items as gas,
electric current and so forth was made
and 1t was found that Siouz Falls, g. OAK,
stood at the top of the list. There it
costs $l36.50 to buy the same services
which in Houston, Tex. can be procured
for only SIT. Here is the wide spread of
$3.50 between two Midwestern cities.
Looking to cities Of the East 1t is found
that the same services can be procured
in Philadelphia for $91 and In New York
City for 500.
Under miscellaneous group come
such items as car fare. recreation. in
surance and such general expenses.
Cleveland, Ohio, shows the highest gen.
eral costs. There one must pay $l17.50
for such matters, in contrast with only
ST. in Sioux Falls.
These wide differences might be easier
tween the States or cities, but with all
in the same country, all well served by
transportation, it is surprising that such
great contrasts should be shown. The
value Of such study to the Federal and