Bartlesville ranks high in state, low nationally for household expenses
This article originally appeared on Examiner Enterprise
A new report shows the average cost of monthly household bills in Bartlesville is 2.6% higher than the statewide average, with both measured to be lower than the national average.
In the latest U.S. Utilities Market Size and Household Spending Report, compiled and analyzed by utility payment service Doxo, Bartlesville is ranked the fourth most expensive city for household expenses in Oklahoma, of the cities included in the survey.
Considered in monthly household bills were the city’s average prices for mortgages and rent, auto loans, auto insurance, health insurance, life insurance, cable and satellite, mobile phone service, alarm and security service and utilities — including water, gas, electricity and waste.
When considering each factor, the company accounted for the percentage of the local population using each service.
The average monthly bill costs for Bartlesville came out to $1,653 per month, with mortgage or rent, auto loans and utilities contributing the most to that cost. Slightly higher than the statewide average of $1,611 per month, Bartlesville’s costs remain lower than Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Stillwater.
Average monthly utility bills in Bartlesville, $330, ranked higher than both the state average of $290 and the national average of $316.
Associate Manager of doxoInsights Aria Thaker said while she could not give a specific answer about why Bartlesville’s utility bills may be higher, contributing factors may include average home size and winter needs.
“If an area tends to have larger homes than average, it’s likely that their average utility bills will also be larger than average,” Thaker said. “The need to use heating more often in the winter, in comparison to Oklahoma residents who live closer to the center or south of the state, likely contributes to the overall higher utilities in the area.”
For overall average monthly costs, Bartlesville and the state as a whole ranked well nationally, with the city’s monthly average 12.5% lower than the national average of $1,889. Oklahoma’s statewide average is 14.7% lower than the national average, with the state ranking as the sixth-lowest monthly cost.
In Bartlesville, mortgage, rent and health insurance rates lower than the national average contributed to these savings against the national monthly bill amounts.
Statewide, the numbers were lower in average mortgage, rent, utilities, health insurance, auto insurance, life insurance and cable costs.
“Housing expenses are the most significant factor in those savings. For Bartlesville residents, the average mortgage payment per month is $818, compared to the national average mortgage payment of $1,279. These are even more significant savings than Oklahoma residents get in general, which are also quite large: the average Oklahoma mortgage payment is $1,003 a month,” Thaker said.
“Rent savings for Bartlesville residents are also significant: average Rent payments in Bartlesville are $751, compared to the Oklahoma average of $816 and the national average of $1062.”