Harrison Countys cost of living for professional and executive households is slightly below average for urban areas in the United States, according to the Harrison County Economic Monitor, a new publication of the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics . This publication is sponsored by Charles Pointe.

Harrison Countys average cost of living was balanced by higher-than-average transportation costs and lower-than-average housing and miscellaneous goods/services costs,said Amy Higginbotham , economist at the Bureau of Business and Economic Research and manager of the Harrison County ACCRA cost-of-living survey.

Based upon these numbers, it appears that the cost of living for these individuals is about 6.7 percent below the national average, making Harrison County a less expensive place to live than other areas such as Morgantown, Vienna and Washington, D.C.,Higginbotham added.

David Cutlip, president of the Harrison County Development Authority board of directors, welcomed the report.

The Harrison County Economic Monitor is part of an ongoing effort by the Harrison County Economic Development Authority to expand the economic information and analysis available for the county,he said.

Further details regarding the survey results can be found in the August issue of the Harrison County Economic Monitor, which also includes data and analysis of recent employment, income, population and construction trends in the county.

Harrison Countys cost of living is estimated by bureau research personnel using a national methodology developed by the Council for Community and Economic Research. Along with 318 other cities, the bureau canvassed Harrison County businesses to collect prices on about 60 goods and services and submitted these to the council for tabulation. The goods and services priced were typical of those purchased by professional and executive households in the top 20 percent of the income distribution.

The Harrison County Economic Monitor is published three times a year. The publication can be accessed free of charge at the bureaus Web site ( www.bber.wvu.edu ) and the Harrison County Economic Development Authoritys Web site ( www.hcdawv.com ). Information about the ACCRA cost-of-living survey can be found at www.coli.org .