Health care costs in Morgantown rose above the national average in 2014 for the first time in more than five years, according to new research from the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University and the internationally recognized Council for Community and Economic Research.

Increasing health care prices and already-elevated housing prices contributed to an overall cost of living in Morgantown that is 3.2 percent above the national average in 2014. Last year’s overall price index of 103.2 for the cost of living in Morgantown was also up over the index of 100.8 in 2013.

Since 2009, health care prices in Morgantown have been as much as 10 percent below the national average. However, in the third quarter of 2014 health care prices rose sharply, increasing to nearly 1 percent above the national average. Housing prices in Morgantown also continue to be well above the national average, coming in 13 percent above the overall index. Housing prices rose 2.5 percent relative to the United States in 2014 in comparison with 2013.

“In recent years, Morgantown has enjoyed low health care costs relative to other parts of the country,” said John Deskins, director of the BBER, which is housed within the WVU College of Business and Economics. “This research indicates that health care costs may be increasing faster in Morgantown than elsewhere in the nation.”

“The high cost of housing continues to be a concern in the Morgantown area,” said Eric Bowen, BBER economist. “However, lower-than-average costs in several other areas such as transportation, utilities and groceries help make Morgantown attractive to families that may consider moving here.”

The report also examines how the cost of living in Morgantown compares to that of several other cities across the United States. Morgantown’s cost of living is higher than in several other university cities, such as Columbus, Ohio; Knoxville, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, the cost of living in Morgantown is below that of most major U.S. metropolitan areas.

The survey data are used to calculate a cost of living index that measures a city’s relative cost of living in comparison to the national average. The survey included six categories, including groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous purchases. These categories are then combined into a formula that creates a composite score for each city.

The full report is available from the WVU Bureau of Business and Economic Research for free download in PDF format at be.wvu.edu/bber. For further information about the WVU College of Business and Economics, please visit be.wvu.edu.

ABOUT C2ER
Founded in 1961, the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) is a membership organization that promotes excellence in community and economic research by working to improve data availability, enhance data quality, and foster learning about regional economic analytic methods. C2ER’s 500+ members span a broad range of specialty skills and collectively touch all aspects of community and economic development in the U.S. and Canada.

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CONTACT: John Deskins; WVU College of Business and Economics
304.293.7876, John.Deskins@mail.wvu.edu

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