The 2011 American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA) Annual Cost of Living Index lists Salina with the lowest Composite Index Rate in Kansas out of seven participating cities and 11.5% below the National average.

The other participating cities in the state include; Dodge City (90.7%), Garden City (94.9%), Hutchinson (94.6%), Manhattan (94.2%), Topeka (93.3%) and Wichita (92.2%). This is Salina’s fifth year in a row to have the lowest Composite Index Rate in Kansas.

The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) produces the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA) Cost of Living Index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences among urban areas. The ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.

One significant aspect of making Salina an affordable location to live is the comparative cost of a home.

Mike Payne, Real Estate Agent, Management Team with Coldwell Banker Antrim Piper-Wenger Realtors, said that in 2011 the average sales price of a single family home in Salina was $127,268, which is lower than most cities in Kansas. “Record low interest rates, a wide selection of loan programs, and a good inventory of homes for sale make it very affordable to own your own home in Salina,” said Payne.