Harlingen Ties for Fourth Lowest Cost of Living in U.S.

HARLINGEN, Texas (October 23, 2009) -- Harlingen, Texas tied for the fourth lowest cost of living in nation, according to the third quarter report of the ACCRA Cost of Living Index prepared by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Harlingen consistently ranks among the lowest cost of living areas in the nation.

Harlingen’s Cost of Living Index is 84.5 or 15.5 percent below the national average of 100. Harlingen is the only Texas city to rank among the ten lowest cost cities. Thirty Texas communities participated in the survey

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households. 315 urban areas participated in the study.

The “composite index” is based on six components (with Harlingen’s index in parenthesis) – housing (74.1), utilities (114.0), grocery items (81.8), transportation (93.7), health care (91.0) and miscellaneous goods and services (81.6).

“Cost of living is an important aspect of the cost of doing business so this ranking is always helpful to our economic development efforts,” according to Bill Martin of the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation.

For moreore information contact:

William A. Martin

Harlingen Economic Development Corporation

Office: 956-216-5085

Fax: 956-216-2580