REGION

REGION
Study: Area living costsfall below U.S. average
YOUNGSTOWN -- The cost of living for the Mahoning Valley was 8 percent below average in a survey of 238 urban areas in the United States and Canada, says a study by the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association.
The Valley ranked below average in these categories: Housing, 19 percent; transportation, 12 percent; health care, 23 percent; and miscellaneous goods and services, 7 percent.
The area ranked higher in food costs, 3 percent, and utility costs, 19 percent.
With the national average score being 100, here are the scores of some areas: Mahoning Valley, 92; Cleveland, 104; Akron, 98; Pittsburgh, 97; and Toledo, 96.
Vindicator staff report