Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your entire life, but with it can come a very hefty price tag. Between booking a venue, getting the food situation in order, and figuring out the other vendors, the bill for your wedding can add up very quickly. We took a look at which places in the United States are the most and least expensive to get married.
The Most and Least Expensive Places to Get Married in the United States infographicThe Most and Least Expensive U.S. Places to Get Married Transcript
The Most Expensive Places in the United States to Get Married
| Rank | Location | Average Cost of a Wedding | Average Household Income | Percentage of Household Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan, NY | $96,910 | $110,849 | 87.43% |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $46,640 | $95,595 | 48.79% |
| 3 | Long Island, NY | $66,409 | $118,116 | 56.22% |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $60,294 | $95,010 | 63.47% |
| 5 | Cape Cod, MA | $58,425 | $111,641 | 52.33% |
| 6 | Santa Barbara, CA | $45,991 | $97,025 | 47.40% |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $44,557 | $116,561 | 38.23% |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | $42,638 | $99,303 | 42.94% |
| 9 | Miami, FL | $42,596 | $81,633 | 52.18% |
| 10 | San Francisco, CA | $41,341 | $140,720 | 29.38% |
The Least Expensive Places in the United States to Get Married
| Rank | Location | Average Cost | Average Household Income | Percentage of Household Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso, TX | $13,220 | $44,597 | 29.64% |
| 2 | Brownsville, TX | $14,817 | $36,499 | 40.60% |
| 3 | Las Cruces, NM | $17,013 | $40,551 | 41.96% |
| 4 | Knoxville, TN | $17,242 | $54,437 | 31.68% |
| 5 | Fort Smith, AR | $17,682 | $40,004 | 44.20% |
| 6 | Charleston, WV | $17,922 | $41,701 | 42.98% |
| 7 | Springfield, IL | $18,702 | $53,405 | 35.02% |
| 8 | Chattanooga, TN | $19,010 | $43,964 | 43.24% |
| 9 | Mobile, AL | $19,089 | $46,166 | 41.34% |
| 10 | Jackson, MS | $19,318 | $37,563 | 51.43% |
Sources:
The 10 Most Expensive American Places to Get Married
- Manhattan, NY: $96,910.00
- Long Island, NY: $66,409.00
- Chicago, IL: $60,294.00
- Cape Cod, MA: $58,425.00
- Philadelphia, PA: $46,640.00
- Santa Barbara, CA: $45,991.00
- Boston, MA: $44,557.00
- Los Angeles, CA: $42,638.00
- Miami, FL: $42,596.00
- San Francisco, CA: $41,341.00
The 10 Least Expensive American Places to Get Married
- El Paso, TX: $13,220.00.
- Brownsville, TX: $14,817.00
- Las Cruces, NM: $17,013.00
- Knoxville, TN: $17,242.00
- Fort Smith, AR: $17,682.00
- Charleston, WV: $17,922.00
- Springfield, IL: $18,702.00
- Chattanooga, TN: $19,010.00
- Mobile, AL: $19,089.00
- Jackson, MS: $19,318.00
Wedding costs now are higher than ever, and often, they even exceed our average annual salaries. In Manhattan, the average cost of a wedding is $96,910, while the average household income there is $110,849. Therefore, a wedding costs 87.43% of the average household income in Manhattan, by far the highest in the United States. That’s also 55.99% more of the average cost of a year of college there (with the average being $62,128 annually for a college education in Manhattan).
Nearby on Long Island, the situation is nearly as bad. The average wedding cost on Long Island is $66,409. Compare this to the annual cost of a college education there ($35,038): The average cost of a wedding outweighs that of annual schooling by an astounding 89.53%!
Places with the Highest Percentage of Annual Household Income Needed to Cover the Cost of a Wedding
- Manhattan, NY: 87.43% (average household income: $110,849)
- Chicago, IL: 63.47% (average household income: $95,010)
- Long Island, NY: 56.22% (average household income: $118,116)
- Cape Cod, MA: 52.33% (average household income: $111,641)
- Miami, FL: 52.18% (average household income: $81,633)
When it comes to the cost of weddings, the biggest expense is typically the venue, which is then followed by food and music. When you factor in things like gifts, attire, and more, it continues to add up. In 2018, it was estimated that the national average cost of a wedding in the United States was $33,931, an increase of 25.67% from the year before. While your wedding could easily cost less than this amount (or even more!), the location where you get married may be something to take into consideration, depending on how extravagant you’re looking for your special day with your loved one to be.