Here in New England rescues are around $500. There are a few towns where you can get a local pup at a shelter for around $150- $200. But not all local shelters are that cheap. And most rescue pups aren't local, they are brought up from the south. So the fee covers the adoption fee from a shelter down south, vetting, spaying or neutering, often a foster until transport, and then transport. In MA there is also a 2 day quarantine after they arrive. All of the rescues also make note that your adoption fee helps to cover the occasional higher vetting and fostering fee for some dogs that need more care before transport. Like if they are heartworm positive, injured, etc. As a comparison, the going price for a purebred Golden Retriever is around $3000. For a purebred you can get on a list for a litter next spring or later. Some are taking names for 2 years out. Not that a rescue is much easier. Rescues have waitlists here too, although not as long. Well, unless you want a specific breed. The local Golden Retriever rescue stopped taking applications. And then there's the screening with personal and vet references, sometimes home visits... you can expect to apply for several dogs before getting approved, many of which you never even hear back from the rescue after applying, you just see that the dog is no longer available on the rescue's site.
Yes, it is great that there aren't many strays around here. But if you want to adopt, it takes a little more work, and money, than in other parts of the country. And well worth it. We've had our new rescue pup John Archibald for about a month now.