Can we make it in Atl on $2K per month? (Atlanta: best neighborhoods, transplants)

[tonygeorgia]

Simpson Property Group | Dwell in Satisfaction

Check out these 3 bedrooms in Smyrna for $1000. Gated community, great schools, etc! Come on and move down. Its cheaper here

[tonygeorgia]

Schools in Cobb and Gwinnett are great.

51 Georgia schools among nation's best | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/06/14/best_schools.html - broken link)

For the second straight year, 51 of the nation’s 1,500 best public high schools are in Georgia, according to Newsweek magazine.


Walton High School in East Cobb is Georgia’s highest ranking school, earning the No. 90 spot. Twelve schools in Cobb County made the list, along with Marietta High School.
Gwinnett County has 13 schools on the list.

[noah]

Look on craigslist. I would imagine you would want to keep your rent to 700-800. A quick search in the marietta area shows some 2 and 3 bedroom homes in that price range.

[Big L]

I would say no, mainly because you would end up in either the same financial bind or even worse down here on that income. I know some single, childless people who are stretching with similar incomes, so I couldn't imagine trying to do it with a spouse and children.

Although I am a transplant myself (moved here from Los Angeles 10 years ago), I often wonder what brings people here these days. In recent years, the majority of the folks that I have met who dropped everything and moved here ended up either in the same type of situation that they left or worse. An hourly worker in another city will more than likely still be an hourly worker in Atlanta, only with either higher rent or a longer commute depending on what city they moved from.

[RoslynHolcomb]

The answer to that question is a decisive no. We moved here because it was the only place my husband could find a job. And he had the job before we moved. Even coming with considerable equity to put into a new home, and a fairly decent income from my husband's job, it is a struggle and we only have one child. Everything here is expensive. Things that I took for granted that were low/no cost options back home cost considerably more here. Taking your child to pretty much anything like the zoo or the Aquarium is an absolute non-starter. Atlanta is the nickel and dime capital of the southeast. I would say that a family of four coming here with an income less than $70k plus is out of their minds. When you are poor coming to an expensive city with limited public transportation and extremely limited support options is just a bad idea. And in this economy? Do yourself and your children a favor and stay put.

[noah]

The average family makes under $50K so if one can't get by on $70K they probably need to look at what they are spending their money on. I am not saying you live like a king at $70k but if you budget you should be able to get by and over time get ahead.

As mentioned before it depends where you are coming from but Atlanta is cheap compared to most major cities. And of course the major metros are where you find the most jobs.

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

The answer to that question is a decisive no. We moved here because it was the only place my husband could find a job. And he had the job before we moved. Even coming with considerable equity to put into a new home, and a fairly decent income from my husband's job, it is a struggle and we only have one child. Everything here is expensive. Things that I took for granted that were low/no cost options back home cost considerably more here. Taking your child to pretty much anything like the zoo or the Aquarium is an absolute non-starter. Atlanta is the nickel and dime capital of the southeast. I would say that a family of four coming here with an income less than $70k plus is out of their minds. When you are poor coming to an expensive city with limited public transportation and extremely limited support options is just a bad idea. And in this economy? Do yourself and your children a favor and stay put.

[Shagbark Hickory]

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

The answer to that question is a decisive no. We moved here because it was the only place my husband could find a job. And he had the job before we moved. Even coming with considerable equity to put into a new home, and a fairly decent income from my husband's job, it is a struggle and we only have one child. Everything here is expensive. Things that I took for granted that were low/no cost options back home cost considerably more here. Taking your child to pretty much anything like the zoo or the Aquarium is an absolute non-starter. Atlanta is the nickel and dime capital of the southeast. I would say that a family of four coming here with an income less than $70k plus is out of their minds. When you are poor coming to an expensive city with limited public transportation and extremely limited support options is just a bad idea. And in this economy? Do yourself and your children a favor and stay put.

Where did you move from?

I think the living here is pretty darn cheap. The housing is cheap. We have fairly high electricity rates but we don't pay hundreds or thousands each month for heating in the winter. Water is dirt cheap considering we don't have very much of it.
Property taxes are easily half or one third what they are in the northeast.

Maybe it's because you live in dunwoody which is a pricey area but most people in atlanta don't make 70k+.

As far as things to do, there are things to do that are cheap family fun if not totally free. The admission to the zoo is $14 per child and $19 for an adult. I fail to see how that is unreasonable. I hear dthe aquarium is expensive but come on.. how many times a year are you going to do those things?

[RoslynHolcomb]

Originally Posted by noah

The average family makes under $50K so if one can't get by on $70K they probably need to look at what they are spending their money on. I am not saying you live like a king at $70k but if you budget you should be able to get by and over time get ahead.

As mentioned before it depends where you are coming from but Atlanta is cheap compared to most major cities. And of course the major metros are where you find the most jobs.

I know exactly what we spend our money on, and I still maintain that Atlanta is no place for a family with less than $70k. I'm darned good with a budget and we still struggle. The OP is not coming from a major city. He's coming from what sounds like a small town. And having come from a small town, I'm here to tell you ATLANTA IS NOT CHEAP. For those who transfer here from the northeast or California with those salaries and that equity, sure, it's Nirvana, but for the rest of us? Not so much. Not only that, but the services available here to low income people are nearly non-existent, and difficult to get to and access. Childcare and activities for young children? FUHGEDABOUTIT! Unless you've got money and lots of it, Atlanta is no place to come with young children.

It's almost impossible to live here without a car, and a car eats up a lot more money. Most of the cars that poor people could afford won't pass emissions. Then what?

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

I know exactly what we spend our money on, and I still maintain that Atlanta is no place for a family with less than $70k. I'm darned good with a budget and we still struggle. The OP is not coming from a major city. He's coming from what sounds like a small town. And having come from a small town, I'm here to tell you ATLANTA IS NOT CHEAP. For those who transfer here from the northeast or California with those salaries and that equity, sure, it's Nirvana, but for the rest of us? Not so much. Not only that, but the services available here to low income people are nearly non-existent, and difficult to get to and access. Childcare and activities for young children? FUHGEDABOUTIT! Unless you've got money and lots of it, Atlanta is no place to come with young children.

It's almost impossible to live here without a car, and a car eats up a lot more money. Most of the cars that poor people could afford won't pass emissions. Then what?

You can live here with a car if you live near the Marta line

[RoslynHolcomb]

Of course you think living here is cheap. As I said, compared to the Northeast pretty much anywhere is cheap except maybe CA. I think $60 for a family of three to go to zoo is pretty darned pricey. Especially when most towns here in the southeast it costs half that. I think $15 per head to take your kid to the children's museum is pricey, especially when other cities it's less than that and the parents don't have to pay at all.

I moved here from Huntsville AL. Where salaries are high (in certain fields) and the cost of living actually is cheap.

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

Where did you move from?

I think the living here is pretty darn cheap. The housing is cheap. We have fairly high electricity rates but we don't pay hundreds or thousands each month for heating in the winter. Water is dirt cheap considering we don't have very much of it.
Property taxes are easily half or one third what they are in the northeast.

Maybe it's because you live in dunwoody which is a pricey area but most people in atlanta don't make 70k+.

As far as things to do, there are things to do that are cheap family fun if not totally free. The admission to the zoo is $14 per child and $19 for an adult. I fail to see how that is unreasonable. I hear dthe aquarium is expensive but come on.. how many times a year are you going to do those things?