The "reasonable salary" question. (Austin, Round Rock: apartment complex, rental market, car insurance)

[petsounds]

I have a job interview later this month in Austin. The position pays between $54,000 and $61,200. I have a related master's degree and and 10 years experience in the field, so I'd like to think I would be starting above the low end. I've been to Austin; I love Austin. It seems like some people make it out to be a super-expensive city, but I would hope that salary range is doable. Thoughts?

I have absolutely no debt. No car payment, no student loans... nothing. I don't drink or party, but I do like going to shows. I've always been good with my money. That $54,000 is actually $6,000 above what I make now and I live comfortably downtown in a big city.

[Austin97]

I personally could make it work fine, but without knowing your spending habits it is pretty hard. Ideally you would live in an apartment or house with one person to a bedroom.

It also would depend on what kind of housing and part of town you need to live in.

The #1 thing that is expensive is rent. #2 is utilities since they can be really high if you need it cool in the summer and warm in the winter #3 is going out to restaurants a lot. Everything else is like a typical city.

I recently rented a 2800 sq ft house for 2400 near farwest/mesa. Split three ways that would be 800/month + utils which could easily be $300-400/month total.

you can look at austinhomesearch.com to get an idea of the non-apartment rental market.

[ashbeeigh]

Depends on the type of life you are living. Do you like to go downtown and drink? Or are you a suburb type who is fine being away from things? Or something in between? Where is work? What would you like to spend on rent? What do you like to do? What do you need to be by entertainment wise? I make about that, and if I didn’t have the extra debt of a car, student loans and credit cards I wouldn’t be struggling. I’m living pay check by pay check, but I don’t budget well, and know it.

[CarnivalGal]

Depends on where you want to live. If you want to live downtown, it probably won't work. If you are willing to live further out, you should be OK.

[petsounds]

The job is at the government complex downtown on Brazos (between 15th and 11th and Lavaca). It looks like one bedrooms in the neighborhood are in the $2,500 range. That's like top of the line nice here for a one bedroom, but you can also get really nice one bedrooms downtown here for like $1,100. I'm also too old for a roommate, and I've lived alone for the last 12 years, so that is out of the question.

I'm completely spoiled now. I live downtown now, 1.3 miles from my job; I have my own underground parking space; washer and dryer in my apartment, etc. It's a tough decision because I'd rather not be here. I abhor winter and cold. I'm most comfortable when my apartment is in the 80 to 83 degree range. As mentioned, I don't drink, but I like to go to music and comedy shows. I'd absolutely love to be able to bike all year long... or at least 90% of the year.

I wouldn't mind a short commute. Since I don't know neighborhoods, I'm just not sure how far out I should be looking. I have a friend up in Round Rock, but that seems way out there. As for what I'm willing to spend, that depends on the offer, but I'm probably somewhere in the $1,000 to $1,300, which I know really limits my options.

[Pretzeltwist]

$1,000 to $1,300 isn't going to get you much here. Austin is the most expensive city in Texas, and your income isn't high enough to buy you a comfortable house in this city. A simple apartment (nothing top of the line, big, or right downtown) should be doable, but if you want a home, you're going to get an older house in a suburban town near Austin, not in Austin. You certainly won't be able to bike to your job downtown. It's going to be a long car commute through our city's heavy traffic.

It sounds like you have a great living situation where you are. The extra $6,000 - $13,000 that you'd make in Austin would not cover the higher cost of living here, so you'd really be losing money. You say you hate the winter in your current town, but have you ever been through a rough summer in Austin? Read about our summer of 2011, and ask yourself if you'd like to take a real-earnings pay cut to live through that.

Don't get me wrong- Austin is my hometown and I love it here, but no one should make sacrifices to income and lifestyle to live here, without knowing what they're getting into.

[Need4Camaro]

I know people making $65k a year and are only barely making ends meet in a apartment about 25 miles outside of Downtown.
That stated I believe the "comfortable" mark with general expenses considered is around 80k a year.

[orlando-calrissian]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I know people making $65k a year and are only barely making ends meet in a apartment about 25 miles outside of Downtown.
That stated I believe the "comfortable" mark with general expenses considered is around 80k a year.

That's for a household, not a single person.

Also I'd question the spending habits of someone living that far outside the city and barely making it.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I know people making $65k a year and are only barely making ends meet in a apartment about 25 miles outside of Downtown.
That stated I believe the "comfortable" mark with general expenses considered is around 80k a year.

Pffft anyone who “barely makes ends meet” at 65k obviously practices poor money management. No city can compensate for that.

You can live in Austin at 55-60k. There are older condos in the north that are affordable. No you won’t live downtown, maybe at 65k but not 55k. Up your budget to 1500 and you’ll have even more selection.

You also don’t have to deal with traffic. Live next to a transit route. Wells branch comes to mind.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I know people making $65k a year and are only barely making ends meet in a apartment about 25 miles outside of Downtown.
That stated I believe the "comfortable" mark with general expenses considered is around 80k a year.

I say I live pay check to pay check with about that income, but I could easily cut out my two gym memberships (Golds and Camp Gladiator), get rid of a few of my subscription services (hulu, amazon), get rid of Amazon Prime, get some cheaper car insurance, etc to be able to be more comfortable. Like someone else said, that's hopefully for a household of more then one and poor budgeting. In addition, if that person you're speaking of would move closer to where they work (do they work in town?) they'd save on gas. I have a hybrid and drive about 450 miles a week (filled up for about $18 this weekend!) My gas is cheaper of course due to the mileage, but if you're driving from 25 miles out of town to in town plus all your other driving habits, that's a lot of money.

Originally Posted by Pretzeltwist

$1,000 to $1,300 isn't going to get you much here.

I'm living in a newer apartment complex (built 2016) on the far south side of Austin for $1240 a month. With the extras they give me (a month of free rent plus a 3% school district discount) it comes down significantly. I also have a small yard for my dog. If OP is okay with a bit of a drive (30 minutes or so north or south of the city center) they can find something newer within their budget. If they want to be close to downtown the could find something in the Hyde Park area or 78745 very easily. It wouldn't be big by any means, but its doable.