Relocation to MA,Boston-Not sure about salary (Andover, Wellesley: best town, to rent)

[Norwegienplayer]

Hi I need help from all you members. I have recently received transfer order from my organisation to Boston MA.I have been offered fixed salary of 134KUSD+ bonus of 36%.I am in high income bracket in Norway and interested to relocate to US because of kids education. I am not sure how bad or good this salary is? will I be able to maintain decent standard of living? I live with wife and 2 kids 4 and 7 years. Please help with your inputs.

[CaseyB]

Welcome.

Yes, that salary is upper middle-income here. You should be fine. I assume you want to live in one of the suburbs?

[Dm84]

It's a great salary but unless your wife works too, you won't be able to afford the most exclusive suburbs.

[just_because]

Some important things that you may already know:
1. Public education quality is directly linked to the town/city you live in (and to a lesser degree, the area of the town/city). Very generally speaking, expensive towns have good education and less expensive ones can have very poor schools. Your choice of town is extremely important since you value your children's education and you do not want to take a step backward from the education they would get in Norway (not going to try to compare the systems as they are very different). A private school allowance would be very helpful if you could negotiate that. This might give you more flexibility in where you live and take some of the stresses away.
2. In Norway, I understand that many families have have one parent staying at home. In the expensive Boston suburbs with good schools, it's very common for both parents to work and two "professional" salaries (e.g. each $150-250k +) may be needed to support even a relatively modest lifestyle in those towns (e.g. Wellesley, Belmont, Weston, etc).
3. Linked with above, I also understand from my experience with Norwegians that (and apologies if I am stereotyping) they often prioritize family life and leisure time over work. While avoiding any value judgments on this topic, it's fair to say that the balance between work and family in big US cities like Boston is different from Scandinavia. Of course Bostonians would say that 'family comes first' but the reality is that they often make a lot of personal and family sacrifices for work/careers and they are often expected to do so by employers and coworkers. This could create a culture shock for you.
4. Obviously Norway is one of the most expensive and highest taxed places in the world and things might appear ridiculously cheap in Boston in comparison. No doubt they are cheaper. However, in the US there are many 'hidden' expenses that might not be apparent at first look. I believe that you will find the cost gap less than you might perceive on the surface. For example, you'll see cars advertised and the price will usually not include all kinds of taxes, 'delivery/destination' charges, etc, etc. these can easily add thousands to the cost. Likewise, phone and cable has all kinds of taxes and fees that add a lot to the advertised monthly charges. Just a caution to help you avoid budgeting problems.

[Dm84]

Great post. My only disagreement is the obsession with public school quality. There are very few towns in MA that really have horrifically bad public schools.

[just_because]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Great post. My only disagreement is the obsession with public school quality. There are very few towns in MA that really have horrifically bad public schools.

Point taken. I was overly cautious because the OP stressed that education was at least part of the reason for the move and Norway is generally known to have good education (but quite different in pace, etc). I also think that the quality of education varies much less in Norway so perhaps some exaggeration to get that point across. I would assume that in Norway, people give little thought about getting their children as high up the education hierarchy as possible and such thought is probably counter to how most Scandinavians think as they are generally much more egalitarian. Getting kids into the best education possible may not be an obsession in MA but it is a strong social aspiration. From a Norwegian's perspective, there is likely to be a cultural difference in that and it may well appear to be an obsession!

Finally, whenever children move from one education system to another, they have some level of 'special needs'. This may be because they are ahead or behind or just need to transition to a totally different way. A better school system (e.g. smaller class sizes, etc) will be better equipped to identify and respond to these adjustment needs. With the OP's situation in mind, I think it's appropriate to consider the best school system possible.

[Norwegienplayer]

Thanks all for your reply. This gives me some insights. It would be a great help if you could suggest me some good areas in MA to stay which has decent schools as well.

Any pointers on cost of living in decent (good) area in MA will also be of great help.e.g rent etc Initially I am looking forward to rent a place(3 bedroom) and then eventually buy.

[Dm84]

We would need to know where your job is to give specific recommendations.

As far as rent goes, the cost varies wildly but I would expect to spend at least $2,500/month if not more. In some cases rent is over $5,000/month and can be significantly higher.

[tickybox]

Any pointers on cost of living in decent (good) area in MA

Because the traffic around Boston is pretty terrible during rush hour, people are going to want to know where, exactly, you will be working. Recommendations for Town's will be based in part on how long you are willing to drive each way, and the best Town or City convenient to that route.

Knowing how much you are willing to spend on rent each month will also help, since that can vary pretty wildly as well (Town's with really great schools can be really expensive).

[cb2008]

may i ask why you would want to leave Norway where you are in a high income bracket and come to US for schools. how are the public schools in Norway? how are taxes?

Andover's schools are in the top 20, it is located 25 miles north of Boston. it also has the Philips Academy, a private prep high school, top rated. the town is pretty and has houses ranging from 400K and up for 3 bedrooms.

what is the rent you plan to pay? i would guess a 3 bedroom in a nice location would run about $2000 2500.