Intention to relocate from Toronto to Boston (Lowell, Cambridge: sales, credit)

[Enya]

After 14 years of living in Toronto, my husband and I decided to try a new adventure. Before to decide if Boston is a proper place for us, we would like to get the following information:

1. What is the income tax rate in your State?
2. What is the percentage for the property taxes?
3. How high are the taxes on consumer goods? E.g., in Ontario we are paying additional 13% (GST, PST) on any purchase.
4. How expensive are private schools (i.e., elementary school) and how good are thier levels of education?
5. How diverse is the society? According to Wikipedia, Whites (Caucasians) constitute about 50%. Is it true?

Thank you to those who will respond.

[HenryAlan]

Originally Posted by Enya

After 14 years of living in Toronto, my husband and I decided to try a new adventure. Before to decide if Boston is a proper place for us, we would like to get the following information:

1. What is the income tax rate in your State?

5.3%

2. What is the percentage for the property taxes?

This is a difficult question, because they are set by each municipality. State rules regulate how quickly it can increase, the limit being 2.5% per year, but communities can override the limit by resident vote. The tax is applied to an assessed property value, and the assessment is somewhat subjective. Also, some towns apply incentive credits. I live in Boston and receive a credit for residing on the premises (whereas a non-resident landlord would pay the full amount).

3. How high are the taxes on consumer goods? E.g., in Ontario we are paying additional 13% (GST, PST) on any purchase.

6.25% statewide, local taxes can increase that to 7.25%

4. How expensive are private schools (i.e., elementary school) and how good are thier levels of education?
5. How diverse is the society? According to Wikipedia, Whites (Caucasians) constitute about 50%. Is it true?

That is probably true, but the percentage varies a great deal on where you decide to live. Cities like Cambridge, Boston, Lowell, etc. can often be majority-minority, but there are some very white suburbs.

Thank you to those who will respond.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Enya

After 14 years of living in Toronto, my husband and I decided to try a new adventure. Before to decide if Boston is a proper place for us, we would like to get the following information:

1. What is the income tax rate in your State?
2. What is the percentage for the property taxes?
3. How high are the taxes on consumer goods? E.g., in Ontario we are paying additional 13% (GST, PST) on any purchase.
4. How expensive are private schools (i.e., elementary school) and how good are thier levels of education?
5. How diverse is the society? According to Wikipedia, Whites (Caucasians) constitute about 50%. Is it true?

Thank you to those who will respond.

Henry Alan pretty much covered it, but I don't know of any "local" sales tax that raises it beyond the 6.25%. Also, note that certain items are not subject to sales tax. These include food products (other than prepared meals and some junk food); residential water, gas, and electric services, prescription medicines, medical services or devices, and publications for use in education or religious worship. Clothing and shoes are taxed only on amount over $175 per item.

I will also note that the 5.3% income tax refers only to the state income tax. You would, of course, be subject to the federal income tax as well. The rates depend on your income level (or more accurately your taxable income level, as there are many possible deductions that can allow some people to be taxed on an amount significantly lower than their on-paper gross income).

Private schools are very expensive for the most part, though many offer a very good education. Historically parochial (generally Catholic) schools were a less-expensive alternative to public schools and the more expensive private schools. It is unclear if you want to live right in the city of Boston, or if a nearby town with excellent public schools would be of interest. Many towns near Boston have excellent public schools. The Boston city public schools include some very good and some very bad, and the system can be byzantine in terms of which school children will attend--the suburban towns are, for better or worse, much more straightforward.

For the best of both worlds, if you're willing and able to pay the cost of living there, Brookline is a town with great public schools that also has a fairly urban northern half. Brookline is virtually surrounded by the city of Boston and is in fact closer to downtown Boston than much of the actual city of Boston.

Whether you actually mean "Boston" or really mean "Greater Boston" is relevant to your diversity question as well. The Wikipedia entry of which you speak indicates that the city of Boston is just over 50% nonwhite. Some other cities in Massachusetts are "majority-minority" as well, but I believe Cambridge, though it is diverse, is not over 50% nonwhite. Most suburbs, however, are over 90% white. The Boston metropolitan area is, overall, one of the "whitest" metropolitan areas on the East Coast, if not in the whole US. There have been well-documented racial difficulties in the past but my experience is that today's Boston is a much more diverse and tolerant place than the city of the 1970's.

[Cart24]

Originally Posted by Enya

After 14 years of living in Toronto, my husband and I decided to try a new adventure. Before to decide if Boston is a proper place for us, we would like to get the following information:

1. What is the income tax rate in your State?
2. What is the percentage for the property taxes?
3. How high are the taxes on consumer goods? E.g., in Ontario we are paying additional 13% (GST, PST) on any purchase.
4. How expensive are private schools (i.e., elementary school) and how good are thier levels of education?
5. How diverse is the society? According to Wikipedia, Whites (Caucasians) constitute about 50%. Is it true?

Thank you to those who will respond.

Most of the questions have been covered already. To clear up the Sales Tax question though the state tax is 6.25% (This excludes Clothing and Food up to $175) Due to the the sales tax hike (The tax was just raised to 6.25% in August) Cities and towns have the option to add .75% to the meals tax which is currently 6.25% as well.

I cannot give much insight on Private education because I personally do not have a child, but I would recommend looking into Public Schools depending on the city or town you decide to settle in. According to many studies Massachusetts has the best Public Education system (K-12) in the country. The chamber of commerce does a great study on this each year and once again Massachusetts scored the highest in the nation.

Here is a link to the study: U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness

As Holden mentioned already, Boston itself is very diverse with about half of the population being "visible minority". Boston is also in the top 10 in the country as far as foreign born population is concerned. Many of the towns surrounding Boston are predominantly white for the most part, but many of the closer suburbs are very diverse.

Here is a nice article about immigration and the Boston area.
The Boston Indicators Project 2004

Personally I feel that Boston is very diverse (I live downtown) and pretty integrated for the most part.

Good luck on your move, My wife and I have been in Boston for 2 years now and are also originally from Toronto and we absolutely love it here. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.