Cali on less than $40k (Los Angeles, San Diego: section 8, real estate, apartments)

[drnick77]

I've been reading through the California forums and I noticed that in almost every thread there are posts warning of the high cost of living. Is it possible to lead a half decent lifestyle while making under $40k in California? Are there certain cities/metropolitan areas that are less expensive than others?

[guyatwork37]

Sure. Just not in a major city (Los Angeles, Santa Baraba, San Francisco, San Diego, etc.)

Actually, you can make ti work, you just have to live somewhere crappy and not drive too much, and keep your budget in check. But CA is expensive

[EscapeCalifornia]

The question is how many roommates you want. The less personal space you're willing to deal with the farther your $40k will go. It also helps to be a Buddhist monk and swear off material possessions.

[Shadowplay]

Think of the old cliche of real estate about "location." If you want a view of the ocean, expect to pay for it. If you want to be near the best paying jobs, that's going to cost you too.

But there are still bargains inland and, to a lesser extent, on the extreme north coast. And it's possible to live cheaply even in the bigger cities, as evidenced by all the counterculture kids and artists in San Francisco who share small apartments in edgy neighborhoods.

I'd suggest starting by defining what kind of weather you prefer/are willing to tolerate, since we have everything from deserts to glaciers to foggy coastlines; then deciding whether you want to be in the big city or the suburbs or rural; then defining where the types of jobs you're after are located; and what kind of culture you're comfortable in (LA is different from SF is different from SAC is... you get the idea). Once you narrow it down to one or two general regions of the state, then you can start to look seriously at the feasibility.

[City Boy]

You can rent a studio or 1 bed room in a major city and be ok. My wife when in grad school rented a 700 Sq Ft 1 bedroom apt. In the Richmond District of San Francisco for $800 a month and was only making 35k at the time.

[ArizonaBear]

Some of the desert Calif. communities are inexpensive: Yucca Valley and vicinity come to mind

[MIKEETC]

It is possible.

After all, $40k is about $20/hour which is over twice the minimum wage. There are certainly people working jobs that pay this amount or less living here. The question is how.

Persons with this annual income could be living in relatively low cost areas of California. They could be living in arrangements where the costs of housing are shared with roommates, family members, or are combining their incomes with their significant others. Subsidized housing (if they qualify) such as Section 8 or student housing is another way. Or they're living in rent controlled residences. Someone with this annual income may be living in a less-than-desirable location, in a residence that is smaller than they'd like (such as a studio apartment), or perhaps they offset their housing costs with substantial reductions elsewhere in their budget such Top Ramen noodles everyday, no car, no social life, no vacations, etc.

The variations are endless, I suppose. At the end of the day, it depends on what you willing to compromise - privacy, security, mobility, lifestyle, status, etc.

[ferretkona]

For the most part you will not find a apartment or employment if you refer to California as "Cali"

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

For the most part you will not find a apartment or employment if you refer to California as "Cali"

Totally agree. Actually, I hear Cali, Colombia is quite cheap to live in!

[JetJockey]

I make about 40000 (after taxes) and I live fairly comfortably on the central coast (San Luis Obispo area). Of course, I live in a 4 bedroom home with 6 people.... luckily it's a large house, and I rent by the room so I only end up paying about $200 a month for renting the master suite. Utilities are around 50 a person for cable, internet, gas and electricity. We have around 2 acres with a nice deck overlooking Atascadero.


I'm REALLY ridiculously lucky to be in this situation, but it can happen.