Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It seems like adjusted for cost of living the poorest parts of the country are the West Coast and New York State. Are wages a bit better relative to the COL in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England compared to New York, Oregon, Washington, and California? It's pretty much impossible to rise from lower to middle class on the West Coast without a college education and working lowly/un-paid internships for years - is it any easier in the Northeast or even worse?
Easier for rags to riches on W Coast in my opinion. People are less rooted, less rigid social structure, more about what you can produce and how you can differentiate yourself. In my opinion.
I'd argue that that being said, the Middle Class is probably more squeezed on the W Coast, where housing is significantly more expensive than in the NE on average. If you want a house to raise a family in, harder on the W Coast.
Easier for rags to riches on W Coast in my opinion. People are less rooted, less rigid social structure, more about what you can produce and how you can differentiate yourself. In my opinion.
I'd argue that that being said, the Middle Class is probably more squeezed on the W Coast, where housing is significantly more expensive than in the NE on average. If you want a house to raise a family in, harder on the W Coast.
So basically it's easier to become comfortable in the North East, but easier to become rich on the West Coast?
It depends on the area within those regions. Essentially, the further inland, the more affordable. So, I'd look into the areas within those regions that fit what you are looking for.
Here are a some links that rank cities factoring both wages and cost of living. They have different methodologies, so the results vary slightly. Generally speaking, it seems like Des Moines, Chapel Hill, Salt Lake City, Houston, DC, Madison, and Denver seem to be the best values. NYC and the agricultural cities in the Southwest seem to be the worst.
This thread is ridiculous. I thought this was a "City vs. City" forum, not a "Region vs. Region" one. It really depends on the city/metropolitan area in the Northeast or the West.
Second of all, social mobility is difficult without a college degree anywhere. If you don't have a college degree, you better at least have some trade skills or some programming ability. This goes for every city or region in the U.S.
New York and San Francisco are expensive places to live. And for good reason. You are statistically more likely to make more money in these locales over the long run, whether you are a lowly barista or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. If you want to launch a career or even just find a job, a large and prosperous city is always ideal, regardless of the region.
Lastly, cost of living is highly variable on the individual. The only thing that is expensive in New York is rent. If you are willing to live simply (i.e. not going out every night), you can enjoy a fairly comfortable lifestyle in New York.
I'm tired of people making stereotypes about entire regions with millions of people. The person is much more important than the place.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
