[luvmyelement]

I lived in MA and CT most of my life and didn't really know just how outrageous the cost of living was until my husband convinced me to sell everything and move. That was 3 years ago. I look back and can't believe I didn't leave sooner.

It took both of us working really good paying jobs just to get by. We weren't living in a McMansion or driving expensive cars. I had a normal house and drove a Honda Fit. I felt like a hamster on one of those wheels - you just can't get off and you don't seem to get anywhere. I just thought that was how it was everywhere because all I knew was the east coast.

I'm now in Arizona and living where the weather is fabulous for 10 months. Sure it gets hot - but I'll take the heat over a long cold winter in New England any time. And here we can live better than we did in CT on just one salary (which is lower than my overpaid dead end job that I left). My house in CT's property taxes were almost $8K a year for the "starter home". Here I have a huge sprawling house on a 3.3 acre lot with a pool, courtyard, etc. and my taxes are less than 25% of what I paid in CT.

EVERYTHING is cheaper here - and drastically. Milk is $1.79 a gallon, gas is the lowest in the country, produce is dirt cheap (and you can grow your own year round here), electricity is about half what it was in CT, car insurance is about 40%, etc.

I finally feel like I'm not in the rat race any more - I can actually enjoy life. I don't miss the bad drivers, horrible traffic, continuous grey days, lack of sun, unfriendly people, etc. I don't think there's enough money in the world to pay me to go back.

I understand lots of people are happy there - and everyone has different opinions. For those that are happy - kudos to you. It just wasn't for me.

[jp03]

Originally Posted by luvmyelement

I lived in MA and CT most of my life and didn't really know just how outrageous the cost of living was until my husband convinced me to sell everything and move. That was 3 years ago. I look back and can't believe I didn't leave sooner.

It took both of us working really good paying jobs just to get by. We weren't living in a McMansion or driving expensive cars. I had a normal house and drove a Honda Fit. I felt like a hamster on one of those wheels - you just can't get off and you don't seem to get anywhere. I just thought that was how it was everywhere because all I knew was the east coast.

I'm now in Arizona and living where the weather is fabulous for 10 months. Sure it gets hot - but I'll take the heat over a long cold winter in New England any time. And here we can live better than we did in CT on just one salary (which is lower than my overpaid dead end job that I left). My house in CT's property taxes were almost $8K a year for the "starter home". Here I have a huge sprawling house on a 3.3 acre lot with a pool, courtyard, etc. and my taxes are less than 25% of what I paid in CT.

EVERYTHING is cheaper here - and drastically. Milk is $1.79 a gallon, gas is the lowest in the country, produce is dirt cheap (and you can grow your own year round here), electricity is about half what it was in CT, car insurance is about 40%, etc.

I finally feel like I'm not in the rat race any more - I can actually enjoy life. I don't miss the bad drivers, horrible traffic, continuous grey days, lack of sun, unfriendly people, etc. I don't think there's enough money in the world to pay me to go back.

I understand lots of people are happy there - and everyone has different opinions. For those that are happy - kudos to you. It just wasn't for me.

How anyone can think the weather is better in Arizona than here is just beyond me...

[jane_sm1th73]

Originally Posted by Beeker2211

Jane,

So you're saying that it is actually harder to make ends meet in CT vis-a-vis... most other states?? I'm sorry but that dog don't hunt in general, and a 2% change in taxes doesn't make or break families in specific.

In short, yes - the triple whammy of taxation, regulation and declining private sector makes it more difficult to make ends meet in highly taxed states.

Wrt salaries: for positions requiring national recruitment, there do not appear to be measurable geography adders. At least I don't see it. I agree that most positions do not require national recruitment. Many specialty engineering and software engineering jobs do. I agree that exchange-driven financial positions are well paid - where they are found. Domestically, I have not seen them - in quantity - other than in the NYC and Chicago commute areas, and pay is comparable. Corporate Finance positions tend to be paid based on complexity, aka, company size.

I stand by my point. Which is: public sector positions in highly taxed states are the ones in which you as a job seeker can get a consistent salary differential, based on geography. E.g., a public sector position in a low tax state will be paid less, and if you could get one, you'd make more on a head to head comparison in a highly taxed state.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

I stand by my point. Which is: public sector positions in highly taxed states are the ones in which you as a job seeker can get a consistent salary differential, based on geography. E.g., a public sector position in a low tax state will be paid less, and if you could get one, you'd make more on a head to head comparison in a highly taxed state.

In a "local" government position, yes. In a federal position, not necessarily.

[Tilt11]

Another reason, since winter is coming. Oil/heating cost. Another $1300 plus or more I'm going to have to manage to shell out on top of a higher electric bill. Absolutely madness.

Sometimes I really wonder how some people even get by in this state

[Beeker2211]

Jane,

Then why do so many more people, both as a percentage and raw numbers, struggle more in most other states? Especially those in "low tax" havens? Why did the PPP for most of the country fall for 30 years but rose in most "high tax" locales (RIPP being a clear exception) across the income groups? How come these "high tax" regions saw a significant rise of income for most of the residents, and have a larger portion of their population in what is considered "middle class?" How do you account that CT has one of the lowest ratio of government-to-GSP in the country? Or one of the lowest tax revenue-to-GSP in the country?

Sure if you were born here you can go and might be able to live more comfortably with the equity you built up to this point... but what of the people born in the other parts of the country that aren't from wealthy backgrounds? It's not a pretty picture. And I'm sorry I've said it once and I'll say it again: I'd much prefer to live in a place where I personally might have a smaller house, simpler car, etc than one that turns a blind eye to unfortunate human conditions. Not only is it moral, but it is apparently much better economic sense based on state-by-state performances on metrics that aren't just "growth rate."

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by Tilt11

Another reason, since winter is coming. Oil/heating cost. Another $1300 plus or more I'm going to have to manage to shell out on top of a higher electric bill. Absolutely madness.

Sometimes I really wonder how some people even get by in this state

I have to say-- For the same square footage, my electric bill was consistently higher in Austin. Running A/C 8 months a year was the culprit. Especially for the four months where temps were in the 90's and 100's, my a/c ran constantly.

Again, I'm not denying it's more expensive here. I just don't think it's nearly as dire as many present...

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

Cites? Head to head comparisons, please. Just curious, since the positions for which recruitment is nationwide (such as Engineering and Technical Management; Specialty Engineering; F50 Directors and above; Nonprofit presidents) have a nationwide salary number. It's the same offer and terms, regardless of whether the candidate is from San Jose or Georgia.

Now, if the job you're talking about is paid with tax dollars - such as teachers and public sector civil service positions - I can see your point, although I'd still be curious about the source of the raw numbers. From the standpoint of public sector jobs, you'd increase your odds by looking in EVERY high tax state with a strong union tradition: CA, MA, RI, NJ, MI, Indiana, Wisconsin, as well as CT. All of these states, though, are experiencing population outflows and declining enrollments.

Maybe employment continuity trumps the pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow. Moving in anticipation of the lucrative tax-funded job could prove to be a long wait. Unless you have an "in", like the one that got the Hartford mayor's cronies' kids lucrative internships over the summer.

IMHO, even more public sector employees in CT? I don't see it happening without a ton of additional regulations over which to conduct "oversight". So, pray for more regulation!

I went to the BLS data site briefly and ran three samples: Bank Tellers, Computer Programmers, and Broadcast Engineers. None of these are governmental positions (for the most part). The difference in salary was 14% - 28% in favor of Connecticut according to the data on the BLS site.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

IMHO, even more public sector employees in CT? I don't see it happening without a ton of additional regulations over which to conduct "oversight". So, pray for more regulation!

Not sure if you were being sarcastic, but if you're serious -- creating more regulations so more people can be hired to enforce regulations, and to oversee those that enforce regulations -- this is a very twisted and insane way of creating jobs.

Let's talk about productive jobs, those that actually make something, in the private sector. What is CT producing and / or going to produce in the future?

[chris410]

True story time,

Was down in CT on Sunday for a family gathering. We were eating desert around the table, about 20 of us, several of us “younger” “kids” (30 year olds +/- ) have moved out of state to NH, MA, NY, etc. we all had to drive home later that evening. One of the older guy says, “wow all you guys have to drive hours and hours home later on, we just gotta drive down the road” trying to bust balls. So I fired back with “yeah well you all have to live in CT” and pretty much the entire room of CT residents was like “yeah, he has got us there”. Not one single person tried to defend CT. in my opinion that speaks volumes.


CT is not a terrible place to live, there are worse places for sure. But when compared to the rest of the north east it’s pretty low on the desirability scale.