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That's the whole point. Austin factors in what we would consider "safe nice suburbs" while New Haven is saddled with a much smaller footprint. Expand New Haven to 251 square miles and watch what happens to the crime rate. Hartford is even worse.
Okay, I agree that New Haven's crime rate would be lower if you factored in other towns, but that is not what the poster was comparing. The poster was comparing city by city. I'm sure if you expanded Austin to other areas of Texas their crime rate would be lower too. The fact is the poster moved to New Haven which was probably due to money factors as the poster is not living in say, Greenwhich. The "safe nice suburbs" of Texas have a much lower COL than most of CT (and about the same pay rate depending on occupation).
The poster moved here for a job opportunity (if I remember correctly) and is being chastised for moving to New Haven. The way this board paints CT as a whole is as a place where you can live affordably and make a higher salary than most states. While I agree the salaries are higher (not by much depending on which state you compare it to), the cost of living is out of control. That is why I have been stating that if someone is moving to CT from out of state they better be making a LOT of money and by a LOT that means two people making over $50k each (even more to live in the higher class suburbs). A lot of people from lower COL states get offered a job opportunity in CT for what they THINK is a great salary, only to get here and the only option they have is to live in a place like New Haven. Lets face it, someone from a lower COL state finding out they will be making 30-40k in CT SOUNDS like a dream come true....when you get to CT and find out that decent (and not even higher class) cities are charging $1,000+ per month for a one bedroom with no utilities, you are soon hit with the harsh reality of CT's COL.
I am by no means stating that CT is a horrible rotten place to live. If you can afford it (and like the cold and snow) than it's great and has a lot of towns with next to no crime. But the fact is, not everyone can afford to live in a nice town in CT...that's the reality CT.
And shouldnt smaller cities have LOWER crime rates???? Just my opinion.
And shouldnt smaller cities have LOWER crime rates???? Just my opinion.
Because that's not the nature of crime. If you look at your question it says "Rate" as in how many incidents per 100,000, and with most crime in Connecticut happening in particular neighbourhoods the stats get skewed out. Petty crime, the types of crime we see on a day to day basis, tends to follow poverty, not just the amount of people. If that were the case New York would be the most dangerous city repeatedly, but was only the most dangerous city when the economy was depressed.
The poster moved here for a job opportunity (if I remember correctly) and is being chastised for moving to New Haven. The way this board paints CT as a whole is as a place where you can live affordably and make a higher salary than most states. While I agree the salaries are higher (not by much depending on which state you compare it to), the cost of living is out of control.
Lets face it, someone from a lower COL state finding out they will be making 30-40k in CT SOUNDS like a dream come true....when you get to CT and find out that decent (and not even higher class) cities are charging $1,000+ per month for a one bedroom with no utilities, you are soon hit with the harsh reality of CT's COL.
A lot of people afford Ct and not just in Fairfield County. Many of us are natives and we managed to save up, buy our homes and raise our children here. And, all I see on the CT board is the b****hing and moaning about how expensive it is here. I would bet money that people that complain like that, complain about living anywhere. Some people are just not happy unless they are complaining.
40k is an entry level salary. And, anyone getting a job these days should be thanking their lucky stars....it is a dream come true for many in this economy.
Life is too short to be miserable where you live...if you think the grass is greener elsewhere than what is stopping you from going there?
I am by no means stating that CT is a horrible rotten place to live. If you can afford it (and like the cold and snow) than it's great and has a lot of towns with next to no crime. But the fact is, not everyone can afford to live in a nice town in CT...that's the reality CT.
I see what you are saying and I agree. The difference in COL is jarring. I still cannot get over property taxes and the fact that many of these towns have literally, triple and quadruple the budget that nice, Normal Rockwell towns with good schools in other states have. I would NEVER tell a person that moving from the mid-west or south to CT is an apples to apples move. It's not.
BUT it amazes me that people can move to another state and NOT have previously sat with a calculator and two columns and really figure out IF this move is worthwhile. With the internet and a phone, you should easily be able to find out if making a move is financially wise. And I cannot fathom why a person would leave an area with low crime and move to a part of a city with high crime and then talk about how much they hate it. I just don't get it. Did you think you could handle it but now you're realizing you can't?
Maybe it's me, but if I could not move out of state and live comfortably in a good town, I wouldn't move.
And....... if you truly cannot find a job in any other state but Connecticut, and you literally had the choice between moving to Connecticut or being jobless, then show some appreciation for the only state that found you employment and deal with it. Or call the wahhhh-mbulance.
This is not directed toward any particular poster. I've just seen this a lot since I've been on this board and I don't get it. The only explanation is that the people who have moved are very young and maybe just don't know about doing hard research before moving? I don't know.
A lot of people afford Ct and not just in Fairfield County. Many of us are natives and we managed to save up, buy our homes and raise our children here. And, all I see on the CT board is the b****hing and moaning about how expensive it is here. I would bet money that people that complain like that, complain about living anywhere. Some people are just not happy unless they are complaining.
40k is an entry level salary. And, anyone getting a job these days should be thanking their lucky stars....it is a dream come true for many in this economy.
Life is too short to be miserable where you live...if you think the grass is greener elsewhere than what is stopping you from going there?
I am a CT native as well. The only thing I used to complain about was the cold and snow...not the cost of living...not until recently. I was out on my own at a young age, worked full time and finished college in this state. In ten years I have seen my electric bill triple along with my cable bill, telephone bill, taxes and the cost of groceries. I have also seen rents nearly triple as well as housing prices. However, my salary (including three promotions) has not tripled. I am lucky to be living where I am ( I got in when the rents were reasonable in CT so my rent isn't too bad), the people moving into where I live are now paying around $1200. I am also lucky to have a job in general. However, with the housing prices the way they are now I am out of the market. I would love to have a house (not a condo as that is how I have lived the majority of my life) but as a single person with one income I cannot afford to do that.
There are people here making it and living well. They are generally the one's that bought when housing prices were reasonable (I remember a time when a 1200sq ft townhouse in Colchester was around $70k) and are either living in those homes or sold them when the market was high and made a killing. They are also generally married and have two incomes (I have one and it's above starting salary). As for the starting salary it depends what industry you get into. A starting salary of $40k-60k is commonplace for a job in IT, engineering, nursing etc. Look at what the starting salary for most occupations (including business which is what my degree is in) and you will see it's not $40k (not in the Hartford area anyway) its about $10k lower.
The simple fact is that if you are starting out in CT these days you are at a disadvantage. The COL is just way too high. There was an ad featuring our govenor a few yrs(?) back about keeping young people in CT as so many are leaving b/c they cannot afford it (at least the one's without support from their parents). Then they go and raise the tuition at UConn.
So, you think people complaining about the COL would complain anywhere? Well I wasnt complaining (except in the winter) about CT until the COL skyrocketed. So, want to place money on it?? I'm up for the offer. And I would be out of here in a heartbeat if it wasn't for my family and friends whom I love dearly. However, if COL continues to climb I will have to do what's best for me and visit family/friends in CT. Living in another state, with my degree, I would be able to make the same if not more (as many lower COL states are impressed with someone with an AS nevermind a BS) and I'd actually have the money to fly to see them. You can't judge someone until you have been in their shoes. Look online at rents, housing prices, etc and tell me how many people making $40k could afford it here. And I am serious about your offer...if I end up having to move somewhere with a lower COL and I'm miserable you will make your money back twofold.
I see what you are saying and I agree. The difference in COL is jarring. I still cannot get over property taxes and the fact that many of these towns have literally, triple and quadruple the budget that nice, Normal Rockwell towns with good schools in other states have. I would NEVER tell a person that moving from the mid-west or south to CT is an apples to apples move. It's not.
BUT it amazes me that people can move to another state and NOT have previously sat with a calculator and two columns and really figure out IF this move is worthwhile. With the internet and a phone, you should easily be able to find out if making a move is financially wise. And I cannot fathom why a person would leave an area with low crime and move to a part of a city with high crime and then talk about how much they hate it. I just don't get it. Did you think you could handle it but now you're realizing you can't?
Maybe it's me, but if I could not move out of state and live comfortably in a good town, I wouldn't move.
And....... if you truly cannot find a job in any other state but Connecticut, and you literally had the choice between moving to Connecticut or being jobless, then show some appreciation for the only state that found you employment and deal with it. Or call the wahhhh-mbulance.
This is not directed toward any particular poster. I've just seen this a lot since I've been on this board and I don't get it. The only explanation is that the people who have moved are very young and maybe just don't know about doing hard research before moving? I don't know.
I agree with you 100%!!!!! And I've seen some of your posts stating that the COL is high here and for people to know what they are getting into. That is exactly my point!
I think that when someone from a lower COL state gets offered a "high paying" job in CT they only focus on the money??? That seems to be a common trend here...people jump at more money without taking the time to research how far that money will get them.
I may be young as well, but I do a lot of research...including how much certain occupations pay, COL, taxes, crime etc. That was originally how I found this site since I am contemplating a move out of CT. I know if I move to a lower COL state my income will possibly be less and that the jobs are scarce in certain areas. The areas with lack of employment immediatly get checked off my list, so do the areas with high housing prices and COL. Also, before I would move anywhere I would visit and check out the area. So your right, anyone moving (and not just to CT) needs to research, research, research, visit the state and town and call the local police department asking about crime. I did that a few years back and the police were receptive. I asked them if a certain neighborhood was sutible for a young, single female and they told me no. So the info is out there. My advice don't jump into anything without doing your homework.
Okay, I agree that New Haven's crime rate would be lower if you factored in other towns, but that is not what the poster was comparing. The poster was comparing city by city.
The problem is that you can't accurately compare city vs city when looking at Austin and New Haven. The cities are completely different - modern vs historic. If you take a class in statistics, it will show you how to conduct such a comparison. Generally, you would take the difference in square miles and add them onto New Haven, which numerically would encompass neighborhoods in West Haven, Orange, Woodbridge, Hamden, North Haven, East Haven and Branford. You'd be shocked at how different the crime stats would change. There's a lot more to it than that but that's the quick explanation.
The problem is that you can't accurately compare city vs city when looking at Austin and New Haven. The cities are completely different - modern vs historic. If you take a class in statistics, it will show you how to conduct such a comparison. Generally, you would take the difference in square miles and add them onto New Haven, which numerically would encompass neighborhoods in West Haven, Orange, Woodbridge, Hamden, North Haven, East Haven and Branford. You'd be shocked at how different the crime stats would change. There's a lot more to it than that but that's the quick explanation.
The problem is that you can't accurately compare city vs city when looking at Austin and New Haven. The cities are completely different - modern vs historic. If you take a class in statistics, it will show you how to conduct such a comparison. Generally, you would take the difference in square miles and add them onto New Haven, which numerically would encompass neighborhoods in West Haven, Orange, Woodbridge, Hamden, North Haven, East Haven and Branford. You'd be shocked at how different the crime stats would change. There's a lot more to it than that but that's the quick explanation.
Thanks for explaining it because I'm getting sick of repeating myself.
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Austin factors in what we would consider "safe nice suburbs" while New Haven is saddled with a much smaller footprint. Expand New Haven to 251 square miles and watch what happens to the crime rate. Hartford is even worse.
