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.
I just returned from a trip to Mississippi and Arkansas to visit friends. They tell me there is lots of poor people in those two States. But I wonder, are low wage workers really that poor in a place like Arkansas? Things are really cheap there relative to the rest of America. One of my friends live in a two bedroom apartment in a nice new complex and pay only $680 a month. That same apartment where I live in Fairfax VA would be $1800 a month. They took me to their grocery store and the prices were much lower. Their utility bills are much lower. Movies, bowling, golf, entertainment etc is much cheaper. Gasoline is much cheaper. Pretty much everything in those states seemed so cheap to me.
If you work a regular job in Arkansas you have a much higher standard of living than doing the same job in Washington DC, New York, LA, or San Francisco. (Even if the wages are slightly higher in those cities)
So, my question is: Are low paid workers in the Southern US really that poor?
I lived in MS for 5 years and was shocked at how low the wages were compared to rest of the country. Although cost of living is lower, it didn't make it easier to survive because the wages were so low.
I think we have to look at just where crisis in this coutnry is and its not in mnay of these rual poverty areas really. As Bill Clinto says ;we are spending 80% of governemnt moeny spent o poverty i the inner cities but still we see basic lifestlye crisis in those areas. Its what he calls the poltics of poverty that two areas of the coutnry with 80% opf poverty get only 20of such money.Perosnally a study just released this wek show that southerners see preserving culture as more inportant than than seeking benfits thru poltical means.I think eprosnal I would rather drop down in class rather than live the life tlye in many inner city areas and I think the demographic of population show just that.With this movement we see the changing of just where the future is as inner cities struggle to compete just as we do with former countries like China and India in a changing world.
So, my question is: Are low paid workers in the Southern US really that poor?
That depends on how you define the terms.
Personally... I hate the vague terms like "poor" and "poverty".
I much prefer the term "self sufficiency" to describe someone getting along on their own.
No AFDC supplement. No Section 8 housing supplement. No medicaid medical supplement.
Are they earning enough to cover all their responsibilities (including responsible parenting)?
Are they perhaps (gasp!) paying *something* in taxes as well?
The south has very little public transportation. The south doesn't really have unions. The education in the south is not as good as the Midwest and northeast - these are factual things that affect a whole region. When you make poor wages in Fairfax you can take the bus or light rail. In the south you need a car, etc.
I don't know why it's so poor but every time we go to the northeast on a trip it seems like EVERYBODY is rich. All those beach homes, all those fancy cars, etc.
I just returned from a trip to Mississippi and Arkansas to visit friends. They tell me there is lots of poor people in those two States. But I wonder, are low wage workers really that poor in a place like Arkansas? Things are really cheap there relative to the rest of America. One of my friends live in a two bedroom apartment in a nice new complex and pay only $680 a month. That same apartment where I live in Fairfax VA would be $1800 a month. They took me to their grocery store and the prices were much lower. Their utility bills are much lower. Movies, bowling, golf, entertainment etc is much cheaper. Gasoline is much cheaper. Pretty much everything in those states seemed so cheap to me.
If you work a regular job in Arkansas you have a much higher standard of living than doing the same job in Washington DC, New York, LA, or San Francisco. (Even if the wages are slightly higher in those cities)
So, my question is: Are low paid workers in the Southern US really that poor?
it really depends on what you're buying. the basics, yeah, it's way easier to get by in Arkansas than it is in the DC area. In arkansas you don't have everyone trying to live in the same spot, bidding up the prices in the process. If you want a lake house, or you like to play golf, or you want to live on a few acres of land, or you want to own land to ride 4wheelers and shoot deer, it's an obvious decision.
on the other hand if you want to be buying a lot of expensive durable goods, you're better off in DC -- a washing machine, a lexus or a boat isn't any cheaper in Mississippi, and in the long run you'll probably be able to afford higher quality goods in DC.
I just returned from a trip to Mississippi and Arkansas to visit friends. They tell me there is lots of poor people in those two States. But I wonder, are low wage workers really that poor in a place like Arkansas? Things are really cheap there relative to the rest of America. One of my friends live in a two bedroom apartment in a nice new complex and pay only $680 a month. That same apartment where I live in Fairfax VA would be $1800 a month. They took me to their grocery store and the prices were much lower. Their utility bills are much lower. Movies, bowling, golf, entertainment etc is much cheaper. Gasoline is much cheaper. Pretty much everything in those states seemed so cheap to me.
If you work a regular job in Arkansas you have a much higher standard of living than doing the same job in Washington DC, New York, LA, or San Francisco. (Even if the wages are slightly higher in those cities)
So, my question is: Are low paid workers in the Southern US really that poor?
That is why so many people are wanting to move to some of the southern states. Thing is the jobs arent here and wages are low. The median income in Virginia is almost double that in Arkansas. But yes I suspose if your making minimum wage it may be cheaper to live in the south, but you still wont have money for a nice apartment and entertainment. I know many folks making minimum wage that are receiving assistance on rent and utilities and food stamps. My state has a 9.7% sales tax and there is tax on food. Also many areas in the south dont have public transportation and often people have to drive a good distance to their job.
I just returned from a trip to Mississippi and Arkansas to visit friends. They tell me there is lots of poor people in those two States. But I wonder, are low wage workers really that poor in a place like Arkansas? Things are really cheap there relative to the rest of America. One of my friends live in a two bedroom apartment in a nice new complex and pay only $680 a month. That same apartment where I live in Fairfax VA would be $1800 a month. They took me to their grocery store and the prices were much lower. Their utility bills are much lower. Movies, bowling, golf, entertainment etc is much cheaper. Gasoline is much cheaper. Pretty much everything in those states seemed so cheap to me.
If you work a regular job in Arkansas you have a much higher standard of living than doing the same job in Washington DC, New York, LA, or San Francisco. (Even if the wages are slightly higher in those cities)
So, my question is: Are low paid workers in the Southern US really that poor?
We have been keeping this a secret from Northerners for years---and they call US dumb. LOL
About the only time we see a difference in our income comparison is when we go to a national event.
Real estate is location, location, location. You can put two salaries together from Walmart and live pretty good in a lot of places in the South. But when you go on the world cruise, you will have to watch your dollars. But going in a different direction, when you pay national taxes our salaries are lower and we pay much less a percentage of our income to the IRS.
Another time it counts is if you are moving from the South to the North. The North can sell their home and come down here and buy a much bigger home, but I had a friend that was given a promotion to a Northern state and he turned it down after going house hunting. They were living in a five bedroom split-level and could find nothing in the new town that compared to the home they had here. He went looking for another job in our area.
A real comparison would have to be what percentage of your income you spend on each item. When we visited Arkansas we found their electric bills to be much higher than ours in North Carolina. And I hate using natural gas. I don't want anything hooked to my home that could possibly blow it up accidently.
City-Data has a comparison number for most towns that will let you compare how they rate. Just look up the town and find its cost of living figure in the statistics.
the basics, yeah, it's way easier to get by in Arkansas than it is in the DC area.
In arkansas you don't have everyone trying to live in the same spot, bidding up the prices in the process.
on the other hand if you want to be buying a lot of expensive durable goods, you're better off in DC
and in the long run you'll probably be able to afford higher quality goods in DC.
The principle difference in COL between (almost) ANY two areas in the US... is the real estate.
(land, structures, taxes, insurance). A buggy full of groceries each week or a car or appliance? No.
Best COL comparison tool I've found: Cost of Living comparison calculator
If you earn $50,000 in Tupelo MS you'll need almost $90,000 to maintain similarly in DC
The key though in all of this is whether you have the skills needed to earn at a given level...
and (if inclined to move) whether you can do/get the same somewhere else.
Hard numbers from an objective source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
Median value of owner-occupied housing units in Tupelo, 2007-2011 $117,500
Median household income in Tupelo, 2007-2011 $39,415
Median value of owner-occupied housing units in DC, 2007-2011 $442,600
Median household income in DC, 2007-2011 $61,835
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.
