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Parts of the Great Plains have the lowest cost of living in the country other than the rural Deep South, but I would never recommend living there unless you already have family or relatives that are nearby. The cost of living is low for a reason, you have to contend with the worst weather in the US all the time. Ghost towns are all over the place, distances to get to a decent healthcare are massive, social culture is very closed off, and few younger people around. Also, no public lands access as greater than 95% of all land is privately owned in many cases- meaning you need to know someone that owns land to be able to access many rural areas. If you want to take a vacation you would have to leave the area entirely if you want better access to scenic outdoor recreation opportunities on public land.
Funny. I spoke to this lady about the COL in Indiana. Her brother lives there and she said "yeah, it's still Indiana though, nice homes or not."
And everything in between. We have more than two choices - and more than three choices. We don't have to choose "either" a huge metro area "or" a quiet little town, "or" rural living. There are tons of options out there, including mid sized towns, small cities, mid sized cities, towns or suburbs or cities or even rural areas within a short drive of huge metro areas, huge metro areas within a short drive of rural areas, all with different costs of living, amenities, etc.
We are lucky to have so many options. I don't see why people feel the need to be disparaging of others' choices which are just as valid as anyone else's.
For instance, personally I really dislike Dallas. I just do not like it, as much as I love living in Texas and even love living NEAR Dallas. It's just a personal preference. But I don't think people who DO like it or DO choose to live there (for whatever reasons) are stupid. I'm glad it's them and not me, because I do like the close proximity of some amenities that Dallas offers, without me actually having to live there (for instance, the international airport). So I'm glad that Dallas is booming with lots of people who are fulfilled by living there. And I'm glad I am not paying the higher COL there, when I wouldn't even want to live there! So no, to me whatever is causing that higher COL is NOT worth it to me, and therefore for me, in my life, a lower COL in a smaller city is NOT overrated, because it's my life and my happiness I'm concerned with. Not someone else's life and personal happiness.
There are all sorts of things I'm unwilling to pay for that other people are very willing to pay for - for instance, I will simply not spend $400 on a pair of shoes. I just won't. I'm sure some $400 shoes are fabulous and I'd love them. And I could afford them. But I won't buy them because I can find fabulous shoes that I love for a lot less.
Heck, I am cheap I guess because I also won't spend even $60 on a bottle of wine. Or $10 or whatever on a cigar. Or $1500 (or more) a month on an 800 square foot apartment. Or $300 a month on HOA fees. But you know what? Lots of people will, and I'm not calling them stupid. They might think I'm stupid for spending $70 every three weeks on mosquito treatments, or $50 a week to get my lawn mowed and edged, or paying for a cable TV package when I don't even watch most of those programs, or (fill in the blank). But I hope they realize that I'm not actually stupid - I just have a different life than they do and surely that's OK. What a boring world this would be if we all had the same priorities or lifestyles.
Your posts in this thread have been fantastic. Honestly, a lot of people in their 20s living in big cities, young people who are wannabe big city residents, and other relatively young people freshly transplanted to x big city on here for some reason love to impose their values on everyone else, and believe that cities can actually be objectively inferior or superior. Maybe they want to brag about their accomplishment of moving to a big urban city and in doing so feel the need to disparage other areas. I notice you don't really see it in reverse on here - people in mid-size cities, small cities, and living in the country - disparaging big city living.
Wow, the bolded is profound. It is absolutely how I feel about where I currently live (Virginia Beach/Norfolk). I like it here and it isn't as expensive to me (probably because I've lived around) as it is to others, but it definitely is too expensive for what we get in return...
Yes, that's it exactly. My point was I have seen it from both sides. I lived in a place that had become too expensive a place for me in which to live. It didn't start out that way but it evolved into that place. I stayed for many reasons though, mostly because I really liked it and I thought I could never get the things I had there in a place with a lower COL. So I stuck it out for years paying a higher and higher price.
I was, of course, wrong.
If you are happy where you are that's great. I've been there and it is a beautiful area. Even though you feel it may be over priced if it's worth it to you and you can afford it, that's all that's important.
When mid sized cities compare themselves to better larger cities (like Midwest cities comparing to Chicago or the coasts) they always like to say, well we have a lower cost of living. But really that is not a good reason.
1. Bigger cities have jobs and careers that pay more. I could move to a 3rd world country with a low cost of living, but jobs would pay under minimum wage and the quality of life would be depressing.
2. Even if a home costs more and I would have to get a smaller home, I would still be okay with that because I would be happier in a smaller home, but in a great metro/city. The trade off is worth it.
Good for you -- but that is just your opinion -- and that counts as nothing. There are so many factors that add up against your statements that one must wonder if you are trying to convince yourself.
When mid sized cities compare themselves to better larger cities (like Midwest cities comparing to Chicago or the coasts) they always like to say, well we have a lower cost of living. But really that is not a good reason.
1. Bigger cities have jobs and careers that pay more.
This is not always true. In my field of medicine, jobs in small to mid-sized cities in the south and Midwest pay considerably more than the same jobs on the coasts or in really large cities like Chicago, even though the cost of living in those areas is lower. If I quit my current job and moved to a larger city with a higher cost of living, I'd be taking a sizable pay cut (in the range of 25-30%).
People who live in high cost cities (i.e. The Coasts and Sunbelt) take for granted the jobs, economy and amenities that they have because they've been so spoiled and used to being handed things.
People who live in low cost cities (i.e. The Midwest) take for granted the quality of life.
Mississippi and Alabama are two of the poorest states in the nation and are in the South.
When mid sized cities compare themselves to better larger cities (like Midwest cities comparing to Chicago or the coasts) they always like to say, well we have a lower cost of living. But really that is not a good reason.
1. Bigger cities have jobs and careers that pay more.
Maybe generally speaking, but we're talking about individuals. My husband makes the same amount of money no matter where we live (and it's a nice income which would provide a comfortable lifestyle even in a very expensive metro area). If the things in a huge metro area and/or high COL area aren't what's important to us, why should we pay for them - when we have more expendable income AND money for savings living in an area that we actually enjoy more?
Here's a word of advice - never unnecessarily limit your options. This includes career choices - if you can find and build a career that pays really well regardless of where you live, you might want to consider that. It's great!
Mississippi and Alabama are two of the poorest states in the nation and are in the South.
Well, that's a blanket observation, one that also misses the differentiation between raw income and adjusted income after cost of living. If you look at the US Census' supplemental index that takes into account cost of living, Alabama is about the middle of the pack at 26th, while California is at rock bottom. California's poverty rate is seven points higher than that of Alabama, so that makes 'poor' a relative term.
In other words, after paying for taxes, food, shelter, and other necessities, the average Alabamian has more discretionary income than his counterpart in California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, among others. Hey, if you're a zillionaire, San Francisco, New York, and Boston are great places to live. But if you're a middle-class family trying to raise kids and make ends meet, there are a thousand places in this country that are far better candidates.
And, contrary to stereotype, Huntsville and Birmingham are rather nice places to live with a high quality of life. For example, the suburb where I live is one of the nation's wealthiest and consistently ranked one of the best suburbs of America. And the eastern shore of Mobile Bay is well-nigh heaven. So it's not exactly Hee Haw.
Last edited by MinivanDriver; 11-06-2018 at 06:00 AM..
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