Where would this place me (Boston, Springfield: houses, median income, living)

[ogplife]

I'm considering a job offer in Springfield of $46,000 per year. Is that a decent salary in that area. What is the average salary in that area?

[holden125]

I don't know the average salary for Springfield, but it's probably lower than $46,000. It's hard to answer what constitutes a decent salary since people have different ideas, but I can say the Springfield area is much more affordable in terms of housing than the Boston area. I remember seeing houses in West Springfield, which is a pretty nice town, that were 1/3 of the price of a similar house near Boston. Even Longmeadow, which is the most expensive town around there, seems like a relative bargain.

[Russia25]

Originally Posted by ogplife

I'm considering a job offer in Springfield of $46,000 per year. Is that a decent salary in that area. What is the average salary in that area?

The areas surrounding Springfield are pretty nice and theres plenty of places to choose from where 46k would make for a comfortable living.

I'd say stay away from Springfield, Palmer, and Ware.

Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, and Wilbraham are high end towns.

Other towns to consider are Monson(small), Ludlow, West Springfield, Agawam, Southwick(small), Hampden(small)

[willdufauve]

What kind of job is it for $46k?

That's not a big income compared to living expenses here but is it a starter job with room for advancement, etc?

[goyguy]

For towns to settle in, also consider the Pioneer Valley communities which are slightly to the north of Springfield - beyond Holyoke - along I-91: South Hadley (closest to Spfld), Amherst, Northampton, and Hadley. And don't forget "south of the border" in CT: Enfield, Windsor, Suffield, and Granby.

Another locale better avoided is Chicopee, a declining suburb with mostly small older houses and traffic congestion problems.

$46k is a healthy mid-range income for that region. You should have no problem landing a nice place to live in whatever town you select. Don't forget, you're on city-data.com, so all the relevant statistics you're after are just a click away.

[ogplife]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

What kind of job is it for $46k?

That's not a big income compared to living expenses here but is it a starter job with room for advancement, etc?

It's an entry level/starter position with room for advancement.

[wheelmannn]

The median income in springfield is around 30,000. Northampton is around 44,000. A single person should be able to live comfortably anywhere in western mass on 46k.