In your opinion is this article accurate about the MSP area? (Buffalo: 2015, townhome)

[beenhereandthere]

For sure MSP is my favorite Metro Area that’s not on the West Coast.

Is there truth to this article? Are the wages for positions with multiple weeks of training that’s at least usually needed, fair to the rents, utilities, etc?

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...apolis/384975/

I mean, Indianapolis, Fargo and Pittsburgh are, Ive heard, (opinions in the media) bang for the buck places with an actual inexpensive cost of living but $12 dollars an hour is considered a good salary both of those places and sever others like it, How is that in a way, affordable?

Really hope the Twin Cities area isn’t like that. Particularly when it’s not that cheap, on a Nationwide Scale anyway to live there. Actually seems slightly more than average for COL, maybe like Tacoma, WA out around where I reside.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I would say the article is for the most part true. The one problem is that it was written in 2015 and housing has become exceedingly less affordable in the last couple years. It’s still much more affordable than the coastal cities but expensive when compared to cities like Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore, Detroit, etc.

What constitutes good pay is subjective but I think very few people in the Twin Cities would consider $12/hour good pay. In fact I’d argue that it isn’t even a livable wage.

[Minntoaz]

They make it sound like a utopia which is downright false. This "fiscal-equalization" perhaps isn't working as well as they state as people are still getting shot by the dozen in specific areas of the twin cities and school ratings still have a wide disparity amongst wealthier and poorer areas, etc; Also because of this spread the wealth type of mentality taxes are second only to California for the highest tax bracket. Housing isn't outlandish but higher than many places and property taxes are very high!

There are a lot of positives to Minnesota and the Twin Cities but realistically there are some major downfalls too.

[Citykid3785]

I agree with both posts above. Housing has skyrocketed in the last two years (as it has in many places), and our taxes are high. The twin cities do make a great combination of good paying jobs with relative affordability. We are a metro where by and large most can choose the lifestyle you want to strive for, whether that be a one income family in a $175k townhome, or a two income family living in a $700k house, both are options here still.

But make no mistake, as others have said, if you want low cost of living regardless of quality of life, that belongs to rust belt cities, Sioux falls, Des Moines, KC, Indy, and a host of other southern cities. My friend has a good paying engineer in job in KC, and he bought his house a few years ago for $93k. Those types of deals just don't exist here and haven't for a long time.

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

I would say the article is for the most part true. The one problem is that it was written in 2015 and housing has become exceedingly less affordable in the last couple years. It’s still much more affordable than the coastal cities but expensive when compared to cities like Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore, Detroit, etc.

What constitutes good pay is subjective but I think very few people in the Twin Cities would consider $12/hour good pay. In fact I’d argue that it isn’t even a livable wage.

Even in St Cloud you could be hurting on that, $12 per