Can you live on $80,000 a year in Northern VA (Fairfax: townhouse, to buy)

[Yankeesfan]

I have children Scran-Barre's age who grew up here and have many friends, plus I work with a LOT of young people, and have never met a single one who comes anywhere close to what he describes. Not that I don't believe they exist, just that they are only a small segment of the young population here, not the norm.

Back to the OP, federal government jobs are a good thing to have, especially since the benefits (health care, retirement, transit subsidies) are very good. You'll be fine.

Make sure to check into the transit subsidy and take advantage of it. You'll probably be happier with your commute if you use public transportation since it will be less stressful than driving. That way you can also do well with only one car -- either take a bus to the Metro, VRE, etc. or have your wife drive you and pick you up. That way you're not paying for a second car that's just going to sit in a lot all day.

Also realize that townhouses are a way of life here, so there's no shame in living in one rather than a single-family house. Especially with your children being so young, they're going to be pretty much right there with you and your wife all the time anyhow so why pay for a lot of extra space that won't get much use? Renting initially might be a good idea since it will give you time to get settled and have weekends to go out and check where you'd like to settle in rather than making such a major decision from afar.

Good luck and welcome!

[Angel713]

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

Exactly! People in Northern Virginia and the DC area in general get a bad rap for allegedly having some obsession with materialism that simply doesn't exist on a higher level than any other major metropolitan area. It's part of the competitive rat race and welcome to it!

Do some people prefer the finer things in life? Yes, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Should we apologize for having a Blackberry and getting a Starbucks latte every morning or having a martini after work because someone else doesn't have or want those same things? No thanks. I'll worry about my own life and could really care less if someone else thinks I'm "posing."

I don't think it's a major metropolitan thing. Some metro areas in the country are more materialistic that others. DC is one of the most competitive metro areas in the country thanks to the government. Should come as no surprise. DC isn't the only area that gives off that vibe, Dallas does, too. People don't normally say the same things about places like Philly or Houston. More blue collar areas, but still major metro areas (and with Houston, growing extremely fast).

[Angel713]

Originally Posted by mac10

I have to agree with you. I grew up here also and Northern Virginia was not always a flashy place. Tysons was once a two story mall and Reston Town Center did not have high rises. I went to high school in Mclean (not Langley). Most families were well off, but kids didn't drive to school in BMWs.

Northern Virginia used to be a reasonable place to live, especially when compared to the Northeast. It wasn't until the people started moving here in flocks in the 90s, when housing prices and everything else started to increase. That was also when I noticed the increase in rudeness and snobs. People came here for the jobs and along came their attitudes and fancy cars.

I don't have a problem with people driving fancy cars. I do have a problem with people trying to run you off the road with their fancy cars and think they are better than everyone else.

When were people moving to NOVA in droves? Here, it shows mostly negative, except for international migration: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA) Population and Components of Change

[mac10]

Originally Posted by Angel713

When were people moving to NOVA in droves? Here, it shows mostly negative, except for international migration: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA) Population and Components of Change

This does not show Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William Counties.

[Yankeesfan]

Yes, that's where all the growth has been, and quite a lot of it.

[Angel713]

Originally Posted by mac10

This does not show Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William Counties.

Yes it does.

It includes the entire metro area of DC, which Fairfax/Loudon/Prince William are apart of. You can view the counties if you want. It's on the left side of the page.

[NOVAmtneer82]

The point was that the Northern Virginia part of the metropolitan area has grown significantly over the past 20-30 years..especially compared to Maryland and DC proper. Considering we live in one of the most expensive places in the nation I would say that is quite a feat that we can still manage that type of growth. Much of that domestic outmigration is to counties that are right on the metropolitan fringe but not technically considered part of our MSA. Places like Berkeley County WV, Washington County MD, Franklin County PA, Frederick County VA, etc. This isn't Houston...we have zoning and other extensive land-use regulations.

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

Yes, that's where all the growth has been, and quite a lot of it.

Washingtonpost.com: Metro Section

[Fairfax Mom]

The biggest thing is not to jump into anything RENT FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR - so you can see for yourself how bad the commute is and see if you like living in a townhouse so close to other people. We tried living in Stafford which is a great area but the commute was hell and my husband came home grouchier than usual.

I love having my husband home at 3 PM to play with the kids - we are cramped living in a little house but the tradeoff is worth it. I also like living in a SFH - I just dont like having people that close to me - I value my privacy and love gardening and owning large animals.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Artsywoman

Oh please, I hate that Northern Virginia Stereotype. I grew up here and I have never owned a car etc. Not everyone here is a snob and drives a fancy car etc. We are also not rude and unfriendly. I think there are a variety of people here and it is a great area to live. I am tired of these whiny people who complain about the high cost of living. At least you can get a good salary here. I lived in Florida and everyone there complained about the low salaries. At least we have a lot here. There is a reason why things are high here, because we have a lot to offer.

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

Exactly! People in Northern Virginia and the DC area in general get a bad rap for allegedly having some obsession with materialism that simply doesn't exist on a higher level than any other major metropolitan area. It's part of the competitive rat race and welcome to it!

Do some people prefer the finer things in life? Yes, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Should we apologize for having a Blackberry and getting a Starbucks latte every morning or having a martini after work because someone else doesn't have or want those same things? No thanks. I'll worry about my own life and could really care less if someone else thinks I'm "posing."

Originally Posted by mac10

I have to agree with you. I grew up here also and Northern Virginia was not always a flashy place. Tysons was once a two story mall and Reston Town Center did not have high rises. I went to high school in Mclean (not Langley). Most families were well off, but kids didn't drive to school in BMWs.

Northern Virginia used to be a reasonable place to live, especially when compared to the Northeast. It wasn't until the people started moving here in flocks in the 90s, when housing prices and everything else started to increase. That was also when I noticed the increase in rudeness and snobs. People came here for the jobs and along came their attitudes and fancy cars.

I don't have a problem with people driving fancy cars. I do have a problem with people trying to run you off the road with their fancy cars and think they are better than everyone else.

I agree with the last poster and disagree with the other two. I've been to many major metropolitan areas in my lifetime, and DC, by far, is one of the most materialistic ones. The sheer volume of high-end vehicles on the roadways is a very good indicator of this.