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So - it looks my husband is going to be offered a job in Pittsburgh, pa. I am thrilled and scared! We have only been to Pittsburgh once and then it was by accident (a wrong off ramp on the freeway) and when we turned around we ended up in what appeared to be not one of the nicest neighborhoods in town (at least I am hoping)
My biggest concerns are 1 - can we afford to live in the Burgh 2 - will we be able to rent a home in a decent school for our kids 3 - will we be able to live in a safe area.
As for affordability - we are coming from Lithia, Florida (a burb of Tampa) - so I know income taxes will be higher. Florida has no state income tax - PA does - and it looks like the areas around PA each have a local tax - is this correct? It looks like PA's tax is 3.07%, and depending on where you live in the Burgh area you will pay an additional 1-3% - is that correct? This pretty much means that my husband will need to be offered 75k (assuming we live in a 1% area) to have the exact same bi-weekly check. Now - we aren't extravagant people - we go out to eat a couple of times a month - go to the movies once ever few months - for entertainment we like to swim and hike - visit historical things. We only have one car payment (we own the other car because it is old) and it about $300/mo. The only debt we have is a student loan payment - which is about $500/mo. Our biggest expense is the fact that we have four children - ranging from 6-13. For a zillion reasons (mostly because we have two kids with special needs) - working for me is almost impossible (no support system nearby and with almost daily appointments for my kids that makes working difficult) - so we would have to live on that 75k/year. Is this doable in this area? We are tight in the Tampa area - and according to Sperlings best places the Pittsburgh area looks to be a little more expensive than here.
So the things we use - Cable/internet/landline - we don't want anything special - and if we could get away with just local channels we would love it - but right now we pay $95/mo for a bundle that has internet, cable, and landline - would love to know about what it runs there. I already looked at car insurance - which PA seems to be about half the price for the same insurance as here in FL - so that is good. Right now we pay 1450/mo for rent for a four bedroom house - we do know we will probably have to go down to three bedrooms for a while - until we are ready to buy a home - but can you get a home for 1450 or less in a decent school district? Electricity/heat - we pay about $250 a month combined from May through September here, then it goes down to about $150/mo during the winter months - would love to know what people are paying for heat and electricity up there. I know in Michigan we payed about $250/m just for heat and about another $120/m for electricity during the winter (Michigan was where we lived before Florida). Water is another thing - right now with six people in our home - one a teenager who takes long showers - we pay about $80/mo in water/sewer. Garbage is included in our rent (paid in property taxes) - so that would be a new expense for us as well - about how much does garbage run?
Transportation - according to Sperlings cost of living comparison transportation in PA is a lot more (which I don't understand because it looks cheaper to plate and insure your car there) I am wondering if this is toll roads - will you hit a toll road everyday? Is it that common? Gas looks to be about 10 cents more per gallon there - which isn't huge (like California or something). As for clothing - I like to hit the Salvation Army here - great namebrands - are there decent thrift shops in Pittsburgh? Once that are in a safe area where a mom and her four kids can shop?
Lastly - under affordability - food. With our size family and the ages of my kids our food budget is a big thing. I am meticulous with this (being that before I had to stay home I was a public health dietitian). I menu plan for two weeks at a time, and when I grocery shop I usually hit 3-4 places to get the best prices on everything. With that being said - we spend about $700/mo on food (we have four kids - remember) - and this can't change if my husband is offered 75k/year because right now our input is the same as our output and this would be the same takehome. I do cook most food from scratch - we occasionally eat processed food - but that is not the norm. Thus - I would love to know about how much some items are. Right now I pay for our most used items: Milk - 3.10 (Sam's) Cheese - 4.50 for 2 pound brick (Sams) Eggs: 2.20 for a dozen and a half (Sams) Apples - 2.99 for 3 pounds 80/20 ground beef: about 3/pound (Sams) Boneless skinless chicken breast: 2/pound (Sams). Would love a basic idea of how much this costs. Plus - is there sales tax on food in Pittsburgh?
I will say - it does look like there are loads of free things to do in the area (things we like to do). We love to hike and visit parks, we love to swim, we love to visit historical places. We do like to go bowling occasionally, and one of my daughters has just found a love for roller skating. Here in Florida it seems like everything costs something. It is really too hot and nasty to hike in the woods (not to mention the bugs - yuck) which leaves the beach (more than an hour away, crowed, and costs to park!) and indoor things which will cost a family our size at least 100 to do (and that isn't talking about Disney and Busch Gardens!) So that looks like it will work with our family.
Next is schools and safety. We need our kids to go to a good school. Two of our kids have high functioning autism. The one in 8th grade is SUPER smart - and he is taking three 9th grade classes while in 8th grade. My youngest twin is in first grade - and she is a big worry as well - so we would need to find a school that will work with us. Our kids like to go outside and play a lot - and we like to go for neighborhood walks - so safety is an issue.
My husband's job will be at UPMC south location - we are OK with up to an hour drive to that facility (that is what he has now). He will also be traveling with this position - so the kids and I will be home alone when he travels - so again safety is an issue. We are country people and would love to live more in the country - but we realize this may not be an option (especially since we will have to rent for at least a year - we had to short sale our home in Michigan and we need to wait one more year before we can get a mortgage).
Thank you in advance. . . . hoping we can say yes to what he is offered - I would hate to have to say no to a job offer that would bring us back up north!
Thus - I would love to know about how much some items are. Right now I pay for our most used items: Milk - 3.10 (Sam's) Cheese - 4.50 for 2 pound brick (Sams) Eggs: 2.20 for a dozen and a half (Sams) Apples - 2.99 for 3 pounds 80/20 ground beef: about 3/pound (Sams) Boneless skinless chicken breast: 2/pound (Sams). Would love a basic idea of how much this costs. Plus - is there sales tax on food in Pittsburgh?
No sales tax on most food in Pennsylvania- the exception is prepared food in the grocery store or restaurant meals.
However, you aren't going to be able to get milk for that kind of price here- the state's Milk Marketing Board has set a minimum price of $3,89/gallon for whole milk, it is illegal for stores to sell for less.
We just want to make sure Pittsburgh is the right city for us. Looks like a great city - but we don't want to move our family to a situation we can't afford.
I have to run out in a second to take my car for an oil change, but I'll be back on soon to help out in greater depth. In the interim, can you clarify if your husband will be working at the UPMC South campus at 1300 Oxford Drive in Bethel Park (in the 'burbs of the South Hills) or at the UPMC South Side Hospital (in the South Side of the city proper)? Knowing this will be very helpful. If your husband will be working in Bethel Park, then that opens up some areas a bit further south and southeast that are not only more rural but are also more affordable for a family that are still well within an hour's drive. As with any major metropolitan area it's usually cheaper the further out you live from the core of the city.
You should be able to make it in Pittsburgh on $75,000 without a problem, but you won't be living extravagantly. Given that your husband will be working someplace south, I would consider looking at the Baldwin/Whitehall area, maybe Mt. Lebo or Bethel Park if you can find something in your price range. There are plenty of Aldi's and Bottom Dollars which are nice inexpensive grocery stores.
We just want to make sure Pittsburgh is the right city for us. Looks like a great city - but we don't want to move our family to a situation we can't afford.
I truly don't believe you'll be able to "unafford" Pittsburgh with a $75,000 salary, assuming you're thrifty and not careless with your discretionary income.
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Originally Posted by gmagoo
Pa. is the 7th cheapest state for car ownership if that`s of any importance to you.
Agreed. Pittsburgh has relatively high "transportation costs", overall, because our mass transit is priced above-average. Since those with the most limited means of income often are those most reliant upon public transportation, they can very easily feel this financial pinch. I do anticipate the gas tax being increase in PA shortly, though. With so many of our roads and bridges falling into deplorabe condition there's very few ways around it, especially with the former plan to toll I-80 falling by the wayside.
To address one of the OP's original inquiries there aren't many "toll roads" here. The Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) skirts the city's outer eastern and northern suburbs, but if your husband is primarily working in the South Hills, then you won't be utilizing this very much. There's a much shorter toll road in the Greensburg/Delmont area, and there's also a tolled section of I-376 between the airport and Beaver County (west to northwest of the city). I can't think of any other tolls around. It's difficult to commute east/west across the South Hills, and if the "Beltway" ever gets off the ground there's a strong chance that will be a toll road.
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Originally Posted by Tinare
Also keep in mind that in addition to most food items not being subject to PA sales tax, most clothing items are exempt as well.
Also bear in mind that Allegheny County has its own 1% sales tax, which means an item that might be priced at $100 in a different county (costing $106 including state tax) would be $107 in Allegheny County (costing $107 including state and county tax). Over the course of all of my spending throughout the year, which is mostly in the city, this results in an extremely negligible amount, but it's certainly something to consider if you plan to do a lot of shopping and truly need to stretch every penny.
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Originally Posted by markson33
You should be able to make it in Pittsburgh on $75,000 without a problem, but you won't be living extravagantly. Given that your husband will be working someplace south, I would consider looking at the Baldwin/Whitehall area, maybe Mt. Lebo or Bethel Park if you can find something in your price range. There are plenty of Aldi's and Bottom Dollars which are nice inexpensive grocery stores.
Some pretty good advice here. I'd also consider something further south into Washington County if your husband will be working in Bethel Park. Maybe Union Township and the Finleyville areas, which should be a bit less expensive yet still well within your husband's commuting preference to Bethel Park.
First things first: yes, I think you'd be fine on that budget in an area relatively convenient to your husband's work. I'm not sure on various districts' reputations for working with special needs, but Bethel Park, Keystone Oaks, or South Park seem like they might work logistically -- they're above average, not hugely expensive school districts. These would be closer-in suburbs, so you'd probably be looking at a slightly smaller lot but an easier commute. If you wanted someplace a little more rural-feeling, you could go south into Washington County (Peters Township and Canon-McMillan have good reputations). There are other options, of course, but those are some obvious ones that would be convenient.
Looking for a single-family home and preferring a four-bedroom, you'll likely find that buying is cheaper than renting. I am not sure you could find a 4BR rental in those areas for less than $1450 a month but I think you could find a house for well under $200K in a safe area that'll work with your other criteria -- maybe even around or under $100K. I would feel pretty confident you could rent a 3BR for around your price range, however.
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