Is San Jose a good place for families?

[bobby_guz_man]

It's really a truly horrible city, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Why the hell are we all even here?

[Billy Millennium]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

I think the drawbacks for singles pale in comparison with drawbacks for families. Yes, San Jose & SV are weak as far as nightlife goes, but you can always go to SF for that. Yes, it's a pain but not the end of the world...As for families, sure, it is a generally safe area, but the schools are not that great and housing is just not affordable for families earning the median or even somewhat above median income. I think what school your kid(s) end up going to is more important than the nightlife for singles in the grand scheme of things. JMO.

I always thought of San Jose as a family place. But you make some good points that it may not even be good for that. The lack of a sense of community also. And yeah I forget how crappy a lot of the schools are. Or often have high performing students; but the facilities are subpar. A lot of the high schools (even some of the better ones) just look fugly on the outside. Then there's some nice neighborhood like the Rosegarden and Willow Glen that funnel into subpar or mediocre schools.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Billy Millennium

I always thought of San Jose as a family place. But you make some good points that it may not even be good for that. The lack of a sense of community also. And yeah I forget how crappy a lot of the schools are. Or often have high performing students; but the facilities are subpar. A lot of the high schools (even some of the better ones) just look fugly on the outside. Then there's some nice neighborhood like the Rosegarden and Willow Glen that funnel into subpar or mediocre schools.

Thanks for seeing my point.

SJ and most Coastal California metro areas are not good for families unless:

--You have an extended family network who can watch your kids so you don't have to pay for daycare while both parents work

--You receive/inherit significant money to buy a house or you an inherit a house outright.

--You have low aspirations and are ok with living in subsidized housing, food stamps, welfare, etc. (not my idea of a good life).

--You have an income 1.5x to 2x above the area's median income. If 2 parents have to work to earn this income, it is still doable...but typically that type of income comes from 2 demanding/time consuming professional jobs....In this scenario, you won't get to raise your own kids. 2 income families also have higher divorce rates. If you can manage 1.5x the area's median income with a single earner (rare) then life here can be pretty good or even great. But, that's the problem....it's not possible for everyone to be above average.

[nagleepark]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

SJ and most Coastal California metro areas are not good for families unless:

--You have an extended family network who can watch your kids so you don't have to pay for daycare while both parents work

--You receive/inherit significant money to buy a house or you an inherit a house outright.

--You have low aspirations and are ok with living in subsidized housing, food stamps, welfare, etc. (not my idea of a good life).

--You have an income 1.5x to 2x above the area's median income. If 2 parents have to work to earn this income, it is still doable...but typically that type of income comes from 2 demanding/time consuming professional jobs....In this scenario, you won't get to raise your own kids. 2 income families also have higher divorce rates. If you can manage 1.5x the area's median income with a single earner (rare) then life here can be pretty good or even great. But, that's the problem....it's not possible for everyone to be above average.

Aww but this analysis suffers from the "money solves all problems" bias. Which it doesn't.

(And not to nitpick but median household income is $89K for Santa Clara County, meaning $133.5K for 1.5x median and $178K for 2x median. Not really enough.)

More money may improve a particular family's life in San Jose but that doesn't mean that San Jose is good for families. It doesn't even mean that that particular family has a better family life in San Jose than if they took all their money and moved out of the area.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by nagleepark

Aww but this analysis suffers from the "money solves all problems" bias. Which it doesn't.

(And not to nitpick but median household income is $89K for Santa Clara County, meaning $133.5K for 1.5x median and $178K for 2x median. Not really enough.)

More money may improve a particular family's life in San Jose but that doesn't mean that San Jose is good for families. It doesn't even mean that that particular family has a better family life in San Jose than if they took all their money and moved out of the area.

No, it doesn't solve all problems, but it does solve some. As you alluded to in your post, an income of $133.5K to $178K is "not really enough" for a family in San Jose.