Why would a middle class person move to the San Jose area? (Durham: 2015, houses)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by my post

It is so expensive to live in the greater San Jose area that I don't understand why anyone would MOVE TO the area unless they could earn at least 200K or more.

If you are in administration, Accounting or STEM there are plenty of great jobs in many other tech areas that are not so expensive. (Like Raleigh and Austin)

If you have a career in anything else, why would you move to a place where things are so expensive and you would live in poverty even if you made over $50K a year?

Reasons I hear from people who did it:
- Weather
- To be near family
- Perception of better tolerance / diversity / etc (may or may not be true in any given particular case)
- Work (yes, even with the lousy income / cost ratio - e.g. career strategy, the long game, etc).
- Geography / recreational opportunities

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

We've reached the limit of how far one can commute. Home prices even on the outskirts are quite high compared to other parts of the U.S. Other folks on CD often remark that homes within a 1 hour commute outside job centers in NYC, Boston, DC, and other expensive metros put people in much more reasonably priced housing than those who face similar commutes in the Bay Area.

Heck, 30 - 40 minutes. Compare Trulia for places a 15 - 20 mile radius of Manhattan vs that same radius from the inner Bay Area.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Heck, 30 - 40 minutes. Compare Trulia for places a 15 - 20 mile radius of Manhattan vs that same radius from the inner Bay Area.

You don't even have to leave the city limits of NYC often, even. Depends on ones definition of "cheap", of course, but if you're using the Bay Area's, then yeah, within the city limits of NYC could even get you that.

[Ceece]

I wouldn't recommend to anyone I know to move here unless they were single and willing to live with friends. People do that now, just like they did during the Great Depression. Only they are doing it willingly. It's ok for awhile, like being in college, and having the perks of living in the SF Bay Area might even make it worth while to some. Most just put in their time and leave though.

[TheGreatCurve]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

Burning hot, freezing cold, hurricanes, hurricanes, ice cold/burning hot, and burning hot

The only criteria mentioned was a place cheaper than San Jose that still has a decent variety of jobs. Weather doesn't prevent people from having a job so you wouldn't be unemployed as you mentioned. Besides, man up! Most people in the rest of the world have to deal with imperfect weather and they survive just fine. No wonder the rest of the country view Californians as a bunch of sissies.

Great weather is expensive.

[e2ksj3]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

Burning hot, freezing cold, hurricanes, hurricanes, ice cold/burning hot, and burning hot

Yeah the weather is nice, but the Bay Area (and the rest of California) has to deal with earthquakes as their natural disaster and unlike hurricanes strike with no prior warning.

I thought about moving to the Bay Area as I am in the IT field, but the cost of living was a deal breaker for me even with the higher salary. Housing cost are way too expensive, even worse than the DC area where I live now. Not to mention California has the highest income tax in the country along with a high sales and gas tax.

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by e2ksj3

Yeah the weather is nice, but the Bay Area (and the rest of California) has to deal with earthquakes as their natural disaster and unlike hurricanes strike with no prior warning.

I thought about moving to the Bay Area as I am in the IT field, but the cost of living was a deal breaker for me even with the higher salary. Housing cost are way too expensive, even worse than the DC area where I live now. Not to mention California has the highest income tax in the country along with a high sales and gas tax.

Oh boy, shaking for a few minutes. That's not something you deal with every year plus there's the fact out earthquakes cannot be over 8.0 because our faults literally cannot generate anything stronger

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by TheGreatCurve

The only criteria mentioned was a place cheaper than San Jose that still has a decent variety of jobs. Weather doesn't prevent people from having a job so you wouldn't be unemployed as you mentioned. Besides, man up! Most people in the rest of the world have to deal with imperfect weather and they survive just fine. No wonder the rest of the country view Californians as a bunch of sissies.

Great weather is expensive.

Seattle and Portland have what I consider ideal weather but they're expensive now. Eureka also has ideal weather but
No jobs.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

Living somewhere cheaper but having no job is worse than barely making ends meet

The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by TheGreatCurve

For many people, if it's cheap enough, they don't need a job.

Exactly. If I want to, I can move to a lower cost area and just work a part time job and be ok between that and my investment portfolio. That's what nearly 20 years of fairly aggressive savings will do for you.