Do you think I could afford to live in Seattle? (Tacoma: low income, affordable apartment)

[MinnesotaJen]

I work for the Navy as a civilian employee. Right now I’m in the Deep South and am looking for a change. Seattle is towards the top of my list of places I’d like to relocate to. I did my college internship in San Diego in 2010. They did offer me an entry level job for $10.00 an hour. But since San Diego is crazy expensive I didn’t want to try to make a living on those wages so I took a job elsewhere.

As I mentioned earlier I want to get out of the Deep South but still work for the Navy. Since I’m working as an office manager and building up my resume I figure I’d have a better chance in San Diego a second time around. But the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of relocating to the Seattle area instead.

It’s probably been 10 years since I’ve been to Seattle. It’s a gorgeous city. I’m originally from Minnesota and am pretty outdoorsy. So I’m definitely liking that aspect of Seattle. Which personality-wise would fit me better than San Diego. I do have family in Tacoma so it’s nice to know family is close by.

If I did get a job transfer to the Seattle area I’d either be working north of Seattle in either Everett or Whidbey Island. Possibly Bremerton but the other two areas are more likely. The Everett area would be my first choice--fingers crossed!

If I do get a job transfer, I should be making $35,000-$40,000 a year. I’m only two years out of college so my salary isn’t that great. Is this enough money to realistically live in the Seattle area? I’d prefer a two bedroom apartment but would settle for one if that’s all I could afford. And I’d rather live without roommates. Eventually I’d like to get married but definitely not anytime soon! So it would be just me. I know traffic's bad in Seattle so I'd like to live close to my job. I'm not big into the party scene so it wouldn't be a necessity for me to be in close proximity to downtown Seattle's nightlife.

I’m a former college athlete so I had a full scholarship and have no student loans to pay back. I should have my car loan paid off within the next six months. So by the time I relocate to Seattle I’d really just have to worry about everyday expenses: rent and utilities, gas, groceries, insurance, taxes and so on.

Thanks for your advice!

[Hemlock140]

You could do fine in either Everett or Bremerton on that amount. Just be careful about where to live in Everett, it has some really sketchy areas. You might find a really affordable apartment but have drug dealers and hookers next door. Avoid anything off of West Casino Rd., for example.

[MinnesotaJen]

Hmmmm....drug dealers and hookers. Not the usual crowd that I run with. Thanks for the heads up about the sketchy areas of Everett. I've been looking at apartments online just for an idea and I can tell which places you mean.

[gwix98]

I'd concentrate on the South Everett area, perhaps even as far south
as Mukilteo. My son and his wife just got a nice 2 bedroom in a very
nice area (Harbor Point) for $800.
My mother in law lives in a very safe area just 6 blocks north of the Everett Mall. Again, reasonable prices for housing and lots of services very close.
Basically any area south of Madison street.
Avoid the Casino road area as a previous poster mentioned. Not safe.

As I live in north Edmonds and frequently travel into the above mentioned
areas, I'm pretty familiar with them. My wife also works in the Everett
School District, and believe it or not its pretty good.
Everett is spotty, but I'm sure you could find something that would work
for you. I personally believe that in the years to come Everett will continue to
revitalize itself, and some of the best years are ahead.
JMHO....good luck.
And $35-$40K will be just fine with no major debt service.

[azoria]

Everett?

Bremerton? That's on the other side of the Puget Sound.

That's not Seattle.

[civic94]

35-40k a year, you will do fine in seattle. if you look hard enough you can get a 2 bedroom for 800. I pay 750 for a 2 bedroom in beacon hill.

[eskercurve]

You can find reasonable apartments even further south if you wanted, in Lynnwood and Edmonds. If you are stationed in Bremerton or Whidbey Island you could easily find places very close that are reasonable. I think you could make it. Just don't expect to be able to afford the "trendy" areas of Seattle.

[noexcuseforignorance]

If I do get a job transfer, I should be making $35,000-$40,000 a year. I’m only two years out of college so my salary isn’t that great. Is this enough money to realistically live in the Seattle area? I’d prefer a two bedroom apartment but would settle for one if that’s all I could afford. And I’d rather live without roommates. Eventually I’d like to get married but definitely not anytime soon! So it would be just me. I know traffic's bad in Seattle so I'd like to live close to my job. I'm not big into the party scene so it wouldn't be a necessity for me to be in close proximity to downtown Seattle's nightlife.

The own apartment thing is going to be tough. There's no state income tax here so that helps. What is your monthly budget for housing?

In terms of the places in which you'd be living, none of them are Seattle. Everett is a 30 minute drive away, Whidbey is a ferry away and Bremerton is as well. You could probably live in Seattle and commute, but that would add costs.

Whidbey is probably the most expensive of the three. Both Everett and Bremerton have lower costs of living, but also aren't considered to be the best places in the area to live.

I would google each one and get an idea for them. I'd also look at Craigslist to get some housing prices. Does the military have any housing to offer in these areas? I would think that you could get housing cheaper in any of them than right in San Diego.

Other costs will be mostly the same as what they are elsewhere. Feel free to ping me if you have any general questions.

[BaconBurgerTaco10]

Jen, you could easily do it if you live a cheap lifestyle like myself. I make 32K and just bought a house 4 months ago in Lynnwood which is a city about 20-25 minutes north of Seattle. I DO have rooommates which makes a difference but I still pay 750 + utilities but I still have plenty of money to save each paycheck. I'm not sure what kind of lifestyle you live currently so I don't know that you would have to change but I'll explain mine to give you an example. I drive a $3,000 car which I've driven since I was 18. (23 now). I never go out to eat or drink. I cook at home (Spaghetti, chicken, pastas). I don't buy expensive clothes and I don't buy impulse items like a lot of people do.

It's really not that difficult. When you live cheap, you find other things enjoyable and appreciate things more! I have a great savings account in case of an emergency and I did this on a low income salary. You can easily do it. If you really want to learn, check out Dave Ramsey. He does a podcast and radio program you can listen to that helps a lot. Good luck to you and like I said, you can do it.. Don't let people tell you that you can't.

[Freebird2007]

Originally Posted by gwix98

I'd concentrate on the South Everett area, perhaps even as far south
as Mukilteo. My son and his wife just got a nice 2 bedroom in a very
nice area (Harbor Point) for $800.
My mother in law lives in a very safe area just 6 blocks north of the Everett Mall. Again, reasonable prices for housing and lots of services very close.
Basically any area south of Madison street.
Avoid the Casino road area as a previous poster mentioned. Not safe.

As I live in north Edmonds and frequently travel into the above mentioned
areas, I'm pretty familiar with them. My wife also works in the Everett
School District, and believe it or not its pretty good.
Everett is spotty, but I'm sure you could find something that would work
for you. I personally believe that in the years to come Everett will continue to
revitalize itself, and some of the best years are ahead.
JMHO....good luck.
And $35-$40K will be just fine with no major debt service.

South Everett is east of Mukilteo