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I am considering a job offer in D.C. and I have a few questions about cost of living and the area in general.
Standard of living:
My wife and I have a combined salary in Pittsburgh of approx. $130K. From my speculative offer and adjust for what I see for averages in D.C. of her position I estimate our combined income in D.C. would fall around $170K. I'm aware that the cost of living in D.C. is significantly higher (1.3-1.6X from what I've been able to gather). I've also noticed housing prices are much higher - I think we would have to pay around $300K for something similar to what we have now at $175K. I feel that we can at least maintain our standard of living, but she's more concerned about it (she hasn't begun job searching in D.C. yet).
What areas to live?
Calverton and Beltsville are the only two I've researched. My job will require commuting to and around the D.C. area on occasion (not everyday) and her job will be in healthcare, so we will want an area with ease of commute to hospitals as well. Neither one of us are strangers to 45-60 minute commutes. Of course the less the better. Neither one of us has really ever used public transit.
Intangibles:
My wife and I both like Pittsburgh and she's not crazy about moving, but professionally for me it can open up some possibilities. That said, the last thing I want is her to be miserable there and hear about it everyday. We are each in our early 30's, and really more accustomed to quiet nights in the house together, so nightlife won't be a factor in our decision. But general livability, comfort, and having a nice/safe area to walk the dog around is important to us, ideally with commutes that don't exceed and hour. We live in a large community of townhomes now that we really like.
Look up CNN and Bankrate cost of living calculators. According to those, once housing and other elements of cost of living are taken into account, 130k in Pittsburgh translates to 190k in DC according to CNN and 203k in DC according to Bankrate. So according to their math, what looks like a big pay bump in nominal terms is actually a pay cut once you factor in expenses.
I was initially told the position would be in the Calverton, MD area - so much of my research revolved around there. However, it since turned out that it will be with clients all over the metro area.
Maryland is also slightly closer to Pittsburgh, where many of our friends and family are located. That said, if we decide to relocate it's safe to say we would consider the entire DMV area.
Look up CNN and Bankrate cost of living calculators. According to those, once housing and other elements of cost of living are taken into account, 130k in Pittsburgh translates to 190k in DC according to CNN and 203k in DC according to Bankrate. So according to their math, what looks like a big pay bump in nominal terms is actually a pay cut once you factor in expenses.
While I've looked at statistics on cost of living, I wasn't clear if this referred to D.C. metro, the "beltline area", or areas that fall just outside of that. This is valuable information though - thanks for the sources.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RiotAct41
Are you sure you're comparing apples to apples as far as housing when it comes to DC vs. Pittsburgh?
I'm surprised the difference in price you found is that low, TBH.
It's more for the future opportunities (I anticipate) the position will create. I would be Ok will a nominal decrease in standard of living, as long it's not anything drastic. It would be a big move for us and I'm trying to get a general idea of what to expect.
The CNN and Bankrate calculators are looking at entire metropolitan areas, not just the city proper. The DC metro area expands well beyond the Beltway. In fact, even part of West Virginia falls into the DC metro area. So if you move here you definitely will be within the metro area. Yes, some parts of the metro area are way cheaper than others, but I don't know of any cost of living calculator that gets down to that level of specificity.
It's beltway, not beltline.
In terms of housing. Be aware any area that will be decent area and you will have a nice house, and be within an 45 minutes to an hour of DC, and possibly more. Likewise many of the hospitals are more centrally located as well, often in DC itself or at least the inner beltway suburbs. Also do not trust time estimators, consider rush hour to add another half hour plus to any commute if you are outside the beltway. Commutes can be brutal.
In terms of housing prices, if you are in the childfree, never planning on having kids group, it opens up more options as school quality matters less. Otherwise, your housing prices will be higher for the better districts.
Around here there is a saying, good schools, safe, close proximity, and affordable, you get to pick two. If budget is no problem, and you are willing to drop "affordable", you can get all three. If proximity is not an issue you can get more as well. But this area is not for the light of heart.
With that being said, please realize dc is significantly more expensive. This is almost always in the top five with the SF, SV, Boston, and NYC. It's a high COL area and people from places which are low COL area often fail to understand what that really means.
With that being said...$170k will take you a long way out here. If it's a better opportunity go for it. The advantage of DC is for some people the salary growth and benefits is just significantly more than they would find elsewhere.
I agree -- I doubt you're comparing apples to apples in the housing prices. Your $175k home in Pittsburgh is probably close to twice as expensive here.
How big a house are you looking for? Townhome, SFH, Condo? You may want to rent before you see where your wife works.
Odds are she would work somewhere in DC or Virginia as Maryland has very few hospitals. Driving to Pittsburgh from VA will add like 5 minutes to your drive to Pittsburgh.
I would encourage you and your wife to spend some time in DC before you settle on a place. The trip from Pittsburgh is easy. There are a lot of options in Washington. It makes sense to walk the areas you anticipate living and then choose.
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