Salary needed to move from DC metro to ATL (Atlanta: apartment, renter)

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

AA married male here. I spent 5 years in Springfield/Burke as a kid. I recently spent a week in Franconia (now called 'Kingstown' or something) and D.C.

A lot depends on what you do for a living, but my emphatic recommendation is to:
1. Not take a relocation for a lower wage (45k - 60k is a 33+% raise. Nobody is going to give that to you unless you switch companies and jobs)
2. NOT move here making $45k if you have a kid.

The cost of living is lower, but it isn't that much lower except for housing. Either way, your rent here will not be $15,000 a year cheaper.

There are more AA men here, but the dating scene for women is rough as the women outnumber the men. Your situation may be different.

Yes, rent and real estate in northern virginia can suck, and the pace of life can be hectic, but if you currently have stable housing and a stable job that gives you raises then you're in good shape. The school system in VA is miles and miles better than the public school systems around metro Atlanta.

I wouldn't give up on the idea of moving, but only do it once you have secured the right job... and 15k/yr less is not the right job.

P.S. Southern culture is not all its cracked up to be.

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

...This is excellent advice.

Generally, the cost-of-living is lower in Atlanta than in D.C., but by no means is it THAT much lower, particularly if you want to live in an area with excellent schools and lots of amenities.

The idea scenario would be if you could transfer to Atlanta with your same salary and still be in line to have the same raises that you seem to be in line for in D.C.

Like the other posters have indicated, you really don't want to transfer to Atlanta with a salary that is any less than about $55k a year.

Also, like Tarzanman stated, the dating options for AA women really are not necessarily the absolute greatest because of the much greater number of women than men in the Atlanta dating scene.

With you taking what sounds like what might be close to a $20,000 pay cut to transfer to a position where wage growth would be stagnant in an area where prices (particularly real estate prices) most certainly are NOT stagnant, it sounds like a move from D.C. to Atlanta most likely would NOT be for you at this particular time, unfortunately.

Now if you could land a position in Atlanta that would offer a salary that is very similar to what you are currently making in D.C. (likely absolutely no less than $55k-60k/yearly with the same or very similar wage growth opportunities that you currently seem to enjoy in D.C.), then a move to Atlanta likely would be much more viable for you and your son.

But if you cannot make the same (or very similar) salary that you currently make with the same wage growth opportunities that you currently enjoy in D.C., then you most likely should not transfer and/or move to Atlanta at this time.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

This might be the worst information posted here in the past year.

45k here is the same as 65k there. Do you understand what COL is?


The marriage rate is higher here than in DC

School systems in Cobb, Gwinnett, N Fulton are just as good as Norva schools.

Telling someone that makes 65k there not to move here to make 45k makes absolutely no sense at all.


The southern culture was nice before "other" people started moving here

And then you have to look at where she said wage growth and potential. It's higher in D.C. Atlanta is not a city worth giving up 20k per year salary and then not having a high growth potential. It's not.

In fact, D.C. is a far better city that's more walkable, far better culture, better suburbs, a mix between southern and more NE culture(The blacks in D.C. are far more southern centric), better transit...the choice is easy.

Again, you're being selfish and telling everyone to move to Atlanta for homerish reasons.

[afdinatl]

Originally Posted by Ant13153537

And then you have to look at where she said wage growth anential. It's higher in D.C. Atlanta city worth giving up 20k per year salary and then not having a high growth potential. It's not.

In fact, D.C. is a far better city that's more walkable, far better culture, better suburbs, a mix between southern and more NE culture(The blacks in D.C. are far more southern centric), better transit...the choice is easy.

Again, you're being selfish and telling everyone to move to Atlanta for homerish reasons.

I agree with the first statement 100%

Atlanta is a far better city even though they have better transportation, it's more walkable and they have more jobs.. We have better restaurants, better festivals, more music festivals, more concerts, zero traffic cameras, less traffic, better topography, cheaper cost of living, better shopping, more exciting nightlife, nicer people, less of a work work culture here, we don't ask people what do they do before we ask what their name is here, we have more annual visitors (around 20 million more) our airport is better, we have more direct flights, more attractive women, etc, etc.

I lived in both cities for years. You never lived there so your opinion is worthless. You just love to cry and be emotional because someone doesn't agree with you. Be a real man and stop posting so sensitive.

[vacollins]

Thank you so much for the advice everyone. To be precise the salary would be an $18,000 difference. I currently make $63,500. I pay $1300 for rent. Unfortunately, there is no negotiating the salary as I have a government position.

[residinghere2007]

Didn't read all the other replies, but that amount is too low IMO to be a single mother raising a child.

I know that DC metro is expensive and Atlanta is less expensive but like you mentioned in the OP, you will have salary stagnation in Atlanta probably moreso than DC and I would really take that into consideration.

FWIW, I recently moved away from Atlanta and one of the primary reasons is that my salary was stagnant for many years. I live in a cheaper area and make nearly $20K more per year now.

You should stay in DC as you will have better financial opportunities in this instance IMO. Though many people tout Atlanta's affordability and I agree is is way cheaper in Atlanta than DC, it depends on what lifestyle you want for yourself and your child as Atlanta can also be expensive and somewhat comparable in price to DC in many areas and for commodities and I would not take a pay cut that steep. If they give you $55K then I would move but not $45K.

[afdinatl]

Originally Posted by vacollins

Thank you so much for the advice everyone. To be precise the salary would be an $18,000 difference. I currently make $63,500. I pay $1300 for rent. Unfortunately, there is no negotiating the salary as I have a government position.

One or two bedroom?


Where will your job be in Atlanta? Probably in downtown if it's a gov job. How much you pay for Metro each month?

How many bedrooms in your apartment will you want here and how much per month do you want to spend In rent? If you answer these questions we can get a better idea on if it's worth it

[vacollins]

The position is located in Alpharetta GA.

[vacollins]

Afdinatl I have a 1 bedroom currently with a den. Metro costs are paid.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

One or two bedroom?


Where will your job be in Atlanta? Probably in downtown if it's a gov job. How much you pay for Metro each month?

How many bedrooms in your apartment will you want here and how much per month do you want to spend In rent? If you answer these questions we can get a better idea on if it's worth it

I will honestly state as a mother that it will not be worth it. She has a 6 year old child and even though, like the other poster mentioned, housing is a bit cheaper here, nothing else really is.

I worked in government in Atlanta. She is right that they do not offer raises nor too much room for advancement unless you know the right people (meaning you kiss the right people's a$$). Advancement with government work is much better in DC. She is a young mother with a child that will grow and continually need more financial support and being in DC with more opportunities would be better for her family than struggling in Atlanta with $45K per year.

And FWIW, I am really cheap and have lived in Atlanta for that amount but it was VERY tight and I would never suggest someone take a nearly $20K pay cut to live in Atlanta. It really isn't as cheap as many people like to claim it is. There are plenty of $1300 apartments/homes in Atlanta too and I doubt she will want to live really far out to get cheaper rents. Like other posters said as well, schools in VA are much better than GA. It just really doesn't make much sense to move and take such a steep pay cut with no opportunity for advancement.

I know many of you love Atlanta and I do like the metro, but in her case, it just doesn't make sense to move. If she really wants to, she should keep her eye out for higher paying positions IMO.

[vacollins]

I would want a 2 bedroom apartment for a year then I would want to buy a townhome if I planned to stay in the area.