Salary Comparison NY & CA (San Francisco, Oxnard: for sale, real estate, apartment)

[tmg4me]

HI,

I am weighing my options of moving to California. I am single making $ 81,100/year. My job allows me to live anywhere so I will be working the same job with the same salary.

I've been looking at rentals in places such as Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Oxnard, Camarillo and the rent is so high. I am not wealthy by any means and can't understand how so many people live in California with the cost of housing.
Is my salary comparable to what a lot of other people make in California to afford to rent housing.
I'm single female with 2 dogs looking for 2 bedroom with 1 bath. Townhouse or apartment.

Is the salary alot more in California for a Nurse working as a Case Manager than it is in NY?
What salary do I have to make to afford to live in California.

I'm thinking the only way I can afford to live in California is to share a rental home but that's a littel scary to rent with someone I don't know. I would love to work as a private Nurse for someone and get compensated with salary and housing.

I may have to work a part time job in addition to my full time job.

[peter_midnight]

Answering your question from the other thread. You can live off of $81,100/year in CA. Your level of comfort is going to be the deciding factor in how you choose where to live. You could choose to live Inland where housing is much cheaper, but you'll have to put up with dry heat instead of that beach weather. Depending on where you live a trip to the beach will take a couple of hours, but that's what it'll be like if you want to keep rent low. Santa Monica is going to be out of your price range unless you can find a rent controlled area, which they do have. Redondo Beach is DEFINITELY out of your price range. There are people that rent out bedrooms, which when I lived there were somewhat reasonable, but that was before Silicon Beach. Will you end up filing income taxes in CA? Better factor that in to how much you'll need to live comfortably.

Honestly, if you're deadset on living in CA, you're going to need roommates or change your options. My brother stayed in Oxnard and I thought he had a decent house in a suburban area, but I hear bad things from Oxnard natives.

You can find some hidden gems, but you're going to have to compromise. A lady on Craigslist converted her garage into a 1 bedroom apt with sink, oven, shower, and free direct tv for $750/month near Manhattan Beach when I lived there in 2009. She told me that she converted it to help her pay the mortgage after her divorce. There are places like that there, but you won't find them until you get there. It won't be at 2009 rents, but should be cheaper than the rental market for conventional housing. Also, eating out is cheaper in CA than where I live in the South.

How can people live there if the cost of housing is so high?
As a native Californian, I can tell you that it's not an easy choice to leave the state. You live where people vacation. If you're in LA, you can drive to Vegas for a weekend anytime. I was raised on the Harbor, so coastal scenery is what I prefer, but there's something for almost everyone. There's a lot more to it, but those are some reasons. Leaving a coastal area is probably harder than leaving the desert areas. At some point, you just can't take the extreme weather in other areas. If I wasn't sent to Japan, I probably would have never left the state, but once I got out, my view of it changed and made it easier for me to leave.

[Chuck5000]

If the ocean is too expensive, mountains aren't - there are many beautiful mountain areas across the US that are affordable.

California is great, but no place is so great that it's worth dropping down to near-poverty to live there. The constant stress of money will wipe out the beautiful scenery.

[tmg4me]

Originally Posted by peter_midnight

Answering your question from the other thread. You can live off of $81,100/year in CA. Your level of comfort is going to be the deciding factor in how you choose where to live. You could choose to live Inland where housing is much cheaper, but you'll have to put up with dry heat instead of that beach weather. Depending on where you live a trip to the beach will take a couple of hours, but that's what it'll be like if you want to keep rent low. Santa Monica is going to be out of your price range unless you can find a rent controlled area, which they do have. Redondo Beach is DEFINITELY out of your price range. There are people that rent out bedrooms, which when I lived there were somewhat reasonable, but that was before Silicon Beach. Will you end up filing income taxes in CA? Better factor that in to how much you'll need to live comfortably.

Honestly, if you're deadset on living in CA, you're going to need roommates or change your options. My brother stayed in Oxnard and I thought he had a decent house in a suburban area, but I hear bad things from Oxnard natives.

You can find some hidden gems, but you're going to have to compromise. A lady on Craigslist converted her garage into a 1 bedroom apt with sink, oven, shower, and free direct tv for $750/month near Manhattan Beach when I lived there in 2009. She told me that she converted it to help her pay the mortgage after her divorce. There are places like that there, but you won't find them until you get there. It won't be at 2009 rents, but should be cheaper than the rental market for conventional housing. Also, eating out is cheaper in CA than where I live in the South.

How can people live there if the cost of housing is so high?
As a native Californian, I can tell you that it's not an easy choice to leave the state. You live where people vacation. If you're in LA, you can drive to Vegas for a weekend anytime. I was raised on the Harbor, so coastal scenery is what I prefer, but there's something for almost everyone. There's a lot more to it, but those are some reasons. Leaving a coastal area is probably harder than leaving the desert areas. At some point, you just can't take the extreme weather in other areas. If I wasn't sent to Japan, I probably would have never left the state, but once I got out, my view of it changed and made it easier for me to leave.

Thank you for getting back to me. In my search for rentals I've noticed that the further I go East towards the mountains it is alot cheaper. I really liked Santa Monica during my search. It's beautiful. I can't work just to pay my rent. I want extra money to have fun with also.
Japan sounds interesting but I would rather stay home with all the crap going on in this world.

[tmg4me]

Originally Posted by Chuck5000

If the ocean is too expensive, mountains aren't - there are many beautiful mountain areas across the US that are affordable.

California is great, but no place is so great that it's worth dropping down to near-poverty to live there. The constant stress of money will wipe out the beautiful scenery.

You are right. I don't want to live being so stressed out and live paycheck to paycheck just to pay the rent.

[LuvSouthOC]

Stop letting people convince you what to do. Yes, you should avoid super expensive areas. However, if you can get hired nearly anywhere, e.g. nurse, you are in an enviable position. California has beautiful areas that many would cut their right hands off to be able to afford with a decent job, e.g. Central Coast. It can be affordable and is very nice.

[nightlysparrow]

Oxnard is too expensive? I don't which websites you're using to check out rentals, but unless you're looking for right on the beach or walking distance to the beach, Oxnard is a SoCal bargain. Look at Craigslist for a better idea if you're not.

Also look at Ventura. It has some of the Santa Monica walkable, younger crowd, coffee shop, cool little stores, beach city stuff, but not as urban or pricy.

[tikkasf]

California is a large state and the cost of housing, either to rent or buy varies considerably in the state. For example a 2 bedroom house, with a garage and yard can rented in the Central Valley for less then a studio in San Francisco

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Stop letting people convince you what to do. Yes, you should avoid super expensive areas. However, if you can get hired nearly anywhere, e.g. nurse, you are in an enviable position. California has beautiful areas that many would cut their right hands off to be able to afford with a decent job, e.g. Central Coast. It can be affordable and is very nice.

Name a city on the central coast that's affordable.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

Name a city on the central coast that's affordable.

Lompoc. SFH's below, sample:

Single Family Houses for Sale in Lompoc, CA Single-Family Real Estate - realtor.com®