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People always try to discredit these lists by saying how expensive most of the places in the top 10 are but pretty much everyone I know in the DC area makes a nice amount and lives extremely comfortably despite the high CoL.
People wouldn't be flocking to these places if their salaries didn't outweigh the CoL so works out for most.
I have a lot of peers in DC that make good money but I wouldn't say they live "extremely comfortably," at least compared to folks who make less--but good money--in less expensive metros.
I'm dead at the fact that the 4 largest "southern" metros are like dead tied and far behind all of their peers up north and out west in this regard.
It's both sad and a realistic measure of how far the South has to go. COL is lower, true, but money is money. Los Angeles hands down fares the worst. 18 million people and playing with featherweights (in their eyes, not mine) from the South. Lol.
I think you're seriously downplaying the low COL in the big Southern metros. Sure "money is money" but when you're able to get more bang for your buck, then that actually does mean something.
I have a lot of peers in DC that make good money but I wouldn't say they live "extremely comfortably," at least compared to folks who make less--but good money--in less expensive metros.
True but it just depends.
DC though constantly is in the top 5 for metros with the most disposable income.
You can make a nice salary here and still enjoy it, if you're smart about it. Just because you make over six figures doesn't mean you have to live in a huge McMansion.
DC though constantly is in the top 5 for metros with the most disposable income.
You can make a nice salary here and still enjoy it, if you're smart about it. Just because you make over six figures doesn't mean you have to live in a huge McMansion.
Yes but to be a GS-12 or 13 and still need to have a roommate to get by? I'll pass.
Yes but to be a GS-12 or 13 and still need to have a roommate to get by? I'll pass.
Yep. The DC area has a lot of affluence to be sure, but it is not nearly as well-off as it's made out to be. If you are a senior level fed, or work in tech or lobbying, you can do extremely well, but for many people, it's not necessarily the land milk and honey, as even above average salaries do not always make up for way above average cost-of-living. To be fair to DC, though, this stratification is also very true of much of the Northeast Corridor, as well as major cites on the West Coast.
Additionally, because "keeping up with appearances" is so ingrained in more status-conscious cities, I think there's more financial pressure/sacrifice than is outwardly apparent.
50 Largest US Cities by Median Household Income, 2014
San Jose, CA $87,210
San Francisco, CA $85,070
Washington, DC $71,648
Seattle, WA $70,975
Virginia Beach, VA $68,816
San Diego, CA $67,799
Austin, TX $58,458
Boston, MA $56,902
Oakland, CA $56,188
Charlotte, NC $55,178
Denver, CO $54,941
Portland, OR $54,624
Long Beach, CA $54,511
Colorado Springs, CO $53,915
Raleigh, NC $53,475
New York, NY $52,996
Fort Worth, TX $52,273
Arlington, TX $52,141
Minneapolis, MN $50,791
Los Angeles, CA $50,544
Las vegas, NV $50,291
Oklahoma City, OK $49,119
Sacramento, CA $48,829
Chicago, IL $48,734
Omaha, NE $48,410
Phoenix, AZ $47,929
Mesa, AZ $47,675
Nashville-Davidson, TN $47,211
Atlanta, GA $46,777
Columbus, OH $46,481
Albuquerque, NM $46,433
Louisville-Jefferson County, KY $45,503
Wichita, KS $45,477
San Antonio, TX $45,339
Houston, TX $45,060
Jacksonville, FL $44,591
Kansas City, MO $44,173
Dallas, TX $43,003
Tulsa, OK $42,803
Indianapolis, IN $42,730
Baltimore, MD $42,665
El Paso, TX $41,221
Fresno, CA $39,880
Philadelphia, PA $39,043
Tucson, AZ $36,541
New Orleans, LA $35,504
Milwaukee, WI $35,049
Memphis, TN $34,704
Miami, FL $31,917
Detroit, MI $25,769
Cleveland, OH $24,701
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Duderino
Yep. The DC area has a lot of affluence to be sure, but it is not nearly as well-off as it's made out to be. If you are a senior level fed, or work in tech or lobbying, you can do extremely well, but for many people, it's not necessarily the land milk and honey, as even above average salaries do not always make up for way above average cost-of-living. To be fair to DC, though, this stratification is also very true of much of the Northeast Corridor, as well as major cites on the West Coast.
Additionally, because "keeping up with appearances" is so ingrained in more status-conscious cities, I think there's more financial pressure/sacrifice than is outwardly apparent.
I can assure you there are more people living "comfortably" in the DC region than most areas I've visited in the country. Outside of the core and immediate suburbs I don't think it's this unbearable place where you need to make 120k to hold steady.
People always try to discredit these lists by saying how expensive most of the places in the top 10 are but pretty much everyone I know in the DC area makes a nice amount and lives extremely comfortably despite the high CoL.
People wouldn't be flocking to these places if their salaries didn't outweigh the CoL so works out for most.
You have to factor in both COL and income. DC probably has the best income to COL ratio in the country. The bay Area high incomes but super high COL probably means cities like Houston probably have a higher standard of living when factoring in COL. NYC is no great shakes either when factoring in the COL.
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