[Tops1234]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

And the "affordable" towns in FFC have average home prices 4-5x Vegas'.

People just don't get it.

Right, you can move to Stratford/Milford and get an average house for 250-300k, but your commute to Stamford would be 1 hr each way or 2 hours each way to NYC. Then you have to ask yourself, how long of a commute can you really have just to live in an affordable area? 4 hours of commuting EVERYDAY seems excessive in my opinion and you would still be better off in LV.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Tops1234

Right, you can move to Stratford/Milford and get an average house for 250-300k, but your commute to Stamford would be 1 hr each way or 2 hours each way to NYC. Then you have to ask yourself, how long of a commute can you really have just to live in an affordable area? 4 hours of commuting EVERYDAY seems excessive in my opinion and you would still be better off in LV.

Yes - and sometimes during rush hour, it can be over an hour from Stamford to Milford.

Even housing in the more affordable areas in CT is double or triple what it is in Vegas.

[Caltovegas]

It seems like people are talking about life choices. A person should not have a problem living on $250,000 a year. It all depends on spending choices.

[adamz]

I think most of us would agree that there are definitely some areas where a house-hold income of $250,000 would not make one wealthy.

I would hope we could all agree that someone making millions or tens of millions of dollars a year could probably go back to paying the top marginal rate that applied during the Clinton years without it being too great a sacrifice.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Caltovegas

It seems like people are talking about life choices. A person should not have a problem living on $250,000 a year. It all depends on spending choices.

Why do people continue to miss the point that, choices aside, 250k will not make one wealthy in an expensive area?

We're talking about HH income, so in my situation it would mean each person in my house earning about 60,000 a year.

[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Yes - and sometimes during rush hour, it can be over an hour from Stamford to Milford.

Even housing in the more affordable areas in CT is double or triple what it is in Vegas.

While that may be true it in no way signifies that most of the people here make double or triple what the people in Vegas make. I think if you were to find a way to actually see what people in CT make, not just those on City Data but all of us, you would find the median income around or under $50,000. That would mean, to most people, that the middle class in CT makes about $50,000 a year. Making 5 times the average would, again to most people, make a person considered wealthy. Nobody is doing anybody any favors pretending this imaginary $250,000 figure is middle income. It hurts many of us because our legislators (most of whom are wealthy) believe it, or pretend to believe it & tax accordingly.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by Tops1234

Now if you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay for housing?

Not trying to say that I wouldn't rather earn 2900 vs 192, but the difference might not really be 2708.

My apartment is $410 a month. After all utilities, it comes out to about $625 a month. I am struggling to say the least.

[RA73]

my wife and I bank about 50% of our disposable income, and are trying to have about 70% of our mortgage paid off when we have our first child within the next year. We most certainly do not live beyond our means (We have one car, a used 4-cylinder Altima)....when we purchased our home we did so with 40% down. Then again, I'd always heard that saving and investing and minimizing discretionary spending were habits that led to wealth, so maybe we are the Evil Rich.........perhaps I can get the Occupy guys to set up shop on my lawn

Now, on to the 'choice' argument:

My wife and I lived in NYC for five years. During that time, we conducted a lot of research to determine where the best place for us would be to raise a family. I personally travelled to St. Louis, Birmingham, Phoenix, Fargo, Minneapolis, Arlington, Atlanta and Dallas on job interviews and took time on each trip to check out the residential areas. We also researched the school systems because let's face it, if you're going to have children that's important.

In the end, we just could not bring ourselves to leave this area (I wanted to live in Darien but it was just not affordable). We prefer the proximity to NYC in terms of entertainment, culture, pace, and professional opportunities and both have family in the area. So it just plain made sense and that was the CHOICE we made. Yes, CHOICE.

Now-let's talk about the "250K" threshhold. I don't mind paying the taxes I pay. They are relatively high in nominal terms because it's a relatively expensive area compared to the rest of the country. I concede that. What I DON'T like is being told that I am somehow "rich" or "wealthy" or free to be targeted as a member of some mythically advantaged "2%" when it comes to somebody's political agenda. My wife and I are NOT rich, and we are NOT wealthy-I don't care how you slice it-assets, after-tax pay, home value. That judgment has to be taken in the context of where you live.

And we, quite frankly, are no better than middle class, MAYBE upper middle class when it comes to the tri-state area. There are no rational grounds to upon which to dispute or counterclaim that statement, setting aside jealousy or sheer ignorance.

Again, I'm not complaining. All I'm asking is that people look at the facts before they stereotype. There are elements of truth in the "2%" argument......but only elements. Most of that argument is B.S., IMHO.

Sorry is this has become a political rant.....moderator you may want to lock the thread.....

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Tin Knocker

While that may be true it in no way signifies that most of the people here make double or triple what the people in Vegas make. I think if you were to find a way to actually see what people in CT make, not just those on City Data but all of us, you would find the median income around or under $50,000. That would mean, to most people, that the middle class in CT makes about $50,000 a year. Making 5 times the average would, again to most people, make a person considered wealthy. Nobody is doing anybody any favors pretending this imaginary $250,000 figure is middle income. It hurts many of us because our legislators (most of whom are wealthy) believe it, or pretend to believe it & tax accordingly.

Uh - what? If anything, they knowingly make us seem wealthier than we are. They think we're bottomless when it comes to funds. They think they can tax and tax and tax and we'll still be fine. Never do they assume we're poorer than we really are. That would hurt their agenda.

Anyway - the issue here (for the third time) is not making 250k in Wallingford (considered about average in CT). I think we can all agree that living like the average Wallingford-ite, you'd seem to be doing well. Couples in southern FFC making 125k each, however, aren't rich. Not even close.

Originally Posted by RA73

In the end, we just could not bring ourselves to leave this area (I wanted to live in Darien but it was just not affordable). We prefer the proximity to NYC in terms of entertainment, culture, pace, and professional opportunities and both have family in the area. So it just plain made sense and that was the CHOICE we made. Yes, CHOICE.

Again, while you rant about choice, you're not negating the fact that in this area, 250k will not make you rich. You're just giving suggestions on how you CAN be rich on 250k.

What's with all of the comprehension issues in this thread?

[pythonis]

lol id do backflips if managed to get a job making $20K a year.