Denver vs. Pittsburgh (buyers, car inspection, income)

[billiken]

From my experience, salaries out here are not increased in comparison to the cost of living adjustment from the midwest. We moved here from St Louis, which is very comparable to Pittsburgh in terms of cost, and both my husband and I got zero cost of living adjustment. You might want to prepare yourself for the possibility that you'll make the same amount you would in Pittsburgh.

ETA: given your background, you'd probably have zero issues with Aurora.

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by billiken

From my experience, salaries out here are not increased in comparison to the cost of living adjustment from the midwest. We moved here from St Louis, which is very comparable to Pittsburgh in terms of cost, and both my husband and I got zero cost of living adjustment. You might want to prepare yourself for the possibility that you'll make the same amount you would in Pittsburgh.

ETA: given your background, you'd probably have zero issues with Aurora.

Thanks! I also noticed that one of my former co-workers from my old office in Miami Beach lives in Aurora, CO.

How do you feel car insurance compares? PA has this thing where you need to get your car inspected every year...which is a yearly waste of $80/car if you ask me. However I feel that the car insurance rates are pretty reasonable here. Although my mom and co-workers have complained that the state recently raised car insurance rates here. I have yet to see it. I pay $118 for two cars...one has full coverage. The other is a 1984 Monte Carlo that fails the emissions test with flying colors every year (we've been able to get away with it since it is driven less than 5,000 miles per year...but it is still disconcerting).

[billiken]

I'm no help on car insurance rates--we just bought 2 new cars, so I couldn't compare. To register your car in CO, your car will need to pass the emissions test, although there are waivers (Department of Revenue - Division of Motor Vehicles:Emissions Waiver). It sounds like your cars are older, but you should know that you pay something called a specific ownership tax based on the year of your car and it's original value. There are other fees and requirements as well.

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by billiken

I'm no help on car insurance rates--we just bought 2 new cars, so I couldn't compare. To register your car in CO, your car will need to pass the emissions test, although there are waivers (Department of Revenue - Division of Motor Vehicles:Emissions Waiver). It sounds like your cars are older, but you should know that you pay something called a specific ownership tax based on the year of your car and it's original value. There are other fees and requirements as well.

Sort of. My daily driver is a 2002. I just hate the PA inspection process -- where they can reject you for worn tire tread or noisy brakes. The economic hardship waiver for emissions is awesome! It seems that Colorado realizes that plenty of people cannot gather $1000s of dollars to repair their cars, but still need some form of personal transportation.

[Zilal]

I can only tell you about Denver, not Aurora or CO Springs, but many of the neighborhoods north of Colfax are historically black, and even though white people keep moving there now, I bet some areas are still more than 50% black. (See http://beerrealestategroup.com/uploa..._NEIGH_Map.gif... I am talking about the area from Five Points through the Park Hill neighborhoods.) I really like many of the neighborhoods there and was trying to find a place in one, but apartments are still somewhat rare; it's almost all houses. The further north you get, the "grittier" the neighborhoods. What I was seeing for rents, for 1-bedroom south of 30th (only slightly gritty) in a decent building, started at about $750/mo. Five Points is pretty urban but the rest is very residential.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by MissShona

I just hate the PA inspection process -- where they can reject you for worn tire tread or noisy brakes.

What's wrong with making people take proper care of their cars in exchange for the privilege of driving? (No, driving is not a right, but a privilege.) Georgia doesn't have mandatory vehicle inspections, and one of the first things I noticed after moving here is the staggering number of dead cars on the sides of the roads compared to Pennsylvania.

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

What's wrong with making people take proper care of their cars in exchange for the privilege of driving? (No, driving is not a right, but a privilege.) Georgia doesn't have mandatory vehicle inspections, and one of the first things I noticed after moving here is the staggering number of dead cars on the sides of the roads compared to Pennsylvania.

Florida also doesn't have inspections. However I did not see tons of dead cars, so perhaps it was just that area.

On the other hand I do know plenty of people here in Pennsylvania who see to collect cars on cinder blocks in their yard....

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Zilal

I can only tell you about Denver, not Aurora or CO Springs, but many of the neighborhoods north of Colfax are historically black, and even though white people keep moving there now, I bet some areas are still more than 50% black. (See http://beerrealestategroup.com/uploa..._NEIGH_Map.gif... I am talking about the area from Five Points through the Park Hill neighborhoods.) I really like many of the neighborhoods there and was trying to find a place in one, but apartments are still somewhat rare; it's almost all houses. The further north you get, the "grittier" the neighborhoods. What I was seeing for rents, for 1-bedroom south of 30th (only slightly gritty) in a decent building, started at about $750/mo. Five Points is pretty urban but the rest is very residential.

Thank you - love the neighborhood map!

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by MissShona

...I do know plenty of people here in Pennsylvania who see to collect cars on cinder blocks in their yard....

Well that's the Mon Valley for you. It's not normal in the rest of Allegheny County.

But seriously, an incomplete car on blocks in the yard is one thing, because the yard is private property and out of the way. A dead car on the side of the road is different because the road is public property, and a dead car can create a safety hazard.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by MissShona

Thank you for this! In all honesty, I am shocked at the disparity of housing costs between Denver and Pittsburgh (that site uses numbers on some sort of rating scale....not dollars and cents, so maybe I'm missing something here).

Pittsburgh is unnaturally cheap for housing. For example I pay $500/month for a two bedroom here in McKeesport. When I left Miami back in 2008, I was paying $825/month for a one bedroom. My salary in FL was only a hair more than what I make here however.

In my opinion, housing is like a "fixed cost" when in comes to living. Sure there is a large spectrum in regards to what percentage of your income you want to spend on housing. However I am fine with an increase in housing costs if salaries can go up proportionally as well. For example, in Miami, I really had to fight tooth and nail for raises....in spite of the fact that more than a third of my final take home pay went to housing costs. At one point it was almost 50%. Fortunately for me I had a car that was paid off, was able to collect food stamps, had no dependents, and my student loans were in deferment. Other than that, I have no clue how I would have made it.

So far from what I've seen online, the types of jobs I would be vying for would pay $40,000/year or more (Masters degree, 5-10 of progressive experience, previous management experience, etc.). This is about 15% more than what I make here. So it may be a wash. Not sure.

Also craigslist has rentals in Denver that range from $550 - $630 a month. Quite a few. Although I realize Craigslist isn't the best representation of any city. Do these prices sound unheard of or pretty commonplace?

In regards to housing prices, the same house will probably be comparable in cost in Denver and Pittsburgh, probably a little more here (Denver). Pittsburgh has a lot of low-end housing, also an oversupply with the population losses of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.