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Rural areas of the Midwest and South are declining faster than ever as the low cost of living has few advantages with very few jobs available and overall costs not being that much higher in the larger metro areas. For better or worse nearly all the growth and new jobs are in the larger metro areas- so I do think that the more desirable locations will continue to get more expensive in terms of real estate. A good example is Hamilton County, Indiana just north of Indianapolis that includes Carmel and Fishers. Median household income is $80-85K, median housing prices are still under $300K and the percentage of the population with a four year degree is 55%. This area is growing at over 10% since 2010 while Chicagoland suburban counties are growing at less than 1/5 of that rate. The big reason? Very high property taxes in most of Chicagoland.
I live in Hamilton County. There is an astonishing amount of new construction going on here and $300k buys you a VERY nice home.
I have toured some brand new condos with SS appliances, granite countertops, and other reasonably high end amenities for under $100k for a small 1BR. 2BR/3BR often go for under $130k. There is absolutely no need to spend $200k on a home to get into Hamilton County.
I have toured some brand new condos with SS appliances, granite countertops, and other reasonably high end amenities for under $100k for a small 1BR. 2BR/3BR often go for under $130k. There is absolutely no need to spend $200k on a home to get into Hamilton County.
That is good to hear, if I was going to move elsewhere within Indiana it would be likely be there. I'm in Clark County by Louisville currently.
An interesting article, that shows that a lot of people are leaving those big city areas for other parts of the country and taking their jobs and incomes with them.
Chip Morton, few doubt and no informed person doubts the U.S. dollar’s purchasing power varies within the various U.S. market places. Wage rates and prices are just two of the many factors that determine regional qualities of life.
Many base their opposition to the federal minimum wage rate upon USA’s regional market’s wage rates and price differences. Wage rates and prices are just two of the many factors that determine regional qualities of life.
The minimum rate limits the extent of spoilers undermining individual states and aggregate national economies.
It does not require that Mississippi or Alabama conform to Oregon or NY states’ wage schedules; it does not permit Mississippi or Alabama to undermine Oregon or NY states wage schedules and their economies.
An interesting article, that shows that a lot of people are leaving those big city areas for other parts of the country and taking their jobs and incomes with them.
Right so if you can carry your income with you to whatever location you want, where do you go? Seems crazy to go to a high tax state and pay high taxes if you don't have to.
People underestimate the difference certainly local/county laws make in a certain state. Not everywhere in CA or NY costs an arm or a leg to live in, likewise not all of AL or TN is dirt cheap.
In general, yes I think "Flyover" states offer a better std of living for low/middle class. Especially compared to places that are a "Destination". Everyone and their brother wants to live in LA/NYC/SF so the employers can offer comparatively lower pay and people will take the jobs without question because it allows them to live there.
The only way your standard of living increases by living in fly-over areas is housing ASSUMING you buy. Rent isn't all that much cheaper. In the mean time, while you are living in the south/midwest, hows your resume looking? How much money are you really saving?
I think you mustn't live on the coasts or you would know how wrong this is. My rent on an old studio apartment is going up to $1185 in a few months. Management told me the studios in my building are going for $1375 for new tenants. I believe them.
In general, yes I think "Flyover" states offer a better std of living for low/middle class. Especially compared to places that are a "Destination". Everyone and their brother wants to live in LA/NYC/SF so the employers can offer comparatively lower pay and people will take the jobs without question because it allows them to live there.
They can also offer a higher standard of living to the upper paid personal. Often they have to match California wages to get good people. With the lower cost of living, those people really make out.
Our Montana papers have been running articles, about how difficult it is to staff a company as we do not have enough people to fill all the jobs available. Unemployment rate is down to what is considered the full unemployment rate as there are always about 3 to 5% of the people that are temporarily unemployed by their choice.
In the last couple of years, several companies have wanted to move to Montana bringing good paying jobs with them, but they are told by the unemployment office, to advertise for help prior to making final decision to move here. One did in Billings our biggest city and biggest metro area, needing 350 people to be able to start up, and the pay was good pay. They got 70 applications and only 20 or so were for qualified applicants. The other 50 were minimum wage earners, who would never be able to do more difficult jobs. Every time they look to move here, we don't have workers to fill the need no matter how high the pay and benefits. When cost of living was taken into consideration, the states they did open in saw lower spendable incomes than they would have had here in Montana.
We simply have not got enough people to let the employment picture grow by much. High school kids get $9 to $10 to start for part time work, and in the summer when they could put in more hours they were being paid at $13 an hour or so. And it is almost impossible for those places to even get enough people to fill a shift. Example, McDonald's etc., don't just take applications but hire on the spot when they see a good applicant come in with an application.
I know it is hard for people on California coast, and New York, etc., to understand that there is a lot of so called fly over country that is doing so much better than those areas, especially when you consider cost of living, and the almost no unemployment problem. When I read the threads where people complain about how many applications they make, and how many interviews they make and how long after interviews before they even get the job, it is almost laughable that those conditions exist in the big city areas of the country.
It is so bad, that the news media is filled with the stories of how difficult it is to find workers of any kind. The other day they covered nurses, and how hard it is for medical facilities to find nurses. Our medical system keeps winning all kinds of awards for the quality of service, and is rated right up with the big ones. It is affiliated with Mayo Clinic as of a few months ago. They cover a big area including Montana, Upper half Wyoming, Western half of the Dakotas, and a big section of Canada. They keep 2 helicopters, and 3 twin engine turbo prop airplanes, with flight crews ready to go get people 24/7 which is unusual for any medical system. Our daughter needed to be flown to Billings one day. They landed at the Hospital/Medical Clinic each on one end of the building. The flight nurse in charge, was one of the most qualified I have ever seen. She read the chart, and her and her assistant took tests to see how stable she was and what may be needed in the flight of 50 miles. The hospital nurses let her run the show. They got her into a heated mummy suit, and left for Billings. The local nurses told my wife and I that that is one woman they all listen to as she is so superior in her knowledge than regular RNs. That is a demonstration of the flight crews that move people here in our area. She is American Indian and one would be proud to know.
The Clinics around the state, send nurses to Billings to train how to assist doctors for TeleConferencing with full equipment to hook them up to, and how to administering tests for the doctors back in Billings. It is amazing what a good nurse trained to assist with the patient, and a doctor on the other end with equipment to read what the test equipment is finding, to tap the knee with a hammer to see reaction, etc. as an example.
We may be in fly over country, but it is not that much different than in big cities. And due to the lower cost of living, a lot of people make a lot more disposable income than they do in the big cities.
Don't think living in the big cities, has all that many advantages over the fly over country many of us live in.
In my opinion, you make out the most in the South if you are retired or if you are still in the workforce but work out of your home and it doesn't matter where in the country you live.
I'm retired, single and I have a pension. I rent in an apartment complex. I have lived in East Tennessee for over 8 years, lived in MD before that for 12 years and the rest of my life lived on Long Island.
My rent, for a twice as big (2b, 2b) nice apartment in suburban Tennessee is still less than what I paid for rent (1b, 1b) in suburban Maryland, 8 and a half years ago.
My home is all electric (washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, heating, air conditioning, stove/oven). My electric bill last month was $49. It is typically in the $60 - $70 range. In Maryland, for the smaller apartment, it was more than that, again over 8 years ago.
Gasoline for the car is cheaper.
There is no state income tax on my pension. There is a tax on dividends and interest.
There are no toll roads or bridges near me.
It costs $21.50 to renew your car plates (non-specialty, non-personalized). Emissions test is only required in the big cities.
As a renter, I don't pay for home repairs unless it's my washer and dryer because I own them.
To go to a state park it's free. To go to the national park it's free.
We have a sales tax even on food. Cable and cell phone is about the same.
I get a COL adjustment for my pension.
Wages are less here but things cost less here, especially your biggest expense - housing.
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