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Location: Moose Jaw, in between the Moose's butt and nose.
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Am I wrong? This is assuming that you are single with no dependents or live very cheaply (dollar store unhealthy food or just a landline with no cable TV.
Sacramento is the only Metro area that is the exception as of right now that's pretty expensive, but most studios and one bedrooms are still under 800 a month, which is doable on a low 40k salary easily. Las Vegas is too, if you count that as part of the West Coast, some don't though.
While Tacoma and Olympia are somewhat affordable as well as the Inland Empire, jobs and other factors make that hard for some to live in those places, too far of a drive to where the good paying jobs are.
I'd never thought I'd see the day where an AVERAGE apartment around Portland, costs 1400 @ month. At least San Diego, which costs slightly more can offer America's best weather,unlike Portland, where the salaries aren't generally speaking that good.
What can be done? At least the East Coast is mostly affordable once you get South of Washington DC (Miami being the lone exception)
I moved from Charlotte to Seattle area last year and I think your post is spot on. I am not sure what the answer is but I am looking forward to hearing other posters thoughts on this.
It's certainly expensive, but if you are responsible with your money you can survive. I'm an average earner, but have been fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy a home in California at a pretty young age. It all started working when I was younger at 15 and saving, not wasting my money like my peers. Worked through college, saving saving, got a 'real job' (nothing amazing), continued the saving trend, not splurging on fancy cars, apartments, eating out, drinking, etc. After years of doing this, enough money was saved to afford a home and of course rent for years before that. To be fair the home was purchased with a spouse, but we're both average income.
With that said, I think its too expensive in CA and plan on leaving to cheaper areas of the country so I don't have to work the rest of my life to pay off said house.
Since you're single, I would do much of the above, unfortunately its not feasible in many areas to live alone, simply too expensive, you'll have to have roommates or live with family. Before my spouse, I lived with roommates and family, saving as much as I could.
Move to the Midwest, cheap housing and certain areas have good jobs as well. Thats my plan!
Your OP is actually very exclusive in what you are calling a major metro area on the west coast.
So, what's the list of major metro areas that are expensive on the west coast?
And if you're comparing that to an area of the east coast that does not include any major metro areas.......saying it's affordable south of DC but north of Miami......I'm not seeing anything to compare here.
Major metro areas with great paying jobs are never cheap. And average earners don't get to live like millionaires. This is just the way it is, the way it's always been. If you want cheaper in those areas, that means a commute. I believe this to be true in any major metro area in the US that has a good job market. And if that area is somewhere with great weather, there will be even more demand.
The west coast is a huge area, and you even admitted that smaller metro areas are affordable. So, I am concluding that you're frustrated that you can't afford champagne on a beer budget. I get that. But that's not limited to the west coast.
mostly agree, i live in bay area and earning comfortable for now, but one disabling accident, loss of job or unfortunate event, i know i will be flying off the cliff.
mostly agree, i live in bay area and earning comfortable for now, but one disabling accident, loss of job or unfortunate event, i know i will be flying off the cliff.
Bank that money, and it won't be much of a problem. Don't buy cars on loans, don't have credit card debt/etc. Save, and these scary possibilities won't send you to the cliff.
We make an $$$,$$$ income in a flyover state. If I make $40K next year, all of our bills are still paid, and we're probably still eating too (family of 5). And if my wife worked, she could bring in at least $20K, and we'd make it even better (thankfully, we are currently doing much better than that). Our mortgage is comparable to a "high rent" on the west coast, ~ $1600.
If I were single, and making $40K on the west coast, I don't know why I couldn't choose to live in a city with a $900 apartment and even begin to think of how to complain about it. Yeah, so I couldn't live in San Francisco proper, or anywhere within 30 crow miles of it (sans roommates). I'm not living in LA west of the 5 either. That still leaves a lot of the west coast to live in with my $40K....
If I could only make $40k, I wouldn't live in the high priced metros.
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Deductive reasoning at it's finest.
