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Jesus, I thought Minneapolis rents were cheap. How is the average 1 bedroom only $580 a month in Indianapolis?! You can't even get a studio apartment here that isn't a squalid rathole for that.
Yes, but Minneapolis has more to offer than Indianapolis in terms of culture, arts, beauty than Indianapolis. So you get what you pay for.
Average rent here where i live is $500-600 a month for a 1 bedroom.
So yes the Middle Class Lifestyle is still going strong here. Sure its dead on the coasts but the east and west coasts are only 10% of America. There is still the other 90%
Wow! According to the chart Philly is cheaper on average (1+2brs) than Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis and especially Dallas and Austin. That seems amiss...
Wow! According to the chart Philly is cheaper on average (1+2brs) than Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis and especially Dallas and Austin. That seems amiss...
I too am a bit skeptical of that chart. I am in the Phoenix area and the problem with that chart is it can't tell you WHAT TYPE of apartment you can get for $600 here! I inquired about a one bedroom apt the other week and they quoted me a price of $1200 per month! While that may be on the higher side of things my point is that things are not as cheap as the chart says.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz
I too am a bit skeptical of that chart. I am in the Phoenix area and the problem with that chart is it can't tell you WHAT TYPE of apartment you can get for $600 here! I inquired about a one bedroom apt the other week and they quoted me a price of $1200 per month! While that may be on the higher side of things my point is that things are not as cheap as the chart says.
For a decent one bedroom not in the ghetto and that has in unit washer and dryer (as opposed to community laundry), it gets no cheaper than $800/month in the valley. Less than that, and you either are talking Maryvale or South Phoenix, or you lose things like your own washer/dryer or a pool. My current apt (2 bedroom) is $1100/month and it's not a luxury complex
For a decent one bedroom not in the ghetto and that has in unit washer and dryer (as opposed to community laundry), it gets no cheaper than $800/month in the valley. Less than that, and you either are talking Maryvale or South Phoenix, or you lose things like your own washer/dryer or a pool. My current apt (2 bedroom) is $1100/month and it's not a luxury complex
I have seen two bedrooms go for 800 a month here. And it's in Glendale, not either of those neighborhoods. Try looking harder.
For a decent one bedroom not in the ghetto and that has in unit washer and dryer (as opposed to community laundry), it gets no cheaper than $800/month in the valley. Less than that, and you either are talking Maryvale or South Phoenix, or you lose things like your own washer/dryer or a pool. My current apt (2 bedroom) is $1100/month and it's not a luxury complex
The problem with Phoenix is high housing demand, but low salaries/wages and limited opportunity for career advancement in most industries. A lot of people don't take that into account before making the leap.
And it's not the cost of housing that's going to pack the meanest punch, either. It's actually utilities, sales taxes and transportation - things that tend to be greater cost burdens for lower-income people. Higher income people are more affected by things like high income taxes and high COA at state universities for in-state residents (a huge issue in AZ).
San Francisco, Seattle, and even Portland punch above their weight in urbanity and the ability to have a great life without a car. That also helps make them reasonable in price, or at least the latter two are.
There's a lot to take into consideration, but cost of living is just too important of a category to me personally. I would never be able to have the lifestyle I have now if I lived on the west coast. It's just too darn expensive. Love visiting, but would never want to live there.
The California Coast is the best place to live in the country if you are wealthy. If you are not wealthy, the west coast kind of sucks and does not offer a high quality of life. If you are not wealthy and want a high quality of life, I would stay away from the West Coast. The Midwest offers the best bang for the buck quality of life if you ask me.
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