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When mid sized cities compare themselves to better larger cities (like Midwest cities comparing to Chicago or the coasts) they always like to say, well we have a lower cost of living. But really that is not a good reason.
1. Bigger cities have jobs and careers that pay more. I could move to a 3rd world country with a low cost of living, but jobs would pay under minimum wage and the quality of life would be depressing.
2. Even if a home costs more and I would have to get a smaller home, I would still be okay with that because I would be happier in a smaller home, but in a great metro/city. The trade off is worth it.
I think with telecommuting or working from home, one can make big city money while living in a low cost metro area. Now, only a small percentage of people telecommute, but a lot more jobs could be made into telecommuting jobs and a lot more probably will in the future. Obviously certain jobs just don't lend itself to the technology, but a good number do.
If I could keep my current salary and move to an area with a much lower cost of living, in terms of housing....... that would be sweeeeeeet.
It doesn't matter that salaries are higher in NYC/LA/SF than in lower COL cities, what matters is income relative to cost of living. Which, let's face it is fairly poor in the most expensive cities in the U.S. If we take OP's post at face value, then NYC, LA and SF would top the "livability" rankings year after year.
People assume that for every single career that all you have to do is multiply 1.4 or whatever and that will be your salary in NYC. Um...not necessarily. Hell, some jobs will probably pay you THE SAME in NYC as it does in many mid-size cities. And even for the ones that do, there are certain jobs that may pay 45k in a mid-size cheaper city, but 63k in NYC. Guess what? That 45k will probably take you farther in the mid-size city.
So, let's appreciate these big cities for what they are. NYC, LA and SF are great (subject to individual preferences), but it's a simple fact that you can live a higher quality of life on less income in other cities. By higher quality of life I mean, comfort of living conditions, ability to afford daily necessities with money to spare that you can bank away, ability to afford to go out and spend your money on fun amenities the city has to offer.
A lot of low cost mid-sized cities have plenty of amenities that compare with larger cities. To me, the most important thing is that I can afford my rent/mortgage/bills at the end of the day. I'm not some 22 year old whose idea of a good time is hitting the club every weekend in some flashy overpriced city until I hit 30. I'm young, but I'm looking to get married and have kids within the next 4 years. Affordable cities with low crime and enough to do is what appeals to me.
By higher quality of life I mean, comfort of living conditions, ability to afford daily necessities with money to spare that you can bank away, ability to afford to go out and spend your money on fun amenities the city has to offer.
But that is the problem. You define higher quality of life by what you value, and it is by no means universal. I have no problem living with roommates in a small apartment if it means I have easy access to all the things the city has to offer. Others would be driven crazy by my living conditions and ease of access would be a wash for them.
All I'm saying is that it's pointless to define quality of life, because it varies so widely from person to person. There is a reason so many people sacrafice so much to live in high COL places, even when it is against their financial best interests.
But that is the problem. You define higher quality of life by what you value, and it is by no means universal. I have no problem living with roommates in a small apartment if it means I have easy access to all the things the city has to offer. Others would be driven crazy by my living conditions and ease of access would be a wash for them.
All I'm saying is that it's pointless to define quality of life, because it varies so widely from person to person. There is a reason so many people sacrafice so much to live in high COL places, even when it is against their financial best interests.
Just like there's a reason people decide to live in lower COL places. They want the big city amenities without the hassle of traffic, overcrowding and/or high rent. Or some may appreciate the quality of life.
Just like there's a reason people decide to live in lower COL places. They want the big city amenities without the hassle of traffic, overcrowding and/or high rent. Or some may appreciate the quality of life.
My wife and I are both professionals. I consult and speak on a national basis, while my wife is the CFO of a sizable commercial real estate company who has done some high level work, from the formation of REITs, you name it.
We've had headhunters call us, we've had offers in very large markets. And we've turned them down. Why? Because we had three kids in school and the misery of a large market in terms of logistics can't be exaggerated. Better for us to live in a mid-sized city where her commute on a bad day is twenty minutes. On our street alone, we have three different families who moved here from LA and SF, selling their homes and buying homes twice the size of where they once lived on the equity. At our neighborhood parties, they all stand around and talk about how glad they made the move. One of my neighbors had a 90 minute commute every day. Now? It's about ten minutes.
Yet where we live, there are award-winning restaurants that make the national press, yet we don't have to reserve a table months in advance. We get all the national touring companies of musicians and theater, and don't have to fight tooth-and-nail to get tickets. Are the cultural offerings of where we live comparable to a NY, SF, LA, or Chicago? Of course not. But even in mid-sized markets, there are plenty of cultural amenities from which to choose, without the hassles of a commute.
When I was in college I wanted to live an urban life, the life of a well heeled, well traveled sophisticated urban maverick - think Sex in the City sort of woman. I wanted to live in a loft, decorated in a minimalist style. I wanted to hail taxis or ride the subway rather than the hassle of owning a car. I didn't want a dog, or even kids for that matter. I wanted to hang out in fancy or even not so fancy bars and clubs, I wanted to look out from a tiny patio across the city lights with a martini in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Now the very idea of that lifestyle makes me shake my head and wonder how I could be the same person who thought she wanted all that. Now I'm living a life that makes my twenty something year old son say "Sorry, Mom, but I don't want a life like yours - I mean, what do you do for fun, work in the yard? Walk the dogs? Paint siding? Go to church? What?"
What I do - and it's actually very satisfying - is first and foremost - live comfortably with plenty of expendable income and free time. I don't have to backpack across Europe - I can fly first class and stay in great hotels. I do like walking my dogs. I actually like working in the yard! (I pay someone else to paint siding, though, and to mow the lawn.) My husband and I love short little trips to wherever, spur of the moment, but we also love sitting out on the patio every evening (not one that overlooks city lights though - one that overlooks a backyard with plenty of trees and windchimes and gardens and bird and squirrel feeders), and we love going to concerts to see bands who all look really, really old to us now but they still sound good! We love trying new recipes together. We love throwing parties for grandkids. We love laying on the living room floor with our dogs. We love sleeping late and drinking a pot of coffee in the morning.
What I'm saying is that to everything there is a season and what we want at one point in our lives we may not want at all down the road. There was a time when I would have loved renting a 400 square foot loft smack dab in the middle of some huge city - but now I want a spacious home with a big yard and with two guest rooms.
I don't think people who want to live in an urban setting with a high COL are stupid. I just think they want different things at this particular stage of their lives than I want, and that's fine.
Yes, that was me so many years ago. I wanted to live in a big city working for an ad agency creating illustrations or posters. Then, I traveled to a few large cities: San Francisco and Los Angeles then decided that urban life wasn’t for someone who grew up in a smaller city with a big yard and parks with forests and creeks. Now, and for the last half of my life, I live on rural acreage outside of my hometown. We rarely go into town, now except for groceries or to visit my mom. We have everything here. Btw, we are retired so that helps. I am glad you found your happy place.
My wife and I are both professionals. I consult and speak on a national basis, while my wife is the CFO of a sizable commercial real estate company who has done some high level work, from the formation of REITs, you name it.
We've had headhunters call us, we've had offers in very large markets. And we've turned them down. Why? Because we had three kids in school and the misery of a large market in terms of logistics can't be exaggerated. Better for us to live in a mid-sized city where her commute on a bad day is twenty minutes. On our street alone, we have three different families who moved here from LA and SF, selling their homes and buying homes twice the size of where they once lived on the equity. At our neighborhood parties, they all stand around and talk about how glad they made the move. One of my neighbors had a 90 minute commute every day. Now? It's about ten minutes.
Yet where we live, there are award-winning restaurants that make the national press, yet we don't have to reserve a table months in advance. We get all the national touring companies of musicians and theater, and don't have to fight tooth-and-nail to get tickets. Are the cultural offerings of where we live comparable to a NY, SF, LA, or Chicago? Of course not. But even in mid-sized markets, there are plenty of cultural amenities from which to choose, without the hassles of a commute.
What city do you guys live in, if you don't mind me asking?
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