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I've lived in both SC and NY. I've lived in 2 areas of upstate NY. My grocery bill is far less up in NY than it ever was in SC. Certain items are cheaper only because we had a Kroger and that's the largest grocery chain in the US. Only certain things were cheaper there than WalMart and it was only when items were on sale. It wasn't on healthy things. it was on things like Fruit Loops, Rice-a-Roni, and Hambuger Helper. I bought my meats at The Fresh Market because I wanted good quality meats like I was used to getting at a local butcher in NY. I wasn't interested in buying reground hamburger with a side of e Coli.
Yes, gas is cheaper. So I saved about $15 a month on gas. Wahoo! Time to move back. NOT!
My vehicle tax was over $300 a year on one vehicle. If I lived within the city limits, it would have been well over $600.
My electric bill was significantly higher than in NY. My budget here has never been above $189 a month and that includes electric and gas. I have always had gas heat. My average monthly bill in SC was over $250. There was no budget billing.
My water and sewer bill is significantly less in NY and there's NO drought or water restrictions! My bill in SC in the winter when we weren't using the sprinkler system was over $80 a month. We didn't have sewers. We all had septic tanks in our development. So every few years you have to budget to have it cleaned and maintained. In the summer, when we were using the sprinkler system, our water bill was over $150 a month. My water and sewer bill in NY currently is $150 per 4 months which is less than $40 a month! I also have really high water pressure in NY. We had awful water pressure in SC.
My HOA fees were low, but it was the only development in my area that had fees that were so low. They were $150 a year. They have since increased. That fee basically paid for a handful of streetlights, some mowing in a few areas, and some flowers around the entrance sign. Most developments around us were over $300 a month, but they had things like golf courses, clubhouses, playgrounds, and swimming pools. We didn't have any of that. It was very difficult to find a house that didn't come with an HOA in the area. I'd rather live in my car than ever have an HOA again.
I actually own the same size house in NY and it cost me $30K less than the house I built in SC. The SC house was built poorly. Cheap houses are built cheaply. We had many issues with things that needed to be repaired or replaced. And we went with one of the best tract developers in the area! The house I live in now even has hardwoods throughout and a basement. The SC house had carpeting throughout and no basement. The house I live in now has been standing for over 70 years. And shows no signs of going anywhere. The house in SC will not last for 100 years. If by some miracle it does, then it will need so much plastic replaced that you'd be building a new house anyway.
Both of the houses I've owned in NY have increased in value over the years. They have not decreased. My house in SC actually decreased in value over the 3 years I owned it and I spent over $10k making improvements after it was built. We when we sold it, we lost over $40K on it. That's significant since it cost $180k to build.
My sales tax in NY is 7.5%. Where I lived in SC it was 7% and there was a push to make it 8% with the extra 1% going towards schools. Groceries also had a 1% sales tax. NY does not tax things like bread and milk and SC does. Many southern states tax groceries.
I did look into moving to NC before we moved back to NY. We looked at Charlotte and Winston-Salem. Neither had what we were looking for at the price we were willing to pay. The Charlotte traffic makes Manhattan look like traffic moves non-stop. Can't say I really miss driving in it. There are certain things I do miss not being able to drive 2 hours to get to like Ikea, Paper Source, and Container Store, but I went to them so rarely that it's not a big deal. I survived without them nearby and have managed to do it again.
Something that you can't put a price tag on. The beauty of much of Upstate NY. There's only one place in the world that has the Finger Lakes! That's where I currently live. The Adirondacks only exist in NY. Sure there's the Smoky Mountains in NC. They are lovely, but they're not the same. There's also New England and growing up in Albany, I spent quite a bit of time traveling throughout New England and love me some Cape Cod.
I'm surrounded by naturally made lakes. When I lived in SC, I learned that there wasn't a natural lake in the state. All were manmade and the vast majority of them were for power plants. Some nuclear. Yeah, I want to dip my fit in with a nuclear power plant. No thanks.
I have to get back to enjoying the lakes around me and get off City Data. Things to do and see!
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,091,524 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
I know, but my point was that for you, those numbers would be different and that they vary. That isn't any different other areas where you can have a range within the same town/area or even street. here is some Mecklenburg County NC information: 2013TaxRates
Good reference, it shows a combined city/county tax rate range of 1.30 - 135 per 1k assessed. That said the $150k example would run $1950 - $2025 still less even if there is another miscellaneous expense that ops up.
In comparing sales tax Charlotte is 7.250% and Erie County NY is 8.75%
I've lived in both SC and NY. I've lived in 2 areas of upstate NY. My grocery bill is far less up in NY than it ever was in SC. Certain items are cheaper only because we had a Kroger and that's the largest grocery chain in the US. Only certain things were cheaper there than WalMart and it was only when items were on sale. It wasn't on healthy things. it was on things like Fruit Loops, Rice-a-Roni, and Hambuger Helper. I bought my meats at The Fresh Market because I wanted good quality meats like I was used to getting at a local butcher in NY. I wasn't interested in buying reground hamburger with a side of e Coli.
Yes, gas is cheaper. So I saved about $15 a month on gas. Wahoo! Time to move back. NOT!
My vehicle tax was over $300 a year on one vehicle. If I lived within the city limits, it would have been well over $600.
My electric bill was significantly higher than in NY. My budget here has never been above $189 a month and that includes electric and gas. I have always had gas heat. My average monthly bill in SC was over $250. There was no budget billing.
My water and sewer bill is significantly less in NY and there's NO drought or water restrictions! My bill in SC in the winter when we weren't using the sprinkler system was over $80 a month. We didn't have sewers. We all had septic tanks in our development. So every few years you have to budget to have it cleaned and maintained. In the summer, when we were using the sprinkler system, our water bill was over $150 a month. My water and sewer bill in NY currently is $150 per 4 months which is less than $40 a month! I also have really high water pressure in NY. We had awful water pressure in SC.
My HOA fees were low, but it was the only development in my area that had fees that were so low. They were $150 a year. They have since increased. That fee basically paid for a handful of streetlights, some mowing in a few areas, and some flowers around the entrance sign. Most developments around us were over $300 a month, but they had things like golf courses, clubhouses, playgrounds, and swimming pools. We didn't have any of that. It was very difficult to find a house that didn't come with an HOA in the area. I'd rather live in my car than ever have an HOA again.
I actually own the same size house in NY and it cost me $30K less than the house I built in SC. The SC house was built poorly. Cheap houses are built cheaply. We had many issues with things that needed to be repaired or replaced. And we went with one of the best tract developers in the area! The house I live in now even has hardwoods throughout and a basement. The SC house had carpeting throughout and no basement. The house I live in now has been standing for over 70 years. And shows no signs of going anywhere. The house in SC will not last for 100 years. If by some miracle it does, then it will need so much plastic replaced that you'd be building a new house anyway.
Both of the houses I've owned in NY have increased in value over the years. They have not decreased. My house in SC actually decreased in value over the 3 years I owned it and I spent over $10k making improvements after it was built. We when we sold it, we lost over $40K on it. That's significant since it cost $180k to build.
I did look into moving to NC before we moved back to NY. We looked at Charlotte and Winston-Salem. Neither had what we were looking for at the price we were willing to pay. The Charlotte traffic makes Manhattan look like traffic moves non-stop. Can't say I really miss driving in it. There are certain things I do miss not being able to drive 2 hours to get to like Ikea, Paper Source, and Container Store, but I went to them so rarely that it's not a big deal. I survived without them nearby and have managed to do it again.
Something that you can't put a price tag on. The beauty of much of Upstate NY. There's only one place in the world that has the Finger Lakes! That's where I currently live. The Adirondacks only exist in NY. Sure there's the Smoky Mountains in NC. They are lovely, but they're not the same. There's also New England and growing up in Albany, I spent quite a bit of time traveling throughout New England and love me some Cape Cod.
I'm surrounded by naturally made lakes. When I lived in SC, I learned that there wasn't a natural lake in the state. All were manmade and the vast majority of them were for power plants. Some nuclear. Yeah, I want to dip my fit in with a nuclear power plant. No thanks.
I have to get back to enjoying the lakes around me and get off City Data. Things to do and see!
This is such a wonderful post. One would have to be very small-minded to choose North Carolina or South Carolina (or anywhere) simply because it is allegedly cheaper.
This poster loves upstate New York. Others could not survive a single winter. There is so much more in life making a decision to where one lives other than the cost of a monthly mortgage payment.
I've lived in both SC and NY. I've lived in 2 areas of upstate NY. My grocery bill is far less up in NY than it ever was in SC. Certain items are cheaper only because we had a Kroger and that's the largest grocery chain in the US. Only certain things were cheaper there than WalMart and it was only when items were on sale. It wasn't on healthy things. it was on things like Fruit Loops, Rice-a-Roni, and Hambuger Helper. I bought my meats at The Fresh Market because I wanted good quality meats like I was used to getting at a local butcher in NY. I wasn't interested in buying reground hamburger with a side of e Coli.
Yes, gas is cheaper. So I saved about $15 a month on gas. Wahoo! Time to move back. NOT!
My vehicle tax was over $300 a year on one vehicle. If I lived within the city limits, it would have been well over $600.
My electric bill was significantly higher than in NY. My budget here has never been above $189 a month and that includes electric and gas. I have always had gas heat. My average monthly bill in SC was over $250. There was no budget billing.
My water and sewer bill is significantly less in NY and there's NO drought or water restrictions! My bill in SC in the winter when we weren't using the sprinkler system was over $80 a month. We didn't have sewers. We all had septic tanks in our development. So every few years you have to budget to have it cleaned and maintained. In the summer, when we were using the sprinkler system, our water bill was over $150 a month. My water and sewer bill in NY currently is $150 per 4 months which is less than $40 a month! I also have really high water pressure in NY. We had awful water pressure in SC.
My HOA fees were low, but it was the only development in my area that had fees that were so low. They were $150 a year. They have since increased. That fee basically paid for a handful of streetlights, some mowing in a few areas, and some flowers around the entrance sign. Most developments around us were over $300 a month, but they had things like golf courses, clubhouses, playgrounds, and swimming pools. We didn't have any of that. It was very difficult to find a house that didn't come with an HOA in the area. I'd rather live in my car than ever have an HOA again.
I actually own the same size house in NY and it cost me $30K less than the house I built in SC. The SC house was built poorly. Cheap houses are built cheaply. We had many issues with things that needed to be repaired or replaced. And we went with one of the best tract developers in the area! The house I live in now even has hardwoods throughout and a basement. The SC house had carpeting throughout and no basement. The house I live in now has been standing for over 70 years. And shows no signs of going anywhere. The house in SC will not last for 100 years. If by some miracle it does, then it will need so much plastic replaced that you'd be building a new house anyway.
Both of the houses I've owned in NY have increased in value over the years. They have not decreased. My house in SC actually decreased in value over the 3 years I owned it and I spent over $10k making improvements after it was built. We when we sold it, we lost over $40K on it. That's significant since it cost $180k to build.
I did look into moving to NC before we moved back to NY. We looked at Charlotte and Winston-Salem. Neither had what we were looking for at the price we were willing to pay. The Charlotte traffic makes Manhattan look like traffic moves non-stop. Can't say I really miss driving in it. There are certain things I do miss not being able to drive 2 hours to get to like Ikea, Paper Source, and Container Store, but I went to them so rarely that it's not a big deal. I survived without them nearby and have managed to do it again.
Something that you can't put a price tag on. The beauty of much of Upstate NY. There's only one place in the world that has the Finger Lakes! That's where I currently live. The Adirondacks only exist in NY. Sure there's the Smoky Mountains in NC. They are lovely, but they're not the same. There's also New England and growing up in Albany, I spent quite a bit of time traveling throughout New England and love me some Cape Cod.
I'm surrounded by naturally made lakes. When I lived in SC, I learned that there wasn't a natural lake in the state. All were manmade and the vast majority of them were for power plants. Some nuclear. Yeah, I want to dip my fit in with a nuclear power plant. No thanks.
I have to get back to enjoying the lakes around me and get off City Data. Things to do and see!
And I'm not arguing with any of that. See my post:
I was strictly talking about housing cost. Personally, I'm off the topic now because its been argued and beaten to death, and I know for a fact that if I went to Charlotte to find a home, I'd find a cheaper home (with taxes) there than I would Upstate. I don't care about median home price or vehicle taxes or schools, because for me, none of that matters. I live in a county that has a median home price of $419k right now, and I wouldn't spend 1/2 that on a home. And there are homes here under $200k that I could afford and buy right now.
That said, I've said very candidly that I have no horse in this race because I'd prefer NYS overall anyway. For many of the same reasons you do. I criticize what I love because I'd want it to be better. I want more of a reason to move there possibly one day. I think there's a common belief here that you have to hate something if you're talking about its negative points. That's absolutely not the case.
I lived in Apex, NC last year and it was also a great place to live. And I spoke to realtors, I spoke to homeowners, I lived on a fraction of what I would have needed to live here. I'm not sure how your gas bill was $250 a month, mine was $25. My electric bill was about $40, with A/C on. A fraction of NJ costs (same as NY, 18 cents a kilowatt hour, there it is 9 cents). I walked outside in April to sunshine, warmth, and flowers blooming everywhere- its nice to feel that. Yes, the lakes on the nuclear plant suck (New Hill is in Apex) but I fished them anyway. I'd would have preferred the Finger Lakes, but hey, they're not there.
I also saw low wage workers making it on $10 an hour and living decently well in nice apartments. Apartments that put to shame most of the apartments in NY and are cheaper. I myself lived on savings and didn't deplete much of it. There's a condo complex that I found in one of the more expensive areas, Duraleigh, with brand new townhomes for $105k. One owner, surrounded by forest, granite countertops, A/C, garage, etc. I saw the utility bills and they were similar to mine- very low. Bottom line is, it was cheap to live there, and I didn't need a cost of living calculator to tell me that. I saw it first-hand.
So, if I ended up in NYS over that area, yeah, I might grumble and curse a bit when I pay my tax bill but despite lower costs down there, I'd still probably prefer living in the Northeast, at least.
Husband: Honey, we're moving to Charlotte. I got a new job with the same salary. We're selling the house. Start packing.
Wife: So why are we moving if you got the same salary.
Husband: Because some poster named VintageSunlight on City Data said we can get the same house and save $400/month.
Wife: But all our friends and family are in Buffalo. We don't know anyone in Charlotte.
Husband: Doesn't matter. We can save $400/month.
Wife: But are the schools as good? Is the neighborhood convenient to shopping and downtown? I hear Charlotte has much worse traffic than Buffalo.
Husband: Doesn't matter. We can save $400/month.
Wife: Are you out of your mind?
Husband: No. According to VintageSunlight, the $400/month is the primaryreason why people move from Buffalo to Charlotte, not because they get higher paying jobs. So who cares about the other stuff. And Buffalonians are fleeing by the thousands. We'll make new friends. And we'll visit our parents on Thanksgiving.
Wife: YOU ARE NUTS!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
Good reference, it shows a combined city/county tax rate range of 1.30 - 135 per 1k assessed. That said the $150k example would run $1950 - $2025 still less even if there is another miscellaneous expense that ops up.
In comparing sales tax Charlotte is 7.250% and Erie County NY is 8.75%
Still cheaper elsewhere...
Sales tax is a small percentage of costs and you also have to look at home prices. Erie County's median home price is 128,000, while Mecklenburg County's is around 190,000. That is a big difference when considering that Housing is about 30% of costs.
This is such a wonderful post. One would have to be very small-minded to choose North Carolina or South Carolina (or anywhere) simply because it is allegedly cheaper.
This poster loves upstate New York. Others could not survive a single winter. There is so much more in life making a decision to where one lives other than the cost of a monthly mortgage payment.
Exactly! Pay also has to be considered and even that isn't a "be all, end all".
Also, I want to say that even if we prefer something or like something, doesn't mean that there aren't things that can be improved. That is just a part of life and people either have to think of something or do something that is better in order to make things better. With this said, sometimes when weighing out the costs, we have to consider everything that is relevant to a situation instead of just accepting what someone else feeds us. So, doing research is important, as things may not be what we think they are. I say this because I honestly think people look at a factor without considering as to what degree and other factors that may come into play.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,091,524 times
Reputation: 15538
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Sales tax is a small percentage of costs and you also have to look at home prices. Erie County's median home price is 128,000, while Mecklenburg County's is around 190,000. That is a big difference when considering that Housing is about 30% of costs.
You can't keep changing a variable used for camparison. The $150k is what Erie County selected to use in their table. I am not running real estate listings to show one market is a bigger, newer house. Big difference, so because Erie has a lower than average median price than most markets people are comparing it to it's a better value? So that means when a resident there chooses to sell and or leave they have no profit to even consider buying anywhere else? Perhaps the prices reflect the average salary potential or maybe the housing stock is significantly older who knows....
You can't keep changing a variable used for camparison. The $150k is what Erie County selected to use in their table. I am not running real estate listings to show one market is a bigger, newer house. Big difference, so because Erie has a lower than average median price than most markets people are comparing it to it's a better value? So that means when a resident there chooses to sell and or leave they have no profit to even consider buying anywhere else? Perhaps the prices reflect the average salary potential or maybe the housing stock is significantly older who knows....
I'm not changing the variable. I'm just stating what the median home price is for both. That variable is actually higher than the median home price for the county as well. So, that is just trying to put things into perspective. It would be like doing the same for Henrico County by using 250,000 or so as a variable for taxes, given that the median home value is around $226,500.
Again, my point is about housing costs. All of those questions can only be answered by an individual and in regard to their situation. That's all.
You can't keep changing a variable used for camparison. The $150k is what Erie County selected to use in their table. I am not running real estate listings to show one market is a bigger, newer house. Big difference, so because Erie has a lower than average median price than most markets people are comparing it to it's a better value? So that means when a resident there chooses to sell and or leave they have no profit to even consider buying anywhere else? Perhaps the prices reflect the average salary potential or maybe the housing stock is significantly older who knows....
I didn't change the variable though. I just showed what the median home value is, which happens to be lower than the variable. There is a difference.
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