Female mid 20s moving to VA (Arlington) (Alexandria: apartment, insurance)

[ChristineVA]

Young people with entry level jobs do not attempt to live alone. My friend's daughter moved out on her own with a $45,000 salary. She got a roommate and it worked fine. She's now up to about $60K and still living with a roommate because she wants to live in Arlington, walk to places, and have somewhat of a city life. She continues with the roommate because she doesn't mind them, and has been lucky with the one or two she's chosen. It gives her a good amount of extra cash so she can have a life.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Young people with entry level jobs do not attempt to live alone. My friend's daughter moved out on her own with a $45,000 salary. She got a roommate and it worked fine. She's now up to about $60K and still living with a roommate because she wants to live in Arlington, walk to places, and have somewhat of a city life. She continues with the roommate because she doesn't mind them, and has been lucky with the one or two she's chosen. It gives her a good amount of extra cash so she can have a life.

Bingo. My first year out of college I made over $60k, and I still chose to live in a house with roommates because that would allow me to have more of a life and live in the neighborhoods I wanted to live in. Now that I'm married, I have a built in roommate in my husband.

It is SO common to have roommates here. I know very, very few people who live on their own at my age (mid 20's). The ones who are on their own often have mommy & daddy helping to cover some or all of the rent, or they had somehow come into money and managed to buy a place (though many of them still rent out the extra bedrooms).

[bb_knn]

What I got from this forum is living in Arlington area is extremely expensive.
Entry level position needs to pay at least 50K in order to survive even with a roommate.
At this point move to Arlington does not seem like a good decision for an entry level position that pays mid or upper 30s. With this salary over 50% would go for rent. This would be enough for a life on Roman noodles.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by bb_knn

What I got from this forum is living in Arlington area is extremely expensive.
Entry level position needs to pay at least 50K in order to survive even with a roommate.
At this point move to Arlington does not seem like a good decision for an entry level position that pays mid or upper 30s. With this salary over 50% would go for rent. This would be enough for a life on Roman noodles.

Suppose you make $35k. Take home salary is ~$30,000. With a roommate, you can find a room under $1000/month in Arlington. That's 40% of your take home pay. If you are willing to not live walking distance to the metro, or to live with 2 or 3 roommates, you could find a room under $700/month.

Look:

Room in great 4 Bedroom Near Ballston- On WOD (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/roo/2132812952.html - broken link)
Room available in great house (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/roo/2132543159.html - broken link)
Great deal in Arlington (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/roo/2132352367.html - broken link)

All under $700. $700x12 is less than 1/3 of your take home pay.

Living on a $35k salary will not make you wealthy here, by any means, but you aren't going to starve. You won't be going to the bars every weekend spending $10 on a beer, but you will be able to buy groceries. Now, if you will not accept less than a full apartment to yourself, then yeah...the DC metro is not the place for you.

Are there places in this country where you can easily bank more money? ABSOLUTELY. The salaries are only minimally smaller (especially for entry level) in cities like Chicago, Dallas, Columbus, or Phoenix. If you have offers there and living space is a priority for you, I would look more closely at them. But if you want to come to DC, it is possible. Many people do it, somehow (as many non-profit entry level jobs pay in the $30's). They just make sacrifices to do so--some of which are no brainers (giving up bar hopping or eating out) and others that I question (not funding 401ks or purchasing good health insurance). It's a personal choice though.

It boils down to: Do you want a job? Or do you want a job in DC?

[michgc]

Great post, CaliTerp! You are very wise - tried to rep you but it wouldn't let me.

[Deeman804]

If you are dead-set on a 1BR check out the Westover neighborhood. It is very nice and about 2 miles from Ballston (by where your job location is) with income-restricted apartments in your price range. There is a Bus line that to Ballston, and you should consider riding a bike to work as well.

If you have a car you should check out my post from a couple weeks ago. (Do note that my friend is now searching for apartments with a roomate)

//www.city-data.com/forum/north...1100+apartment

[d-fens]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

But if you want to come to DC, it is possible. Many people do it, somehow (as many non-profit entry level jobs pay in the $30's). They just make sacrifices to do so--some of which are no brainers (giving up bar hopping or eating out) and others that I question (not funding 401ks or purchasing good health insurance). It's a personal choice though.

It boils down to: Do you want a job? Or do you want a job in DC?

It definitely is a personal choice. I think anyone that is young and not in the "privileged" income bracket (meaning salary wise or having some family member paying most of their rent) needs to think about how their life will be. Will it be worth it to work, come home to a living quarters that isn't really yours, know you overpay for something that is possibly even substandard conditions, have to work nights and weekends on a second job, etc.?

Who will you socialize with? Most likely the only time you will have is either at your multiple jobs (and most people in the same income bracket aren't going to be all that happy to be there) or your roommates. And if this doesn't work, how much of a life will you have?

And the other question is this. Are you in a profession that allows you to advance within your company or at least in the sectors that are in demand? The DC area has amusingly been referred to as "a Hollywood for ugly people and dorks" and in a way, there is some truth to this. A lot of people move there with hopes of becoming someone in the government. Other than government positions, how many good jobs that allow you to advance from within are there? And to the ones that don't fit in this category, you would have to wonder if there are jobs in more reasonable metro areas to live.

[stpickrell]

If your job is in a field that is common everywhere (nursing, teaching, admin assistant, etc.), or there is no potential for advancement, and you don't have any family or other connections to this area, you might be better off outside the DC area.

[terrence81]

I've met plenty of nurses and teachers around here that are happy in the DC area, just like there are teachers and nurses in San Francisco and New York.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by terrence81

I've met plenty of nurses and teachers around here that are happy in the DC area, just like there are teachers and nurses in San Francisco and New York.

Absolutely, of course there are. But unless the intangibles of living in DC (like proximity to family, climate, culture, whatever) are of high value to the OP, $30k in Dallas is worth more than $35k in DC, and her money will go much further.