NOVA Living On $65k? (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, to rent, student loans)

[bugleb]

I'm a recent college grad and have been offered a job in Fairfax and security clearance sponsorship for a $65k salary. This is about $20k more than anything being offered in my hometown and it is a much better resume-builder as well.

Everybody says this area of the country is expensive, but is it just the housing prices that are expensive or is everything (food, transportation, nightlife, taxes, etc.) expensive as well? I'd be willing to commute up to an hour... would I be able to live alone comfortably or would I be slumming it on that salary?

I have no student loans and my car is paid off.

[ChristineVA]

You will be fine on $65,000. The highest cost you will find here is housing. After that, things are a little bit more expensive for things like dining out/drinking than you would find in smaller towns. You may see some grocery items a bit higher also but nothing really drastic.

My friend's daughter makes $65,000 and she lives in a 1 BDRM apartment in the ever-popular Arlington/Clarendon area. She also has no student loans. For a long time, she didn't have a car payment but now has one at just under $300 a month. I think she's doing fine but she's also not a big spender on entertainment and clothing, but she does do some of that.

[tgbwc]

Slumming it? Hardly. You should be fine.

[bugleb]

Thanks for the replies.

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Slumming it? Hardly. You should be fine.

Am I overestimating the cost of living down there?

I'm from Pittsburgh and the general consensus here is that moving to the DC area is more or less a financial death sentence for a college grad. It's tough to really know what the truth is in all of this since I've never lived in a place of my own and am surrounded by people who think DC is only for millionaires.

[mlv311]

Originally Posted by bugleb

Thanks for the replies.


Am I overestimating the cost of living down there?

I'm from Pittsburgh and the general consensus here is that moving to the DC area is more or less a financial death sentence for a college grad. It's tough to really know what the truth is in all of this since I've never lived in a place of my own and am surrounded by people who think DC is only for millionaires.

It does help that you don't have debt and your income will be only supporting you. That's your starting salary this year. Once you work in the area, you'll build a professional network and if you are good at your job, other opportunities will come along in the near future and you'll get paid more. We have all income levels in the area. Like anywhere else, the key is learning to live within your means. GL

[claremarie]

Originally Posted by bugleb

Thanks for the replies.


Am I overestimating the cost of living down there?

I'm from Pittsburgh and the general consensus here is that moving to the DC area is more or less a financial death sentence for a college grad. It's tough to really know what the truth is in all of this since I've never lived in a place of my own and am surrounded by people who think DC is only for millionaires.

Moving to DC is a financial death sentence for Pittsburgh, a city that has had difficulty retaining its young college-educated residents since I was in college in the 1980's. Many people in Pittsburgh are so accustomed to the low cost of housing there than they simply cannot fathom paying $1500 for a 1 BR apartment in northern Virginia (which is a ballpark price for what you can expect to pay). As you now know, the job market in the DC area is considerably stronger than in Pittsburgh, especially for young college grads. There are plenty of 20-somethings living in northern Virginia on less than $65K, so you will be fine, especially if you decide to share housing costs by getting a roommate.

[mshan242709]

Sounds like your job (Fairfax) doesn't require a commute into DC, so reasonable housing options should be available fairly close to your job.


edit: did a quick google search for George Mason Law School off campus housing and they have this link:

While there is no on-campus housing in Arlington, housing opportunities (rooms, apartments, and houses to rent) in the area are plentiful. Students who do not plan to bring a car may want to seek housing that is near a Metrorail station. Areas within close commuting distance include all of Arlington (particularly the Rosslyn, Clarendon, Court House, and Ballston neighborhoods) and parts of Alexandria and Falls Church.

The most current comprehensive information on housing is available in Sunday issues of the Washington Post and the Washington Times. Individuals with rooms, apartments, or houses to rent also post notices on the bulletin boards near the law school elevator. The University's Off-Campus Housing web site lists services that assist Mason students with locating housing within the Northern Virginia and D.C. Metropolitan area. Finally, the Federation of Off-Campus Students hosts a housing site called liveoffcampus.com.

http://och.gmu.edu/property/rental

[ChristineVA]

You have a very good starting salary, so no financial death sentence!!!

There are many posters (we had one last week) that are entering the job market here at around $45,000, have a car payment, some student loan, and would prefer not to have a roommate. You're not even close to that but that seems to be the norm.

We did have a frequent poster here a few years back from Pittsburgh who moved here for, I think, about $41,000 and didn't want a roommate. He managed to do it but the money and the absolute change in culture were pretty brutal for him and he's back in Pittsburgh.

You've got some breathing room. And while you don't need a roommate on that salary, I would suggest one if you are new to area. Live in the Arlington/Clarendon area where the post-college "life" is very active and try to find a roommate(s) which will help you meet people in your age group. After a year, get your own place. Do not come here and isolate yourself.

[hilsmom]

Lots of recent college grads find roommates/housemates so that they can have a nicer place in a closer in neighborhood and not bear all the costs themselves.

I think at $65K, you can probably afford a place on your own, but if you want to have even more financial flexibility, finding roomies is the way to go.

[VRE332]

Bugleb, find yourself a husband or wife making a salary so you can afford something nicer.