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Old 11-12-2013, 06:24 PM
 
119 posts, read 337,676 times
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Like the title says, how expensive is it to live in NoVa? I may be taking a job in PWC and my starting salary would be around 51K/year. Is that a good salary for the area? Would I be living pay check to pay check? I will also have a second income at some point if my fiancé would be able to get a job but for the time being it would be just me. I don't know much about the area or the cost of living so any info would be helpful.

Thank you
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Old 11-12-2013, 07:10 PM
 
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OP,

It's going to be kind of hard for people to give you recommendations on places to live without knowing a little bit more about your situation. It all depends on what you're looking for and what you're willing to spend/forgo in your lifestyle. If 51k is expected to fully support two people, things are going to be a little rough but it's manageable. "Rough" here is a relative term as I'm not sure what you're used to in terms of your buying power. I can say in general that yes you'll be living paycheck to paycheck though to be honest, I haven't met many people here who aren't depending on the last Friday of the month to pay the bills.
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Old 11-12-2013, 07:14 PM
 
119 posts, read 337,676 times
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I'm not the type of person to live the life of luxury by any means. I guess I just don't know much about the area as far as expenses, what is more expensive than in Ohio, etc. right now I make about 35K in ohio with a car payment and 875 rent payment and seem to live ok.
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Old 11-12-2013, 07:19 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doubled8206 View Post
I'm not the type of person to live the life of luxury by any means. I guess I just don't know much about the area as far as expenses, what is more expensive than in Ohio, etc. right now I make about 35K in ohio with a car payment and 875 rent payment and seem to live ok.
Ok, assume you'll double your rent (at least), and double you're commuting costs because you will likely double your commuting time. Would you still be ok with your new salary?
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Old 11-12-2013, 07:33 PM
 
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What is a good salary for the area then?
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Old 11-12-2013, 07:37 PM
 
Location: Ormond Beach, FL
1,615 posts, read 2,148,096 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doubled8206 View Post
What is a good salary for the area then?
The median income for Fairfax County is $105,800. Here is a link Economic and Demographic Information*- Fairfax County, Virginia
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Old 11-12-2013, 07:38 PM
 
Location: northern va
1,736 posts, read 2,897,384 times
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You could survive off 50K, but it would be an adjustment.

Figure rent to cost $1,200 minimum for a condo.

Moreso if you want to be in PWC in a neighborhood that most would be more drawn to, or in a townhome/detached single family..

You could commute from Stafford into PWC and stretch your living cost more, but traffic in the area is never fun..
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Old 11-12-2013, 09:17 PM
 
119 posts, read 337,676 times
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Thanks for the info. 51k is just starting and I would have a second income eventually. I was just curious to see what people had to say about what a good wage is for the area and realistically is it worth it.
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Old 11-12-2013, 09:25 PM
 
119 posts, read 337,676 times
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Worth it as it living comfortably
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Old 11-13-2013, 03:09 AM
 
9,886 posts, read 14,159,951 times
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Originally Posted by doubled8206 View Post
Worth it as it living comfortably
it all depends on your definition of "comfortable". Do you like nice cars and like to take vacations? Do you eat out? Do you prefer a large amount of savings? It's best to do the math yourself and determine if you would be comfortable. As mentioned, the big differences are rent and commuting costs.
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