NOVA is expensive!!!!! (Richmond, Arlington, Alexandria: hardwood floors, apartments, for rent)

[MsSexCNurse]

Looking at the prices of apartments in ANY part of NOVA (looking particularly at Springfield) is a shock to say in the least!! I'm moving to VA in 3 weeks. I currently live in Memphis, TN and I have a 2 bedroom apartment in downtown Memphis overlooking the MS river and is right in the middle of shops, restaurants, on the trolley line, and walking distance to nightlife activities and my rent is 1400/mo for hardwood floors, granite, all upgrades and 1200sq feet!!!! I can barely find a 1 bedroom in VA for that price!!! Are the jobs paying well enough to afford VA living? (in the healthcare field) Good thing I'm moving with family for a while first.

[car54]

These things are relative. People hear about the higher pay around here and go, "OH BOY!".

But in most cases, they would be better (or no worse) off if they just stayed where they are.

[kww]

what is your MAX comfort range for rent, not including any utilities?

where do you intend to commute to?

how may bedrooms and baths do you desire?

[gomason]

Jobs will pay much better here than in Memphis. Really not a pay increase though after accounting for the cost of living.

[justtitans]

That's why I do think it's a good thing that you are staying with family. Like I was saying in the other thread, it's going to be great for you to look at prices in different areas to see what is practical. You may have to look in a place like Prince William County/Manassas which is not as expensive as the rest of NoVA but it's not as isolated as Stafford is. I think we are all curious where did you see a 1 BR apartment that you thought was too expensive? That will give us a better idea of what to suggest to you.

[FindingZen]

Yes, one would think at first glance that the DC suburbs would be less expensive, especially looking in areas like Fredericksburg or even Springfield per your previous thread. But with many job centers (especially Tysons Corner and the Dulles Tech Corridor) being located far from the city core - not to mention DC proper's relatively small imprint - the cost of housing can remain high for a much larger swath of VA than one might initially expect.

Most all households have to adjust their housing expectations when moving here, not to mention a single person. In my layperson's opinion, a nurse (per your prior OP) should be able to at least "tread water" with a pay bump from Memphis but would have to budget a bigger % towards their rent to live in a vibrant area with upscale amenities. Note, for example, that the average household income in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties is well above $100K - and I believe other nearby VA cities/counties are within ~$10K of that - so people in specialized/high-demand jobs are definitely being paid well. It may turn out that putting in a few years with a NOVA-based hospital/healthcare facility will provide enough of a boost to your resume' that you can consider somewhere else (like Richmond per your prior thread) where salary offers would be such that your net standard of living would improve over NOVA let alone Memphis.

[MsSexCNurse]

I'm thinking it was in Alexandra and it was like 1800. That wasn't the average but I was like WOW!!! I understand that things will be more expensive than in Memphis. I've googled the average pay for my job here (I know that isn't accurate) but it was like 20,000 cheaper than what I'm making now. Money isn't everything but it is needed to survive. I'm not questioning my move. I'm actually very excited to have a change of scenery and meet new people. I have a lot of time to research all areas as my aunt has a huge home with a lot of extra space and there is no time limit for me to move out. But finding things to do in Spotyslvania may be challenging. I appreciate all of the input from everyone. I'm getting advice on counties I haven't heard of and it gives me a chance to research those locations also. You guys are great. I hope most NOVA people are like you guys!!!

[tgbwc]

Where will you be working? Is it Alexandria or Springfield or...?

Spotsylvania would be quite a trek to Alexandria and commuting costs would add up.

[justtitans]

You can definitely find places cheaper than 1800 in that area, but it depends on what you want. Another thing I want to throw out there at you is some people starting out in the area get roommates. How open are you to that? Places like Alexandria and Arlington have a lot of young professionals who split housing cost just to live in places that have great amenities. If you are okay with paying $1000+/month sharing (possibly cheaper) and $1300+/month on your own, then you could probably live closer to DC in a place like Alexandria or Arlington. For a single woman, those places are probably the best to look at in NoVA, but if you are just absolutely not trying to pay that amount, then moving further out might have to be in play. I'm just trying to get your wheels turning and thinking about the options you have. It's definitely not easy living in an area this expensive, but it's a great place to live.

[FCNova]

If you get a roommate you can probably stay within your $1,400 budget in most parts of Nova. The vast majority of people in this area have roommates, be it a wife, girlfriend, or just regular roommate. And yes, the salaries here are much higher than in Tennessee. Nice screenname