Is Phoenix still one of the fastest growing cities? (Tempe: 2013, lease)

[Bondurant]

The drop in wages is eased by cheaper cost of living. People would not be moving here if they had fears about not making enough money.

[ShampooBanana]

Originally Posted by Tall Traveler

According to that Forbes article, Phoenix median pay is higher than 13 of the 19 other fastest growing cities. I was very surprised given what I had heard about Phoenix salaries.

Median income for a family in Phoenix is a little less than $50k per year. Yes, you can live very well here on $100k a year provided you don't decide to live in N. Scottsdale or PV. You'll probably afford a 2,500-3,000 sq. ft. home in Chandler or Gilbert, be able to drive 2 newer cars, send your kids to those good public school districts, and be able to save some money and take a decent vacation or two per year.

Yes, people are moving here (and lots of them) primarily from places like the Midwest to escape the weather, California to escape the taxes and high COL, and Canada for the cheaper home prices and sunshine. It's not the crazy growth where the metro was adding 100k people per year back in the late 90's to early 2000's, though, and I hope it stays that way!

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by Bondurant

The drop in wages is eased by cheaper cost of living. People would not be moving here if they had fears about not making enough money.

Real estate prices and rents are about the only cheaper things here of any significance.

Factor in the cost of air-conditioning in the summertime, water bills if you have a pool, grass, or shadetrees, and car upkeep because we like to drive so much and heat is bad for many vehicle parts, and it's not all that inexpensive.

But I would still much rather live here than Michigan where I'm from, weather alone would be a big contributing factor.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Real estate prices and rents are about the only cheaper things here of any significance.

Factor in the cost of air-conditioning in the summertime, water bills if you have a pool, grass, or shadetrees, and car upkeep because we like to drive so much and heat is bad for many vehicle parts, and it's not all that inexpensive.

But I would still much rather live here than Michigan where I'm from, weather alone would be a big contributing factor.

You responded to Bondurant, and he's from MI too. So am I.

When you figure out the cheap way to live here, it's a bit easier than "back home".

My heat bills in MI were about the same cost as my AC bills here in Phoenix. We just have to deal with them during a different time of year. Gotta say that I'm in much better control of my home's temperature here.

So, consider:

In the summertime here, we can go to bed and turn the AC off and just use the fan in the bedroom. Open windows are fine......and that swamp cooler saves a TON of dinero.....


Try doing THAT in Michigan. In February. OK....so you're not going to open the windows but you'd turn the thermostat down...or off. Then what?

Your windows would have frost on the INSIDE. And all of your house plants would die.


Now...to the pool:

22,500 gallons of pure fun and relaxation here. We drain the pool every two years and re-fill it. $100 to do so. Sure, the pump runs on electricity but it uses less than the fridge does. We only run the pump 12 hrs per day max.


Now...to the vehicles:

OK.

Your battery is gonna fry in 2-3 years. So when you replace it, spend the extra $50 for the five year warranty. Or just get a real good battery that's guaranteed.

Tires.

Buy the best. I hope you'd do that ANYWHERE you live, but that's a necessary thing anyway.

Take notice the amount of vehicles that you see around these parts that are 10, 15, or 20+ years old. Compare that with Michigan (along with condition), that you see. C'mon now. "Winter Beater" is a term that's unheard of around here.

[Potential_Landlord]

Originally Posted by Bondurant

The drop in wages is eased by cheaper cost of living. People would not be moving here if they had fears about not making enough money.

That's exactly the motivation for working-age people to move to places like Phoenix these days. They want to make do with less work and expenses. Retired people is a different story altogether, but the post-1960 born people moving to cheaper sun-belt states do so deliberately to be able to live on less money, take less stressful jobs and if possible keep one spouse completely out of the workforce. They tend to be quite good DIYers too. I met quite few people from high-cost places like coastal California or NYC (like my wife btw). In these places both spouses had to work, no exception. Housing costs are so much higher, that alone will guarantee it.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by YAZ

You responded to Bondurant, and he's from MI too. So am I.

When you figure out the cheap way to live here, it's a bit easier than "back home".

My heat bills in MI were about the same cost as my AC bills here in Phoenix. We just have to deal with them during a different time of year. Gotta say that I'm in much better control of my home's temperature here.

So, consider:

In the summertime here, we can go to bed and turn the AC off and just use the fan in the bedroom. Open windows are fine......and that swamp cooler saves a TON of dinero.....


Try doing THAT in Michigan. In February. OK....so you're not going to open the windows but you'd turn the thermostat down...or off. Then what?

Your windows would have frost on the INSIDE. And all of your house plants would die.


Now...to the pool:

22,500 gallons of pure fun and relaxation here. We drain the pool every two years and re-fill it. $100 to do so. Sure, the pump runs on electricity but it uses less than the fridge does. We only run the pump 12 hrs per day max.


Now...to the vehicles:

OK.

Your battery is gonna fry in 2-3 years. So when you replace it, spend the extra $50 for the five year warranty. Or just get a real good battery that's guaranteed.

Tires.

Buy the best. I hope you'd do that ANYWHERE you live, but that's a necessary thing anyway.

Take notice the amount of vehicles that you see around these parts that are 10, 15, or 20+ years old. Compare that with Michigan (along with condition), that you see. C'mon now. "Winter Beater" is a term that's unheard of around here.

During the summertime, you turn off the air-conditioning at night, open the windows and use a swamp cooler? Seriously, in the July and August monsoon season?

The only summer month that's suitable for a swamp cooler is June because of the low humidity, and maybe September if the monsoon season is done for the year.

But I could not sleep with windows open anytime on summer nights, usually too warm for that even in June and September.

You wrote about maintaining a pool but many people also prefer some grass and shadetrees in their yards to make the sun and heat a little easier to deal with, not just gravel or cactus, and that demands more water and more expense.

I totally agree about buying the best batteries and tires but they can be quite expensive.

See what I mean? It's not really all that cheap to live here when all living costs are included.

[knicksin8]

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

Yes, you can live very well here on $100k a year provided you don't decide to live in N. Scottsdale or PV.

What does PV stand for?

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by knicksin8

What does PV stand for?

Paradise Valley...average home is probably over $1M in PV. It's a beautiful area.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

It is according to Forbes...landed #3 on a list of top 20.

Where Phoenix ranks among fastest-growing cities - Phoenix Business Journal

Probably not after today Arizona passes law allowing discrimination | MSNBC

[mikejjones1234]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Probably not after today Arizona passes law allowing discrimination | MSNBC

Trying to start yet another thread on that BS subject?