Punta Gorda makes lowest wages list. (Ocean City: condo, house, layoffs)

[froglipz]

Punta Gorda is listed as having the 5th lowest wages adjusted by cost of living in the US!
Where wages are worth the most, least in U.S. | Pew Research Center

[HarborRat]

Lot's of retirees.....

[Happiness-is-close]

I best cost of living isn't the lowest!

[MartyGras]

The Punta Gorda statistical area includes all of Charlotte County, population 173,115
(40,839 (24%) employed) and the actual weekly wage is $738 or $38,376 yearly

Gary

[Juliekristine629]

This area is heavy in retail and small business employment. Medical and professional services may boost it.

It would be interesting to see that $590 weekly average broken down and expressed as median income. I don't think they are counting retirees passive income.

All in all, I think young people like my son are better off working in a major industrial area. He lives in Chicago.

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by Juliekristine629

This area is heavy in retail and small business employment. Medical and professional services may boost it.

It would be interesting to see that $590 weekly average broken down and expressed as median income. I don't think they are counting retirees passive income.

All in all, I think young people like my son are better off working in a major industrial area. He lives in Chicago.

The income is based on wages reported to the IRS by employers and does not include other income.

It's hard to get any meaning from the number because is also includes part time workers weekly pay.

Gary

[froglipz]

Originally Posted by MartyGras

The income is based on wages reported to the IRS by employers and does not include other income.

It's hard to get any meaning from the number because is also includes part time workers weekly pay.

Gary

But it does so with all cities.

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by froglipz

But it does so with all cities.

True but cities have vastly different levels of part time earners. As an example Ocean City NJ is a summer resort that hires a lot of part timers and has virtually nothing other than its summer business.

With out knowing the breakdown the numbers are meaningless.

That's not to say that the wages are not low, I'm sure they are but it's unfair to compare what it cost to live in PG against what it cost to live in the other parts of the county.

In Charlotte County you can purchase a house or condo for $100k in Ocean City NJ that would not be enough to buy a shed.

Gary

[SeaRay35]

Originally Posted by froglipz

Punta Gorda is listed as having the 5th lowest wages adjusted by cost of living in the US!
Where wages are worth the most, least in U.S. | Pew Research Center

3 of the 5 are resort areas which makes sense since they are seasonal. It would be next to impossible to get an accurate account of actual wages in PG with all the snowbirds and retirees.

[Restrain]

Minimum wage is between $9 and $10 due to state law. But you have a lot of wait staff, bartenders, etc that are tip-based employees. Also a lot is seasonal, higher hiring between October-April, layoffs and seasonal closings during May-Sept.