Salary needed to support family of four and live comfortably? (San Diego: transplants, renting)

[bloom]

Originally Posted by patrick85395

We left San Diego for Phoenix five years ago because we grew tired of living not far above hand-to-mouth earning about $200k/year with no kids. We had a nice home in North County's Santaluz neighborhood in in $900k home with five feet on each side and a small backyard. Between taxes, housing, gasoline, milk, etc, I would not even think of moving back to California on less than $250k year.

My larger nicer home in Phoenix in an equivalent community except on a much larger lot is about 60% less. Our total income is about $30k down, but life quality (financially, stress level) is way up.

consider a smaller nicer home without kids

[NYSD1995]

200k w/no kids = easy life

[SFBayBoomer]

Four days ago the OP started his first and only post to this thread and has not returned. His only other posts are the same for Los Angeles and Denver. He seems to be most interested in Denver, IMO.

[ndindy]

Originally Posted by SFBayBoomer

Four days ago the OP started his first and only post to this thread and has not returned. His only other posts are the same for Los Angeles and Denver. He seems to be most interested in Denver, IMO.

All he saw was how his income wouldn't go very far on housing.....probably thought San Diego isn't a fit. You have to LOVE the weather here!

[lighthouse2000]

I live in Austin, I considered moving to California but I found out that our lifestyle would decreased a lot in California. We were living in Utah, Our income is between $300,000 and $400,000. We have twins 12 year old.

Real Estate, Taxes and Gas take a good chunk of income, Real estate taxes are higher in Austin but no state personal income tax and no corporate tax, plus lower prices gives us a better standard of living in Austin plus more opportunities that in San Diego.

I may consider living in California with an income 50% higher than now.

[gettingtiredofsb]

I think this will depend on your needs, the area you want to live, what type of house, etc..

Some neighborhoods are more expensive than others, not just the houses but everything else like food, gas, etc

I would say that something between $80k to $120k/year at least would be needed.

[barryg]

If you want to live in a nice area in San Diego, it's pretty simple:
If you have 2 kids or more, you better be making $150K plus. $200K+ more like it.

If you don't have kids, $100K minimum.

[Larry Siegel]

Living very well on $300K. However, kids have long since finished college so our only big expense is saving for retirement.

[Rocko20]

I currently live in hawaii and have done some research about a possible move to SD in 3 years. Will have 1 wife, no kids, and I still wouldn't make the move without atleast a $150K job secured, excluding the job my wife would have. Being from Texas, the adjustment in housing to California is pretty big (bigger price, smaller space).

[sdlife619]

The question is, what’s middle class in CA anymore? Is it somebody making 50k-70k a year? Or 100k +? As the cost of inflation has increased and prices for goods and services have also gotten more expensive, 50k a year seems to me lower middle class thesedays.

What’s unfortunate for the majority of San Diegans is they can’t afford to buy a home here, it’s only people with higher education and great careers making way over 100k a year that are able to even come close to afford a home.

What nobody has addressed here is what is your Take Home Pay? Sure someone can gross over 200k a year, but with all the taxes, there take home could probably only be 120k a year after taxes.

It’s all about how much you make after taxes, and CA robs people with money here. There’s no point of moving to SD to simply struggle, you better make enough to live comfortably for you and your family, or else don’t don’t bother.