How much annual salary do you need to live in this area? (Seattle: health insurance, living)

[Swampbird]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

Actually, at what 'luxury' level is your preference? The homeless people sleeping under the freeway seem to do quite well with no income. So, you can only move up from their 'entry' level to a point that you prefer.

Well, obviously I don't want to be homeless. My only requirement in an apartment is that it be in a safe neighborhood. I don't care about size or amenities.

[Jalhop]

Originally Posted by Swampbird

I would be making about 31K (currently making 23K). I do have a car payment, though.

I think your best chance of a decent life here would be to share a 2 bedroom apt. (or a house, with more people) in Bothell, which is a nice enough town to live in. You'd have to be frugal otherwise; craigslist and Goodwill make that easier nowadays.

Unless you hate FL, why not buy a condo in Miami? I see plenty of them for less than 2X your income, even 2 bedrooms so you might have a roommate paying the mortgage.

[Swampbird]

Originally Posted by Jalhop

I think your best chance of a decent life here would be to share a 2 bedroom apt. (or a house, with more people) in Bothell, which is a nice enough town to live in. You'd have to be frugal otherwise; craigslist and Goodwill make that easier nowadays.

Unless you hate FL, why not buy a condo in Miami? I see plenty of them for less than 2X your income, even 2 bedrooms so you might have a roommate paying the mortgage.

I hate Miami with a passion. I am too old for roommies (I am 46).

[Jalhop]

It could be tough to live in the Seattle area without a roommate, including Bothell and even in a studio, on $31K. Probably not impossible though. I used to make $31K in Seattle with a car payment but rent was $700/mo then and gas was < $2/gallon. I didn't eat out much.

I'll throw this out there: how about Milwaukee? Condos are Miami-level cheap there, and it has cold weather, lots of greenery, lots of water, etc. They have a market there based on Seattle's Pike Place. I keep reading that locals call the city underrated. Colder winters but probably sunnier than Seattle's. (Seattle may look good on paper but the mostly overcast skies for 8-9 months a year can be very tough to endure, even for the natives.)

[SitoUK]

Originally Posted by Swampbird

Thanks - pretty cool site. But if it's accurate, I probably won't be able to live there, even with a salary increase. It seems to have everything I love - cold weather, lots of greenery, water, etc...

Based on my experience when moving here from London the site is pretty accurate.

[Swampbird]

Originally Posted by Jalhop

It could be tough to live in the Seattle area without a roommate, including Bothell and even in a studio, on $31K. Probably not impossible though. I used to make $31K in Seattle with a car payment but rent was $700/mo then and gas was < $2/gallon. I didn't eat out much.

I'll throw this out there: how about Milwaukee? Condos are Miami-level cheap there, and it has cold weather, lots of greenery, lots of water, etc. They have a market there based on Seattle's Pike Place. I keep reading that locals call the city underrated. Colder winters but probably sunnier than Seattle's. (Seattle may look good on paper but the mostly overcast skies for 8-9 months a year can be very tough to endure, even for the natives.)

I actually love WI. But when I looked at Milwaukee rentals, I found them higher than I expected. I am surprise to hear you can get condo there for a Miami price....hmmm....food for thought. The downside would be that I have no friends there (unlike Seattle).

[Hemlock140]

If you have friends in Seattle then stay with one for a while until you can find a place you can afford, and scout the bus/train for transportation. The suburbs can be higher than Seattle, but if you get far enough out (like Bothell, Mill Creek, or Auburn to the south) it gets a lot cheaper. I have an employee living down toward Auburn that commutes to Seattle by bus and train, and our company subsidizes the pass.

[Xeon1210]

Don't be afraid to live in the 'burbs seriously; working in Seattle and living in Tacoma (or beyond?) isn't bad at all with the way they have transit setup. Infact I live in seattle near the university district and, it takes roughly the same amount of time for me to get into the downtown area as it does to get from tacoma to seattle (around an hour rush hour). The seattle metro buses in my opinion have WAY to many stops per bus which makes it take that much longer. Conversly you can get on the sounder train north or south and have a smooth ride to your destination. It's about $4.50 if you do the max distance but it's great because the people on board are usually well manicured professionals who can afford such luxurious transportation

good luck

[Jalhop]

Originally Posted by Swampbird

I actually love WI. But when I looked at Milwaukee rentals, I found them higher than I expected. I am surprise to hear you can get condo there for a Miami price....hmmm....food for thought. The downside would be that I have no friends there (unlike Seattle).

I see Milwaukee condos on Trulia for < $25K, even $15K. (These would be 10 times the amount in Seattle.) Lake Michigan looks like the ocean; nothing in Seattle beats that. Too bad about no friends there, although I bet people there are little easier to get to know.

[Hemlock140]

There's a reason for that. The average salary in Milwaukee is about $17/hour, in Seattle it's over $26. That's a difference of over $1400/month.