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Old 08-20-2013, 10:49 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
5,861 posts, read 15,208,636 times
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After moving to LA after 12 years in Seattle I think overall the COL is higher in LA, but not by much imo. For some reason my full coverage car insurance went down significantly in Los Angeles. My rent is slightly less in LA. Owning a home is more in LA but to me, not by much in the desirable areas. The less desirable areas where I see prices much higher than Seattle. Public transportation is cheaper in LA. So is parking. One thing where I see Seattle really shining is incomes. Are salaries higher in Seattle for the same job in LA. I wonder.
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Old 08-21-2013, 01:31 AM
 
2,064 posts, read 4,426,192 times
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i also moved here from LA last year. i would say that it's roughly 10-20% more expensive in LA.

housing: of course LA is more expensive. but you also have to be careful what you are comparing. if you compare hunt point with newport beach, it's similar. if you compare kirkland with torrance, it's about 20% more expensive in torrance. if you compare kent with watts, watts is more expensive.

we sold our townhouse in redondo beach earlier this year for $895k. we paid $987k for it in 2004. it's a 2200 sq ft / 4 bed / 2.5 bath townhouse a few blocks from the beach. here you could get a single family home a few blocks from the lake for about the same size and price in parts of houghton (kirkland).

taxes: you save 10% on state income tax in WA. but sales tax and property taxes are higher in WA.

other stuff: things that require a cost of labor tend to be cheaper in LA. this is stuff like landscaping, nannies, handyman, painter, plumber, etc.

salaries are similar between seattle and LA...at least in high tech.
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Old 08-21-2013, 11:24 AM
 
195 posts, read 377,151 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by angelenogirl View Post
Thank you! I was recently back in L.A. and couldn't wait to get back to Seattle. I like Seattle because it is so different from L.A. in almost every measurable way. I know some Californians move to different parts of the country and want to change their new cities to be more like L.A., but not me. I moved here because I like Seattle for being Seattle, just the way it is, and I hope it doesn't ever change too much!
Seconded. I lived in LA for 16 years and can't now imagine how I did so. Totally gross, and I really hope the Seattle area never becomes like it.
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Old 08-21-2013, 12:13 PM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,588 posts, read 27,322,733 times
Reputation: 9048
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwright1 View Post
After moving to LA after 12 years in Seattle I think overall the COL is higher in LA, but not by much imo. For some reason my full coverage car insurance went down significantly in Los Angeles. My rent is slightly less in LA. Owning a home is more in LA but to me, not by much in the desirable areas. The less desirable areas where I see prices much higher than Seattle. Public transportation is cheaper in LA. So is parking. One thing where I see Seattle really shining is incomes. Are salaries higher in Seattle for the same job in LA. I wonder.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes. Saleries in Socal are generally lower than elsewhere, especially San Diego but I am sure LA can't really compete with Seattle in that area.
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Old 08-21-2013, 01:38 PM
 
22 posts, read 60,342 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVD90277 View Post
i also moved here from LA last year. i would say that it's roughly 10-20% more expensive in LA.

housing: of course LA is more expensive. but you also have to be careful what you are comparing. if you compare hunt point with newport beach, it's similar. if you compare kirkland with torrance, it's about 20% more expensive in torrance. if you compare kent with watts, watts is more expensive.

we sold our townhouse in redondo beach earlier this year for $895k. we paid $987k for it in 2004. it's a 2200 sq ft / 4 bed / 2.5 bath townhouse a few blocks from the beach. here you could get a single family home a few blocks from the lake for about the same size and price in parts of houghton (kirkland).

taxes: you save 10% on state income tax in WA. but sales tax and property taxes are higher in WA.

other stuff: things that require a cost of labor tend to be cheaper in LA. this is stuff like landscaping, nannies, handyman, painter, plumber, etc.

salaries are similar between seattle and LA...at least in high tech.
id say its way more
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Old 08-22-2013, 12:33 PM
 
195 posts, read 377,151 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentoo View Post
I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes. Saleries in Socal are generally lower than elsewhere, especially San Diego but I am sure LA can't really compete with Seattle in that area.
I can only speak for a couple of cases. For software engineers, salaries are pretty comparable.
I am earning a little bit less than in LA but dont have to pay state income tax and dont have as much responsibility here (I was a manager in LA)

For insurace, since in general premiums in Seattle are lower than in LA, people that sell insurance and work in that industry almost certainly make less than in many parts of LA.
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Old 08-22-2013, 01:45 PM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,588 posts, read 27,322,733 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by limeyx View Post
I can only speak for a couple of cases. For software engineers, salaries are pretty comparable.
I am earning a little bit less than in LA but dont have to pay state income tax and dont have as much responsibility here (I was a manager in LA)

For insurace, since in general premiums in Seattle are lower than in LA, people that sell insurance and work in that industry almost certainly make less than in many parts of LA.
Good points
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Old 08-23-2013, 07:35 AM
 
7,934 posts, read 8,569,155 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USDefault View Post
As a California resident, let me tell you, Los Angeles is way higher, and any major city in California is going to be higher.

Home prices? Forget about it. California housing market is stupid. Skyhigh prices for stucco boxes without any land. Even crappy areas in LA are sporting $450K starting home prices, and I promise you these kinds of places are absolute dumps, would be teardowns anywhere else in the country, poor schools as well. Anything cheaper, it's going to be an absolute ghetto/garbage property with questionable safety and bad schools, to be avoided. In LA if you want something decent, with some property (not on top of neighbors) and reasonable amenities/schools, you really need to be in the $800k range for a single-family home, and probably $500k+ for condo or small townhome. And $500k will be a small property, probably less than 1600 sq. ft, a small three bedroom two bathroom.

Then there is cost of living and California tax regime. California - highest income tax rates in the nation. Among the highest sales tax in the nation. Fuel? Among the highest gasoline prices in the nation, I think only Hawaii is higher. Gas tax? Highest in the nation due to both federal tax and California "excise" gasoline tax. I also think California imposes a 1% mental health tax on high earners, so if you are a high earner, say $500k+, your income tax rate is a whopping 14.3%, but even at $60k+ the income tax is high. No income tax in Washington, so this difference alone is enormous.

Water? Expensive. Electricity? Expensive. Car insurance? Damn expensive. DMV fees, once again, among the highest in the nation, if you buy a new car, welcome to the California experience of paying hundreds of dollars a year just to register your car with the state each year. In other states, this can be as cheap as $30. Look at this absurd table of fees on top of fees, Basic Registration Renewal Fees. Every two years, smog tests, more money to the DMV. I hate this place.

Property taxes also are expensive, and California's Proposition 13 works against new homeowners. If you purchase a new home in California you'll be paying current rates based on your purchase price, whereas any longtime neighbor residents will be paying only a fraction of your property tax since they purchased when prices were much lower, and those taxes can increase by only ~1% a year, there is no step-up in basis unless they sell the property to new owners.

If you value keeping what you earn, and if you want to provide for your children or for your retirement, stay in Seattle. Don't come to this broken state.
That about covers it. Don't forget the gang violence in southern California. That's the cherry on top.

LA - It's a nice place to visit.
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Old 08-25-2013, 05:56 PM
 
28,110 posts, read 63,531,084 times
Reputation: 23235
Quote:
Originally Posted by USDefault View Post
Property taxes also are expensive, and California's Proposition 13 works against new homeowners. If you purchase a new home in California you'll be paying current rates based on your purchase price, whereas any longtime neighbor residents will be paying only a fraction of your property tax since they purchased when prices were much lower, and those taxes can increase by only ~1% a year, there is no step-up in basis unless they sell the property to new owners.
Not true...

My friends paid 650k for their sf Bay Area home in 2006 and later sold for 450k in 2012 when they moved to Washington State.

The NEW owners of their home are paying way less in property tax than my friends were paying.

Also... annual rate increases are capped at 2%... not 1%

Also, increased taxes can be as simple as a voter approved measure... like 55% for schools or adding on to the home...
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Old 08-25-2013, 11:23 PM
 
2,174 posts, read 4,391,627 times
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I know for me moving from CA to Seattle I have had a massive tax savings with no state income tax in WA State. My income stayed the same and I pay no state income tax now in WA, and paid 10% of my income to state income tax in CA in 2012. It's is really mind blowing how much more money will stay in my pocket up here. Over a 10 year period you can be talking a quarter of a million more in your pocket without the CA state income tax. And add to that tax savings housing is generally cheaper up here then Coastal CA cities.

The amazing thing is the state of CA has that massive state income tax AND a big sales tax, yet the state of CA seemed to me much more in disrepair and decline (schools, parks, libraries, neighborhoods) then WA State. And also has many more shabby ghetto neighborhoods than WA State. Where does all the money go? Well, one clue, CA state government workers are by far the highest paid in the entire U.S. & have some amazing 6 figure per year pension packages.
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