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Not that remarkable. Software Engineers, like most people, like to think of themselves as Middle Class, but we are actually Upper Middle Class.
by RubenSandwich 9y ago
Not that remarkable. Software Engineers, like most people, like to think of themselves as Middle Class, but we are actually Upper Middle Class.
- humanrebar 9y ago...or software engineers are still middle class and the bottom fell out of the middle class at some point. A lot of this depends on what "middle class" means. You'll have a really hard time buying a family home in SF or NYC on $120k a year.
- refurb 9y agoWhy would one assume that a middle class person should be able to afford a home in the two most expensive cities in the US? That's like saying "I earn $400k per year but I'm middle class because I can afford a home in Beverley Hills"
- dv_dt 9y agoOne would assume that to continue to exist, cities should pay a broad range of people in them enough to live in the city...
- refurb 9y agoTrue, but housing prices reflect actual prices paid, so there are obviously enough people in that city who can afford those prices.
- emodendroket 9y agoNot in a world where foreign investors park their money in real estate.
- sotojuan 9y agoLive in != Own property. Many people well into their 30s and 40s live in NYC with roommates or a partner renting an apartment. Most of these decide to buy outside of the city but still work in it.
- humanrebar 9y ago"There is no middle class in certain U.S. cities" would be one answer, I suppose. Though Beverly Hills is a different example since that's just an expensive neighborhood in a bigger city. I'm not talking about affording a luxury zip code. I'm talking about being able to live a "middle class lifestyle", which, at least in American culture, includes the option of home ownership in a safe neighborhood with pretty good schools.
- sotojuan 9y agoCan't speak for SF but it's a little trickier with NYC. Thing is, a lot of middle class white collar workers live here not expecting to ever have any of the above (owning a home, good schools) in the city. They know the city is expensive and home owners here have either been here for decades or are wealthy. They're here until their mid 30s when they move to a suburb. What I am saying is, a lot of middle/upper middle class people don't care that they can't buy a house in NYC - they were never expecting to. I would also argue that the middle class lifestyle you describe is not as popular as before. -- The areas in NYC that are affordable to own a home in are not much further away from jobs than areas where one can get a bigger house and not live in 100 year old, poorly maintained building. People will choose to commute an hour away from upstate, Long Island, or even Connecticut than still live in the city 40 mins from work in a smaller, older building.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- Noos 9y agoYou're still upper middle class. You are engaging in massive conspicuous consumption by trying to live in SF or NYC.