4 ms·

233k in the bay area isn't close to the top 1% and isn't a salary that will afford a lifestyle higher than what you would expect to be middle class. You clearl

233k in the bay area isn't close to the top 1% and isn't a salary that will afford a lifestyle higher than what you would expect to be middle class. You clearly haven't dealt with the cost of the bay area before. Your dollar's purchasing power is cut in half compared to the Midwest.

manigandham 8y ago
Billions of people live on pennies per day. These discussions without perspective become petty squabbles of the global 1%.
nodesocket 8y ago
Not interested in starting a big extended dialogue, but I lived in downtown SF for over 6 years. I am very aware of the costs. It's absurd and out of touch with reality.
wahern 8y ago
The cost of a McDonalds meal is $7 in Kansas City but only $8 in San Francisco. See https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/kansas-city https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/kansas-city and https://www.expatistan.com/price/big-mac/san-francisco https://www.expatistan.com/price/big-mac/san-francisco Housing is what makes the coasts costly. Other expenses are roughly similar and more than compensated for by higher earnings. Sometimes they can even be lower, like health insurance or certain goods or services. Because housing is so variable it's difficult to say which is more affordable without specifics, but the higher your disposable income the more likely it is that working in a coastal city makes more sense. If we both can save 20% each year for retirement or kids' college tuition, my 20% will be much larger than your 20% given the often times huge disparity in absolute earnings, and even my 10% or 5% might be more than your 20%. The price of a condo in Florida or Arizona is the same for both of us. State college tuition is also much more similar across states relative to earnings differentials. Most people rationalize their decisions to stay put or somewhere familiar. If they didn't, most retirees would have moved to Ecuador--social security and pension payments are the same no matter where you live.
mcguire 8y ago
Median household income, San Francisco County, 2016: $87,701. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfranciscocountycalifornia/EDU685216 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfranciscocou...

manigandham 8y ago

Billions of people live on pennies per day. These discussions without perspective become petty squabbles of the global 1%.

nodesocket 8y ago

Not interested in starting a big extended dialogue, but I lived in downtown SF for over 6 years. I am very aware of the costs. It's absurd and out of touch with reality.

wahern 8y ago

The cost of a McDonalds meal is $7 in Kansas City but only $8 in San Francisco. See https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/kansas-city https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/kansas-city and https://www.expatistan.com/price/big-mac/san-francisco https://www.expatistan.com/price/big-mac/san-francisco Housing is what makes the coasts costly. Other expenses are roughly similar and more than compensated for by higher earnings. Sometimes they can even be lower, like health insurance or certain goods or services. Because housing is so variable it's difficult to say which is more affordable without specifics, but the higher your disposable income the more likely it is that working in a coastal city makes more sense. If we both can save 20% each year for retirement or kids' college tuition, my 20% will be much larger than your 20% given the often times huge disparity in absolute earnings, and even my 10% or 5% might be more than your 20%. The price of a condo in Florida or Arizona is the same for both of us. State college tuition is also much more similar across states relative to earnings differentials. Most people rationalize their decisions to stay put or somewhere familiar. If they didn't, most retirees would have moved to Ecuador--social security and pension payments are the same no matter where you live.

mcguire 8y ago

Median household income, San Francisco County, 2016: $87,701. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfranciscocountycalifornia/EDU685216 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfranciscocou...