How much do we need to move to San Jose?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi All,

I'm considering a job in Los Gatos, CA. Before I get into salary negotiations, I'm trying to figure out how much we would need to earn to live reasonably near Los Gatos and have a similar standard of living to what we have in DC. Our family lives on about $230k/yr and we own a house in the Petworth neighborhood of DC.

For any west coast transplants or others familiar with both regions, I'm wondering:

1) What are some areas near Los Gatos / San Jose that are "not insanely expensive" and also nice/safe with decent school options?

2) How much would we need to earn to live in these areas and have a similar standard of living to what we have in DC? I'm assuming we'd need more, but I'm not sure how much more.

Thanks in advance.

Please let us know what you decide and how it works out.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks a lot for the thoughtful advice!

Initial salary discussions lead me to think our family income would shift to around 290k with the new job. And, from the discussion, it seems there are more possibilities for finding something affordable than I'd thought, with a little flexibility.

I'm still not sure if we'll go through with the job and move, but I'll post an update here when we make a decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's cheaper in Monterey County, Salinas, Prunedale, etc. You are looking at least $800k-$1 mil for something nice in those areas and figure private schools $30k+ per year. We live in Monterey, DH works there and I work in Salinas. We make $250, four kids in a charter and live in a Tinyhouse (425 sq ft) Compared to the D.C. area, everything is more expensive, except for produce items. We do eat very well here in the salad bowl of America.

Wait, six people in 425 sq ft?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's cheaper in Monterey County, Salinas, Prunedale, etc. You are looking at least $800k-$1 mil for something nice in those areas and figure private schools $30k+ per year. We live in Monterey, DH works there and I work in Salinas. We make $250, four kids in a charter and live in a Tinyhouse (425 sq ft) Compared to the D.C. area, everything is more expensive, except for produce items. We do eat very well here in the salad bowl of America.

You have 6 people in a 425 sq foot house???

[Anonymous]

425 sq footer, please come back and answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This indicates you only need about 10% more, but I think the need for neighbors with good schools distorts the true costs https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13609633

Not as positive https://www.quora.com/Is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-by-the-fact-that-in-the-Bay-Area-it-seems-that-even-250-000-in-household-income-for-a-family-of-4-is-iffy

https://www.quora.com/How-much-of-a-home-can-a-family-of-four-reasonably-and-comfortably-afford-on-a-215-000-income-in-the-Bay-Area

This completely blows my mind. How could $400k not be fine for basic lifestyle choices. I think they are expecting too much. https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-survive-in-the-Bay-Area-with-400k-family-income

I'm guessing this person who makes $400K doesn't have a lot for a down payment, hence mortgage will be huge. This plus the higher taxes in CA can really impact the budget. At that income level, state income tax is about 13%.