Are there any truly middle class neighborhoods in DC?

[Anonymous]

In NE - Woodridge, Michigan Park
In NW - parts of Petworth, Brightwood

Possibly SW as well? Don't know that area but see decently priced townhouse listings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lamond-Riggs, Riggs Park

I was just in Riggs Park the other day - super cute! And also convenient to metro.

[Anonymous]

And nearby Fort Totten.

[Anonymous]

rte 1 corridor is better than NEDC and not much farther. Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Hyattsville, Riverdale etc.

Also Hollywood in CP is genuinely middle class but nice and close to metro.

[Anonymous]

Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

Teacher/police officer is not workign class. Stop it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

No. A teacher with a 4 yr college undergraduate degree and likely a 2 yr Masters is not working class. Higher education is the opposite of the definition of working class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

No. A teacher with a 4 yr college undergraduate degree and likely a 2 yr Masters is not working class. Higher education is the opposite of the definition of working class.

That should be true but a teacher and police officer now live a working class lifestyle, unless they have family money or other sources of income. At least in the DC area. A 3 bedroom house in a low-crime neighborhood with decent schools in DC or surrounding areas will cost 600k to 1m. That's not doable for a couple making around or less than 200k (which would actually be generous for a cop and a teacher starting out, more likely their combined income would be around 160k, maybe less).

With a little family assistance with down payment and very careful budgeting, they might be able to buy in Silver Spring, Columbia, Cheverly, or some of the more distant VA suburbs. If in DC and working for DCPS and metro police, they would qualify for some assistance in purchasing and could bypass bad schools via the lottery or the teacher bringing kids to their school if it's decent. So yes, maybe something like Hillcrest or Brightwood. But again, that's with family help to purchase because they are going to have to fight to buy something for right around 600k and even that is a stretch on those salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

No. A teacher with a 4 yr college undergraduate degree and likely a 2 yr Masters is not working class. Higher education is the opposite of the definition of working class.

That should be true but a teacher and police officer now live a working class lifestyle, unless they have family money or other sources of income. At least in the DC area. A 3 bedroom house in a low-crime neighborhood with decent schools in DC or surrounding areas will cost 600k to 1m. That's not doable for a couple making around or less than 200k (which would actually be generous for a cop and a teacher starting out, more likely their combined income would be around 160k, maybe less).

With a little family assistance with down payment and very careful budgeting, they might be able to buy in Silver Spring, Columbia, Cheverly, or some of the more distant VA suburbs. If in DC and working for DCPS and metro police, they would qualify for some assistance in purchasing and could bypass bad schools via the lottery or the teacher bringing kids to their school if it's decent. So yes, maybe something like Hillcrest or Brightwood. But again, that's with family help to purchase because they are going to have to fight to buy something for right around 600k and even that is a stretch on those salaries.

And to also be paying for childcare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

No. A teacher with a 4 yr college undergraduate degree and likely a 2 yr Masters is not working class. Higher education is the opposite of the definition of working class.

That should be true but a teacher and police officer now live a working class lifestyle, unless they have family money or other sources of income. At least in the DC area. A 3 bedroom house in a low-crime neighborhood with decent schools in DC or surrounding areas will cost 600k to 1m. That's not doable for a couple making around or less than 200k (which would actually be generous for a cop and a teacher starting out, more likely their combined income would be around 160k, maybe less).

With a little family assistance with down payment and very careful budgeting, they might be able to buy in Silver Spring, Columbia, Cheverly, or some of the more distant VA suburbs. If in DC and working for DCPS and metro police, they would qualify for some assistance in purchasing and could bypass bad schools via the lottery or the teacher bringing kids to their school if it's decent. So yes, maybe something like Hillcrest or Brightwood. But again, that's with family help to purchase because they are going to have to fight to buy something for right around 600k and even that is a stretch on those salaries.

DC has a bunch of programs to help teachers (BTW, OP said it's two teachers...there is no cop) and other essential workers buy homes.

Literally, they could afford a $600k place at $160k and their jobs actually have reliable pay increases as they have union contracts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

No. A teacher with a 4 yr college undergraduate degree and likely a 2 yr Masters is not working class. Higher education is the opposite of the definition of working class.

That should be true but a teacher and police officer now live a working class lifestyle, unless they have family money or other sources of income. At least in the DC area. A 3 bedroom house in a low-crime neighborhood with decent schools in DC or surrounding areas will cost 600k to 1m. That's not doable for a couple making around or less than 200k (which would actually be generous for a cop and a teacher starting out, more likely their combined income would be around 160k, maybe less).

With a little family assistance with down payment and very careful budgeting, they might be able to buy in Silver Spring, Columbia, Cheverly, or some of the more distant VA suburbs. If in DC and working for DCPS and metro police, they would qualify for some assistance in purchasing and could bypass bad schools via the lottery or the teacher bringing kids to their school if it's decent. So yes, maybe something like Hillcrest or Brightwood. But again, that's with family help to purchase because they are going to have to fight to buy something for right around 600k and even that is a stretch on those salaries.

DC has a bunch of programs to help teachers (BTW, OP said it's two teachers...there is no cop) and other essential workers buy homes.

Literally, they could afford a $600k place at $160k and their jobs actually have reliable pay increases as they have union contracts.

Can you link to any housing programs in DC that help teachers? Would love to see that, thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lamond-Riggs, Riggs Park

This. Two teachers could easily rent there or buy a fixer upper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

That's what it used to mean but now the teacher/police officer couple are considered working class, and they can only afford all that if they live in a high crime area that feels somewhat unsafe and has terrible schools. Not "okay" schools, but aggressively bad.

No. A teacher with a 4 yr college undergraduate degree and likely a 2 yr Masters is not working class. Higher education is the opposite of the definition of working class.

That should be true but a teacher and police officer now live a working class lifestyle, unless they have family money or other sources of income. At least in the DC area. A 3 bedroom house in a low-crime neighborhood with decent schools in DC or surrounding areas will cost 600k to 1m. That's not doable for a couple making around or less than 200k (which would actually be generous for a cop and a teacher starting out, more likely their combined income would be around 160k, maybe less).

With a little family assistance with down payment and very careful budgeting, they might be able to buy in Silver Spring, Columbia, Cheverly, or some of the more distant VA suburbs. If in DC and working for DCPS and metro police, they would qualify for some assistance in purchasing and could bypass bad schools via the lottery or the teacher bringing kids to their school if it's decent. So yes, maybe something like Hillcrest or Brightwood. But again, that's with family help to purchase because they are going to have to fight to buy something for right around 600k and even that is a stretch on those salaries.

DC has a bunch of programs to help teachers (BTW, OP said it's two teachers...there is no cop) and other essential workers buy homes.

Literally, they could afford a $600k place at $160k and their jobs actually have reliable pay increases as they have union contracts.

Can you link to any housing programs in DC that help teachers? Would love to see that, thanks!

NACA

Manna

FHA loans

https://www.teachernextdoor.us/Washington-DC-Housing-Grants

https://dhcd.dc.gov/eahp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does middle class mean that 2 working people who earn as much as a school teacher and police officer, can afford a 3 bedroom home, daycare for 1 child and summer camp for the older kid in school, 2 car payments, no family money and all this in a nice enough low crime area where kids can roam

Remove the summer camp for the older kid and specify daycare for the younger is an affordable home-based daycare and you’re closer. Summer camps and center-based daycares were always UMC options.