How many friends or family of yours have left the DC area recently due to the rising cost of living?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

It's gotten to the point that if you want a good/great school (all parents do) a short commute and an overall "nice" area you are going to have to drop at least 700k and up.... more likely pushing the 1mllion dollar mark

To me this is insane when there are tons of place in the US you can get that for 400-500kmax easy

Real estate is the biggest expense for most folks and why we are out of here when we have kids. It's just not worth it to us even with say a 10-25% salary premium of here vs somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

1. yes, the lower real estate prices make a huge difference. We have a much nicer house (4k sf, architect designed, land) here and our mortgage is $1,100/month. You can't rent a conveniently located studio for that in DC.

2. Food is cheaper here, generally speaking. Farmer's market prices for terrific locally grown food, instead of rivaling Whole Foods in cost, are more like Aldi (cheaper than grocery stores).

3. plane tickets are more expensive, marginally but only by a bit -- we have a few discount airlines serving local airport

4. cars -- I don't know, I don't have expensive car taste but here, there seem to be more Subarus and fewer BMWs.

5. gas is cheaper -- last time I was in DC, by 60 cents per gallon. That depends on state taxes on fuel though, won't be true everywhere.

6. taxes are much less expensive for more here but that is location-dependent.

7. How often do you buy a refrigerator? but I gather that is comparable. Movies are slightly less expensive (a couple dollars) but I haven't been to a theatre movie in years. Netflix is the same and affordable in either location.

8. things like handymen/small project contracting are much less expensive. I have a guy that can do basically anything for $35 an hour, I supply parts. He's also reliable and will come right away when I have a problem. I am sure these kinds of people are available in DC but I didn't have one there. Also we have fewer rules which means reduced permitting costs. I built a large barn on my property and didn't have to have any kind of permit at all.

9. DAYCARE FEES! we have awesome child care facilities run by Early Ed centers in our university and it is, full-pay, $1200/month. My friends in DC can't find anything halfway professional and reliable for under $2k a month.

Sports/activities/camps are also cheaper here.

The salary is not that much lower for the same job -- 10-15k. We save that much just on the mortgage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

It's gotten to the point that if you want a good/great school (all parents do) a short commute and an overall "nice" area you are going to have to drop at least 700k and up.... more likely pushing the 1mllion dollar mark

To me this is insane when there are tons of place in the US you can get that for 400-500kmax easy

Real estate is the biggest expense for most folks and why we are out of here when we have kids. It's just not worth it to us even with say a 10-25% salary premium of here vs somewhere else.

oh and one other thing daycare prices are nuts here as well compared to almost any other area in the US

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

It's gotten to the point that if you want a good/great school (all parents do) a short commute and an overall "nice" area you are going to have to drop at least 700k and up.... more likely pushing the 1mllion dollar mark

To me this is insane when there are tons of place in the US you can get that for 400-500kmax easy

Real estate is the biggest expense for most folks and why we are out of here when we have kids. It's just not worth it to us even with say a 10-25% salary premium of here vs somewhere else.

oh and one other thing daycare prices are nuts here as well compared to almost any other area in the US

Thanks -for me, I could only make $50,000 in my job elsewhere in the country. Here I make $110,000. There is no way real estate prices will offset that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend of our family just recently left the area after finally receiving an out of state transfer after 4 years of waiting.
She estimates in the 4 years she has been living here she has spent close to 100k just in rent alone.
A few months after relocating here she realized this area was not for her but by then it was already too late.

OP, most places worth taking up residence in have outrageous COL. DC is not the only option, but it is not the only expensive place, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in moco and just did this a few months ago.

No regrets so far! Found a place where I can but unlimited spin and yoga for 129 a month and I never sit in traffic.

How very cultured of you.

Lol I don't even understand this criticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

1. yes, the lower real estate prices make a huge difference. We have a much nicer house (4k sf, architect designed, land) here and our mortgage is $1,100/month. You can't rent a conveniently located studio for that in DC.

2. Food is cheaper here, generally speaking. Farmer's market prices for terrific locally grown food, instead of rivaling Whole Foods in cost, are more like Aldi (cheaper than grocery stores).

3. plane tickets are more expensive, marginally but only by a bit -- we have a few discount airlines serving local airport

4. cars -- I don't know, I don't have expensive car taste but here, there seem to be more Subarus and fewer BMWs.

5. gas is cheaper -- last time I was in DC, by 60 cents per gallon. That depends on state taxes on fuel though, won't be true everywhere.

6. taxes are much less expensive for more here but that is location-dependent.

7. How often do you buy a refrigerator? but I gather that is comparable. Movies are slightly less expensive (a couple dollars) but I haven't been to a theatre movie in years. Netflix is the same and affordable in either location.

8. things like handymen/small project contracting are much less expensive. I have a guy that can do basically anything for $35 an hour, I supply parts. He's also reliable and will come right away when I have a problem. I am sure these kinds of people are available in DC but I didn't have one there. Also we have fewer rules which means reduced permitting costs. I built a large barn on my property and didn't have to have any kind of permit at all.

9. DAYCARE FEES! we have awesome child care facilities run by Early Ed centers in our university and it is, full-pay, $1200/month. My friends in DC can't find anything halfway professional and reliable for under $2k a month.

Sports/activities/camps are also cheaper here.

The salary is not that much lower for the same job -- 10-15k. We save that much just on the mortgage.

+1. We went to a smaller city so housing isn't quite as cheap as PP and our groceries are actually more expensive and some utilities (colder climate) but real estate and childcare are HUGE. Plus we now work from home so all our commuting costs vanished. Services like pp spoke of (handymen, cleaners, dog walkers) are all cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Haven't read the whole post but I'm a millennial fed and 5 close coworkers have quite for a low COL city (also millennial feds.) Cities are Minneapolis, St. Louis, Richmond, outside of Detroit, and Olathe, Kansas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

1. yes, the lower real estate prices make a huge difference. We have a much nicer house (4k sf, architect designed, land) here and our mortgage is $1,100/month. You can't rent a conveniently located studio for that in DC.

2. Food is cheaper here, generally speaking. Farmer's market prices for terrific locally grown food, instead of rivaling Whole Foods in cost, are more like Aldi (cheaper than grocery stores).

3. plane tickets are more expensive, marginally but only by a bit -- we have a few discount airlines serving local airport

4. cars -- I don't know, I don't have expensive car taste but here, there seem to be more Subarus and fewer BMWs.

5. gas is cheaper -- last time I was in DC, by 60 cents per gallon. That depends on state taxes on fuel though, won't be true everywhere.

6. taxes are much less expensive for more here but that is location-dependent.

7. How often do you buy a refrigerator? but I gather that is comparable. Movies are slightly less expensive (a couple dollars) but I haven't been to a theatre movie in years. Netflix is the same and affordable in either location.

8. things like handymen/small project contracting are much less expensive. I have a guy that can do basically anything for $35 an hour, I supply parts. He's also reliable and will come right away when I have a problem. I am sure these kinds of people are available in DC but I didn't have one there. Also we have fewer rules which means reduced permitting costs. I built a large barn on my property and didn't have to have any kind of permit at all.

9. DAYCARE FEES! we have awesome child care facilities run by Early Ed centers in our university and it is, full-pay, $1200/month. My friends in DC can't find anything halfway professional and reliable for under $2k a month.

Sports/activities/camps are also cheaper here.

The salary is not that much lower for the same job -- 10-15k. We save that much just on the mortgage.

I agree with a lot of this. We moved here from a LCOL area a year ago. We had an amazing, personalized child care center - and they also had summer camps for my elementary aged DS. Price was so much cheaper and they provided all meals and were open all day (unlike all the crazy 9 am -3 pm camps around here that cost the same).

Real estate is the biggest issue for me. I just can't figure out why the houses in this area cost so much.

[Anonymous]

Three sets of couple friends with toddlers moved to Baltimore. They were all able to live in a trendy area of the city and pay for private school while earning the same fed gov GS pay as in DC.

[Anonymous]

The only people I know who've left recently went to Philadelphia and SF (2). SF is certainly MUCH more expensive and it isn't a move that either couple needed to make for their careers - they just wanted to go out there to do "regular" law/compliance/back office finance jobs - I don't get why exactly. Philadelphia - while everyone on this board claims it's so much cheaper, I'm from there and I find it marginally cheaper but not all that much - esp since this couple is living on the Main Line, went from a 2 lawyer salary to 1 lawyer at a branch office of Phil. biglaw (which pays below market) and 1 stay home parent etc. So I haven't seen COL moves in my group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

1. yes, the lower real estate prices make a huge difference. We have a much nicer house (4k sf, architect designed, land) here and our mortgage is $1,100/month. You can't rent a conveniently located studio for that in DC.

2. Food is cheaper here, generally speaking. Farmer's market prices for terrific locally grown food, instead of rivaling Whole Foods in cost, are more like Aldi (cheaper than grocery stores).

3. plane tickets are more expensive, marginally but only by a bit -- we have a few discount airlines serving local airport

4. cars -- I don't know, I don't have expensive car taste but here, there seem to be more Subarus and fewer BMWs.

5. gas is cheaper -- last time I was in DC, by 60 cents per gallon. That depends on state taxes on fuel though, won't be true everywhere.

6. taxes are much less expensive for more here but that is location-dependent.

7. How often do you buy a refrigerator? but I gather that is comparable. Movies are slightly less expensive (a couple dollars) but I haven't been to a theatre movie in years. Netflix is the same and affordable in either location.

8. things like handymen/small project contracting are much less expensive. I have a guy that can do basically anything for $35 an hour, I supply parts. He's also reliable and will come right away when I have a problem. I am sure these kinds of people are available in DC but I didn't have one there. Also we have fewer rules which means reduced permitting costs. I built a large barn on my property and didn't have to have any kind of permit at all.

9. DAYCARE FEES! we have awesome child care facilities run by Early Ed centers in our university and it is, full-pay, $1200/month. My friends in DC can't find anything halfway professional and reliable for under $2k a month.

Sports/activities/camps are also cheaper here.

The salary is not that much lower for the same job -- 10-15k. We save that much just on the mortgage.

I agree with a lot of this. We moved here from a LCOL area a year ago. We had an amazing, personalized child care center - and they also had summer camps for my elementary aged DS. Price was so much cheaper and they provided all meals and were open all day (unlike all the crazy 9 am -3 pm camps around here that cost the same).

Real estate is the biggest issue for me. I just can't figure out why the houses in this area cost so much.

Um - supply and demand and the fact that we don't have the same kind of open land anymore that they do in Richmond or Charleston?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

1. yes, the lower real estate prices make a huge difference. We have a much nicer house (4k sf, architect designed, land) here and our mortgage is $1,100/month. You can't rent a conveniently located studio for that in DC.

2. Food is cheaper here, generally speaking. Farmer's market prices for terrific locally grown food, instead of rivaling Whole Foods in cost, are more like Aldi (cheaper than grocery stores).

3. plane tickets are more expensive, marginally but only by a bit -- we have a few discount airlines serving local airport

4. cars -- I don't know, I don't have expensive car taste but here, there seem to be more Subarus and fewer BMWs.

5. gas is cheaper -- last time I was in DC, by 60 cents per gallon. That depends on state taxes on fuel though, won't be true everywhere.

6. taxes are much less expensive for more here but that is location-dependent.

7. How often do you buy a refrigerator? but I gather that is comparable. Movies are slightly less expensive (a couple dollars) but I haven't been to a theatre movie in years. Netflix is the same and affordable in either location.

8. things like handymen/small project contracting are much less expensive. I have a guy that can do basically anything for $35 an hour, I supply parts. He's also reliable and will come right away when I have a problem. I am sure these kinds of people are available in DC but I didn't have one there. Also we have fewer rules which means reduced permitting costs. I built a large barn on my property and didn't have to have any kind of permit at all.

9. DAYCARE FEES! we have awesome child care facilities run by Early Ed centers in our university and it is, full-pay, $1200/month. My friends in DC can't find anything halfway professional and reliable for under $2k a month.

Sports/activities/camps are also cheaper here.

The salary is not that much lower for the same job -- 10-15k. We save that much just on the mortgage.

I agree as well. It's definitely not just real estate that is expensive in this area. Even the hair salon prices are double in this area as compared to my hometown down south. Food and home renovation work are also definitely more expensive here. Living here has truly made me more of DIY person also, since my home is older and the cost of handymen here is crazy. The only thing that I haven't noticed a difference in price is on the gas.

When I initially moved here out of college 4 other friends also got jobs in the area. Three of them have left. Only one is still here primarily because her husband is from this area. I have another friend that moved here 6 months ago and is already looking to leave because of the cost of living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is one thing I don't understand about moving to a lower COL city. If you move to a "lower" COL city, aren't you still paying same/more for cars, plane tickets, gas, groceries, taxes, refrigerators, movies, clothes? Does the cheap real estate prices offset all that even with a lower salary?

The people that I know that are looking to do this are realistically not going to go from a 150k salary in DC to 100k in Richmond - they keep applying and interviewing for those jobs in those secondary markets and then don't take them. Honestly they will keep hanging on until they get with a DC employer that allows them to live someplace else -- so a fed job that's 5 day/wk work form home w/ the same salary (or minimal salary drop); or something like sales or mgmt. consulting where you can live anywhere bc you're on the road yet you take your home office salary with you. No matter how much they complain, most professionals aren't looking to take gigantic salary steps downward no matter what the COL in another city may be; they're looking to take big city salaries to small town/cities and then live large.

[Anonymous]

Zero