What income is needed to live the american dream - close in DC area?

[Anonymous]

The people on this thread giving location recommendations must not commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I’ll add- this is still a generous budget because sometimes you just don’t do all of the above, all at once. Some years it’s staycations or day trips. Maybe you do a little less in the kids 529s sometimes. Maybe you drive a paid off beater for awhile. Lots of ways to flex on this. Housing and childcare are tough. Big line item that can be hard to compromise on. Contrary to DCUMs most prolific posters, it is possible to find a house for 700k within a 45 minute drive. Just not a 6k square foot new build in Arlington.

45 minute drive in rush hour with good schools?

Yep- try 20902 (close to Wheaton), or 20910 or parts of PG County, like another poster mentioned. Of course, you will be attending schools with Black and brown children. It will be ok though, I promise.

0% chance those are 45 min or less in rush hour to downtown. You’re looking at 55 minutes each way.

I live <10 miles to downtown DC, and it usually takes me an hour if I leave at 8. Sometimes more, usually less on Fridays.

I'm not familiar with MD, but in VA there are several commuter busses that go straight into DC. I am in Chantilly and can be downtown in 35-45 min. There are other busses that come from Loudoun Co and Manassas.

You think you’re gonna make it nearly 30 miles to DC ON A BUS in rush hour in less than 45 minutes?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I’ll add- this is still a generous budget because sometimes you just don’t do all of the above, all at once. Some years it’s staycations or day trips. Maybe you do a little less in the kids 529s sometimes. Maybe you drive a paid off beater for awhile. Lots of ways to flex on this. Housing and childcare are tough. Big line item that can be hard to compromise on. Contrary to DCUMs most prolific posters, it is possible to find a house for 700k within a 45 minute drive. Just not a 6k square foot new build in Arlington.

45 minute drive in rush hour with good schools?

Yep- try 20902 (close to Wheaton), or 20910 or parts of PG County, like another poster mentioned. Of course, you will be attending schools with Black and brown children. It will be ok though, I promise.

0% chance those are 45 min or less in rush hour to downtown. You’re looking at 55 minutes each way.

I live <10 miles to downtown DC, and it usually takes me an hour if I leave at 8. Sometimes more, usually less on Fridays.

I'm not familiar with MD, but in VA there are several commuter busses that go straight into DC. I am in Chantilly and can be downtown in 35-45 min. There are other busses that come from Loudoun Co and Manassas.

You think you’re gonna make it nearly 30 miles to DC ON A BUS in rush hour in less than 45 minutes?!

Maybe at 6 am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I’ll add- this is still a generous budget because sometimes you just don’t do all of the above, all at once. Some years it’s staycations or day trips. Maybe you do a little less in the kids 529s sometimes. Maybe you drive a paid off beater for awhile. Lots of ways to flex on this. Housing and childcare are tough. Big line item that can be hard to compromise on. Contrary to DCUMs most prolific posters, it is possible to find a house for 700k within a 45 minute drive. Just not a 6k square foot new build in Arlington.

45 minute drive in rush hour with good schools?

Yep- try 20902 (close to Wheaton), or 20910 or parts of PG County, like another poster mentioned. Of course, you will be attending schools with Black and brown children. It will be ok though, I promise.

Come on now. No one thinks Wheaton or PG has good schools.

[Anonymous]

I drive to Forest Glen metro and my door to door commute to downtown is usually around 40-45 min. If you want to argue school quality that’s one thing but weird for the one poster to just not believe this timing is possible

[Anonymous]

The biggest cost is housing, in terms of price and potential commute.

If I were buying today with an income under 300K I would look at a 3 bedroom condo, which you can get for well under 1M in upper NWDC or close in Bethesda.

Commute by metro or bus is well under 45 minutes and you don’t have to pay for gas or parking.

DC public schools are good in this area, DC has excellent free early childhood education starting at PK3, which can save a mint on childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I’ll add- this is still a generous budget because sometimes you just don’t do all of the above, all at once. Some years it’s staycations or day trips. Maybe you do a little less in the kids 529s sometimes. Maybe you drive a paid off beater for awhile. Lots of ways to flex on this. Housing and childcare are tough. Big line item that can be hard to compromise on. Contrary to DCUMs most prolific posters, it is possible to find a house for 700k within a 45 minute drive. Just not a 6k square foot new build in Arlington.

45 minute drive in rush hour with good schools?

Yep- try 20902 (close to Wheaton), or 20910 or parts of PG County, like another poster mentioned. Of course, you will be attending schools with Black and brown children. It will be ok though, I promise.

Come on now. No one thinks Wheaton or PG has good schools.

I define good schools as: helping my child achieve at or above grade level on math, reading, writing, science (with reinforcement at home of course), access to enriching activities (athletic and academic) thru the school, opportunity to be friends with and learn at school with different types of kids/ .families (racial, economic, religious, learning styles), safe/welcoming environment.

We did part of elementary at Flora Singer- right in the midst of 550-700k homes near Wheaton/ Forest Glen metro. Then MS at Sligo.

Kids also attended PG County(Bowie) schools at Yorktown ES. Friends are at Whitehall ES, with older kids at Tasker and Eleanor Roosevelt HS.

Objectives met at all of the above.


Can you elaborate on your definition of ‘good schools’?

[Anonymous]

It depends on when you bought. If you’re starting out today (so buying a house close in, starting to have 2-3 kids, etc) I’d say $500K ish if you want to stick to the Arlington’s / Bethesda’s of the area and maybe $300-400K if you’re fine with Silver Spring etc.

Our PITI on a $785K mortgage is $6200. If you somehow get an infant care spot at a center it’s $2500-3000 / kid. If not, nanny or au pair or in home daycare it is. Then add in saving for college for 2-3 kids and taxes which really start to hurt at these income levels. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I drive to Forest Glen metro and my door to door commute to downtown is usually around 40-45 min. If you want to argue school quality that’s one thing but weird for the one poster to just not believe this timing is possible

Google Maps is an easy tool to use. It will give you the average door-to-door commute time based on addresses. The metro ride itself from Forest Glen to Farragut North is 26 minutes. Most people are going to walk 15 minutes from home (because houses really close to the metro are not single-family homes or are way more expensive) or have to drive and park for the metro, which adds traffic and timing issues. Then they'll need to walk another 10-15 minutes from the station to work. If your office is right above the metro station, you might be able to make it in just under 45 minutes. Most people won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drive to Forest Glen metro and my door to door commute to downtown is usually around 40-45 min. If you want to argue school quality that’s one thing but weird for the one poster to just not believe this timing is possible

Google Maps is an easy tool to use. It will give you the average door-to-door commute time based on addresses. The metro ride itself from Forest Glen to Farragut North is 26 minutes. Most people are going to walk 15 minutes from home (because houses really close to the metro are not single-family homes or are way more expensive) or have to drive and park for the metro, which adds traffic and timing issues. Then they'll need to walk another 10-15 minutes from the station to work. If your office is right above the metro station, you might be able to make it in just under 45 minutes. Most people won't.

https://redf.in/3kidE8


https://maps.app.goo.gl/QbXCgM7RH8iVw6YD6?g_st=ic


Google Maps says 36 minutes from the time you lock your door, until you step foot out of Farragut North.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$250k

So PG county?

Life in PG is pretty great.

This thread is so funny to me. I live in pg county with a lower hhi and seem to be much happier and better quality of life than most of the pp on this thread. That includes saving for retirement, kids in private schools, funded 529, yearly vacations, summer camps etc. I’m not sure why dcum thinks you need to live in moco or nova to live the American dream. Oh.. we can also be in downtown dc in 35 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$250k

So PG county?

Life in PG is pretty great.

This thread is so funny to me. I live in pg county with a lower hhi and seem to be much happier and better quality of life than most of the pp on this thread. That includes saving for retirement, kids in private schools, funded 529, yearly vacations, summer camps etc. I’m not sure why dcum thinks you need to live in moco or nova to live the American dream. Oh.. we can also be in downtown dc in 35 minutes.

How long have you owned your home for? What is your equity and interest rate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drive to Forest Glen metro and my door to door commute to downtown is usually around 40-45 min. If you want to argue school quality that’s one thing but weird for the one poster to just not believe this timing is possible

Google Maps is an easy tool to use. It will give you the average door-to-door commute time based on addresses. The metro ride itself from Forest Glen to Farragut North is 26 minutes. Most people are going to walk 15 minutes from home (because houses really close to the metro are not single-family homes or are way more expensive) or have to drive and park for the metro, which adds traffic and timing issues. Then they'll need to walk another 10-15 minutes from the station to work. If your office is right above the metro station, you might be able to make it in just under 45 minutes. Most people won't.

https://redf.in/3kidE8


https://maps.app.goo.gl/QbXCgM7RH8iVw6YD6?g_st=ic


Google Maps says 36 minutes from the time you lock your door, until you step foot out of Farragut North.

It says 39 minutes, and you then need to walk 10 min to work 🤦‍♀️

[Anonymous]

$500K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on when you bought. If you’re starting out today (so buying a house close in, starting to have 2-3 kids, etc) I’d say $500K ish if you want to stick to the Arlington’s / Bethesda’s of the area and maybe $300-400K if you’re fine with Silver Spring etc.

Our PITI on a $785K mortgage is $6200. If you somehow get an infant care spot at a center it’s $2500-3000 / kid. If not, nanny or au pair or in home daycare it is. Then add in saving for college for 2-3 kids and taxes which really start to hurt at these income levels. Good luck.

Ouch. I rather rent forever. My annual salary is $257k. My rent is really cheap $2200. Yes it's not the nicest of areas. I don't know anything over $2500 for housing per month is insane. I guess I'll.never have kids if I need to live in a town where I have to have a PITI of $5k+. Crazy