The government has always been here. So why was the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80, 90s COL here so affordable?

[Anonymous]

This does not directly affect me. I am just asking a simple question.

What is so special about the post 2000s DC area that has caused our cost of living to skyrocket beyond belief?

Me personally, I think the pre 90s DC area COL should have been more expensive because this area was a hell of a lot more fun then as opposed to right now. Things should be cheaper now.

[Anonymous]

Federal workers are not the cause of housing prices and COL in this area.

[Anonymous]

Density of the population.

[Anonymous]

Defense spending post 9/11. End of thread.

[Anonymous]

Defense spending is right. And many many more agencies cropped up then too. As well as govt actually shrinking and many functions (it, subject matter expertise) being farmed out to contractors at a significant profit.

[Anonymous]

"Reinventing government" and going from a federal employee model to a beltway bandit contactor model--combined with 9/11 military industrial complex buildup. Add some tech industry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal workers are not the cause of housing prices and COL in this area.

Really?

The 4 posts below yours all contradict what you are saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Federal workers are not the cause of housing prices and COL in this area.

Really?

The 4 posts below yours all contradict what you are saying.

No, they're all referring to contractors.

[Anonymous]

The general housing bubble, plus more contractors and an increase in defense spending.

[Anonymous]

Huge shift in people living in suburbs to people living in cities or more urban areas. This happened across the country.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Obama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks Obama.

You mean Bush?

[Anonymous]

Cheney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Defense spending post 9/11. End of thread.

+1

[Anonymous]

Rising income inequality means that some areas have become extremely expensive while others have stagnated.

In the 50s and 60s economic growth was more broad-based. Now many second-tier cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, even St. Louis have done pretty badly, HQs have moved to places like NYC. Wealth is concentrated in the tech sector, in lawyers, lobbyists and financiers. The places where people like that live have become very expensive as a result.