Cost of living in U.S.

[CNB30]

Originally Posted by Urbanatic

The question is, what is a "decent life" and does said life cost the same amount no matter where you live?

All I know is I'm going NYC no matter the cost.

[weava]

Originally Posted by CNB30

I think it depends. NYC maybe....Just maybe more expensive than kansas

Since your brought up Kansas vs NYC, I would rather live in Kansas

Johnson County, Kansas
average home price: $243,717, average househould income $73,733
or
Queens, NY
average home price: $430,750, average househould income $37,439

[aaabbbccc]

if I lived in NY city with my salary I would be considered poor and live in a studio / motel dump
here in Orlando I live in a nice 3 bedroom condo with that same salary
someone making for example 45,000 dollars a year can be very poor depending on factors such as cost of living , debt that you own , number of children you have and money management

[The Cake On BBQ]

Living in NYC actually doesn't cost as much as most people think it does.

[Dimethyltryptamine]

I think people tend to associate living in NYC with living in Manhattan. Manhattan is fairly expensive, but you could live in an outer suburb and it be significantly cheaper.

Going through this thread, you guys have no idea how lucky you've got it!

[spencer114]

Even someone from the most poor country on earth understands that life in the bigger cities of said country will be more expensive than life in the smaller cities. The difference in cost of living between cities like New York City and Omaha isn't unique to the USA.
The person who started this thread probably checked out long ago. He/she would need to clarify what "American lifestyle" means to them. If it is anything like my idea of it, you can't have it for less than $60k, more for larger cities.

[weava]

Originally Posted by spencer114

Even someone from the most poor country on earth understands that life in the bigger cities of said country will be more expensive than life in the smaller cities. The difference in cost of living between cities like New York City and Omaha isn't unique to the USA.
The person who started this thread probably checked out long ago. He/she would need to clarify what "American lifestyle" means to them. If it is anything like my idea of it, you can't have it for less than $60k, more for larger cities.

I live pretty nicely on 40k/year in a large city. 2 year old car, have been on 3 vacations this year(mexico, europe, and a road trip up the US east coast) with a nice suburban apartment. Granted I have no kids though. But once my girlfriend gets out of college we will more than double our household income and will be able to afford a McMansion.

[BTA88]

The OP doesn't appear interested in the responses, but I'll throw my life in the mix.

I grew up poor, in the most crime ridden and one of the poorest inner suburbs of Philly. We got by on food stamps, child support and under the table gigs, I'd guess my mom had a total of less than $15k/year to raise me. And to be honest, I thought I had it pretty good growing up. We moved to what was "the country" to us --really suburban compared to most of the US-- in 2000 so that I wouldn't have to go to HS in such a dangerous area.

Flash forward 12 years, I'm in management, I am going to make around $70k this year after overtime and bonuses, I own a house on an acre in the outer exurbs of DelVal, I own my vehicle, and I'm living a very good average life. My idea of vacationing is off-roading to a camp site in a remote area, so other than the initial few hund for camping gear, my vacations cost me gas. There's only one city I truly love and it's too close for me to consider it a vacation. I don't want to travel abroad or domestically unless I take a road trip to Florida, as Northeasterners are wont to do.

My point is, as those before me have said, quality of life is what you make of it. If you want a home in a remote setting and consider sleeping on rocks to be a vacation, that leaves a lot more money for material possessions. If you want a top floor penthouse on Fifth Avenue and cruises around the world, you'll need a lot more money.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by LtBk

I don't understand why someone would work in a job with no benefits unless it's second job or something.

Even if every single adult in the United States had a university education, there are only so many jobs to go around. The idea that you just need an education and skills is a myth. A lot comes down to personality, luck, and who you know.

There are tens of millions of people who did all the right things, but there simply aren't enough good jobs for every one. They take what's left over even if they're absurdly over qualified.

[Orionol]

Have anyone here seen the movie; Superbad???

[blakeaustin]

Yes.

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Even if every single adult in the United States had a university education, there are only so many jobs to go around. The idea that you just need an education and skills is a myth. A lot comes down to personality, luck, and who you know.

There are tens of millions of people who did all the right things, but there simply aren't enough good jobs for every one. They take what's left over even if they're absurdly over qualified.

As someone who is currently in that position, I agree.

Many of those people (esp recent college graduates or people who are not able to find any work in their field) are just taking temp jobs that offer no benefits in the hope that eventually it will land them in a much better job position.

[Orionol]

Ok, well most of mine friends want to live in the US and in a neighborhood like Cera did in that movie. I dont really know which state he lived in that movie but anyway European youth is dreaming to live and experience that kind of fun life that you got in America (like the movie Superbad). Live their lifestyle or something. In the movie, we can see that they are middleclass family that live in those family areas near school probably, but is that true or should they have big money to effored those stuff (house, car etc.)?? Have you guys, when you were little, lived in those kind of family neighborhood with your parents?

Example of Family areas in movies; Superbad, Beethoven (the movie), Home Alone etc.

[jbkayaker12]

In Clark County, we have it easy as far as housing, food and entertainment which are quite affordable. There are things going on all the time considering Las Vegas being the "Entertainment Capital of the World".

Our food cost here is quite low and it does not necessarily mean you have to cook at home. Restaurants offer so much for so little, it is an advantage having 40 million visitors a year here in Vegas. Restaurateurs want the $$$$ and will offer the best dining deals.

In Vegas, there is always an event happening, nightlife is one of the best in the world. Aside from the famous clubs with world renowned DJs, resorts have plenty of lounges/bars that will put to shame some of the best clubs in the world.

Housing is one of the most affodable in the nation. The quality and new-ness of homes are high. Even with with the lack of proper rail network, Clark County being compact, makes it really affordable to own a car. Gas prices in Clark County are even lower compared to other states with oil refineries.

Geographically speaking, Clark County, NV is in a great location considering nearby states like CA, AZ and UT are only a short drive away.

On a last note, I should work for the Chamber of Commerce!!

[BTA88]

Originally Posted by Orionol

Ok, well most of mine friends want to live in the US and in a neighborhood like Cera did in that movie. I dont really know which state he lived in that movie but anyway European youth is dreaming to live and experience that kind of fun life that you got in America (like the movie Superbad). Live their lifestyle or something. In the movie, we can see that they are middleclass family that live in those family areas near school probably, but is that true or should they have big money to effored those stuff (house, car etc.)?? Have you guys, when you were little, lived in those kind of family neighborhood with your parents?

Example of Family areas in movies; Superbad, Beethoven (the movie), Home Alone etc.

Those areas are usually filmed in Jersey or Southern California. Check out Haddonfield, NJ, Merchantville, NJ or Levittown, NJ. Also, Marlton and Sicklerville, also in NJ. Matawan is a nice suburb as well. Cherry Hill is an up and comer right now. It is historically a very nice suburb, but it's rapidly grown into an "Edge City", I expect that growth will speed up with Philadelphia's renewed growth as well. These are just the towns I know specifically. There are plenty in most states, especially around big cities.

[blakeaustin]

What's an "edge city?"

[Cal_Escapee]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Even if every single adult in the United States had a university education, there are only so many jobs to go around. The idea that you just need an education and skills is a myth. A lot comes down to personality, luck, and who you know.

There are tens of millions of people who did all the right things, but there simply aren't enough good jobs for every one. They take what's left over even if they're absurdly over qualified.

A few points (not to say I don't agree with you most fundamental point):

- To some degree, each person who is employed helps to employ someone else because their spending helps crate new jobs;

- Supposedly there are millions of open jobs in the US for which the hiring business claims it can't find anyone with the requisite skills. Fixing that mismatch could be a serious boost to the economy and create a lot more jobs.

- I don't accept that a college degree is a commodity and that it doesn't matter where you got the degree because they are all the same. That's another way of saying that I'm not so sure that degrees from some places currently handing them out actually overqualify you to be a barista at Starbuck's.

[Cal_Escapee]

Originally Posted by blakeaustin

What's an "edge city?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_city

[Cal_Escapee]

Originally Posted by Orionol

Ok, well most of mine friends want to live in the US and in a neighborhood like Cera did in that movie. I dont really know which state he lived in that movie but anyway European youth is dreaming to live and experience that kind of fun life that you got in America (like the movie Superbad). Live their lifestyle or something. In the movie, we can see that they are middleclass family that live in those family areas near school probably, but is that true or should they have big money to effored those stuff (house, car etc.)?? Have you guys, when you were little, lived in those kind of family neighborhood with your parents?

Example of Family areas in movies; Superbad, Beethoven (the movie), Home Alone etc.

One of my pet peeves is the lifestyles depicted in movies and on TV. Typically, they show people in supposedly middle class jobs living a lifestyle that would probably cost several times what they could reasonably be making.

Concerning "Superbad",

The film was supposed to be taking place in the Clark County, Nevada/Las Vegas, Nevada area, however, the film was primarily shot in the Los Angeles area.

The school that the kids attend is actually the exterior of El Segundo High School. The Mall scenes were shot at the old Fox Hills Mall (which is now the Westfield Mall) in Culver City, CA. Other notable filming locations include the convenience store at the beginning of the movie, also in Culver City, the Liquor Store where "McLovin" get's ID-ed in Glendale, CA and the bar where the cops take McLovin for a drink is neighboring Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superbad_(film)

Those sound like fairly typical middle class California locations.

Concerning "Home Alone":

Home Alone was set—and mostly shot—in the greater Chicago area. Other shots, such as those of Paris, are either stock footage or film trickery.[citation needed] The Paris-Orly Airport scenes were filmed in one part of O'Hare International Airport. The scene where Kevin wades through a flooded basement when trying to outsmart the burglars was shot in the swimming pool of New Trier High School. A mock-up of the McDonnell Douglas DC10 business class was also put together in the school, on the basketball courts.

Some scenes were shot in a three-story single-family house located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in the village of Winnetka. The kitchen in the film was shot in the house, along with the main staircase, basement and most of the first floor landing. The house's dining room, and all the downstairs rooms (excluding the kitchen) were built on a sound stage. The house was built in 1921 and features five bedrooms, a fully converted attic, a detached double garage and a greenhouse. "Kevin's tree house" in the backyard was built specifically for the film and demolished after principal photography ended.

In May 2011, the house was listed for sale at $2.4 million; it sold in March 2012 for $1.585 million. The house is promoted as a tourist attraction and cited as an example of "How to Get Your Home in the Movies."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone

So these are people living in a multi-million dollar home who spend Christmas in Paris. That is a decidedly upscale lifestyle. According to one source, "The novelization says that his father is a successful businessman and his mother is a fashion designer." These are appropriately upscale jobs. So we are dealing here with some affluent, even upper class people. What you see is NOT a typical American suburban lifestyle.

[Orionol]

Thank you guys for the info.

I always thought that they would live in state live Montana, Virginia, Michigan or Illinois etc. Are there also neighborhood that is lookalike in those state?