Current Events > ''It's expensive to live in California but jobs pay you enough to live there''

(+) Yeah! (+)

Have you heard people say this? How true is it?

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I live on the west coast where it is considered expensive and even Walmart is starting people at $18.50 an hour. While I don't live in California I would assume there's a grain of truth in the sentiment.

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i mean depends on the job. most entry jobs like fast restaurants pay like 12-15 dollars an hour. how is it in other parts of the country?

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Guess it depends on what you consider having enough to live. Buying a house requires a lot more than what most places are paying I do know that for sure.

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Veggeta_EDGE posted...

Have you heard people say this? How true is it?

CA is a massive state and has lots of comparatively affordable housing if you choose to live in the sticks, but for the three major areas that make up the heart of SoCal (Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego - where nearly half the state's population live), that's generally not true. The cost of housing is prohibitive there. It's obviously one of the reasons why homelessness is such a major issue, and why multiple generations often live in the same home - it's extremely difficult to afford anything else.

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I doubt its true unless you are in one of the conservative rural areas. I mean, California far and away leads the country in homeless rates.

Just depends on where you live, what neighborhood you want to live in, and what type of place you want.

You can easily rent a small house for around 2k and send your kids to great schools in the south bay.

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CaptainOfCrush posted...

CA is a massive state and has lots of comparatively affordable housing if you choose to live in the sticks, but for the three major areas that make up the heart of SoCal (Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego - where nearly half the state's population live), that's generally not true. The cost of housing is prohibitive there. It's obviously one of the reasons why homelessness is such a major issue, and why multiple generations often live in the same home - it's extremely difficult to afford anything else.

It's getting worse all over CA though. I made an ama earlier about how I just moved out of CA. A few years ago a 2 bedroom in Fontana (not the best area and a desert) cost $1200 max, now it costs $1700-1800 per month in that same area.
Even areas like Bakersfield which is essentially empty has houses for $1500 per month which is nice, but you're 3+ hours out of LA and those same houses were $1000 per month 6-7 years ago.

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CleoDookieslide posted...

I doubt its true unless you are in one of the conservative rural areas. I mean, California far and away leads the country in homeless rates.

This actually isn't CA's fault. Often times homeless people will be bussed off to California as the weather there is constantly warm enough that they won't freeze to rest and there aren't tornados and such.
If you want to look it up, you'll have to do some digging, but it's usually homeless people who are in prison for a few years will get transferred to a prison in CA.

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Often times homeless people will be bussed off to California as the weather there is constantly warm enough that they won't freeze to rest and there aren't tornados and such.

this simply isn't true. I mean, yeah the beaches are nice and stuff if you can afford a place there. But most of the state lives in poverty. And the homeless rate is because its crazy expensive for no real reason outside of policy. They should have tried to curb it when everyone told them it was coming but now its too late. But if you are rich, great beaches

It depends on where you live. I don't claim to be the most knowledgeable but LA/Orange county, IE you want to level up fast to get comfortable. Dude up above mentioned 18.50 and that's true to an extent - but lots of business out here that are still trying to get away with 14-15 an hour.

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Depends on what your definition of live, I guess. I used to have to work 2 jobs just to survive here and that's not really living. There are still a lot of people here working 2 jobs just to get by.

CommonStar posted...

I used to have to work 2 jobs just to survive here

Yeah I don't consider that living either. I use to have a 2nd job too but it was purely for the extra income.

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One job at 18 an hour, you gotta live super tight to make it on your own and that's assuming decent rent.

My first job 7 years ago was 10.50, that's less than 1600 a month after taxes. If I had to make that work solo I would have had to take another job. 14-15 ain't much better, and the housing market has only worsened...

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The average rent in my area and the surrounding areas are at $3.1k for 2bdr and $2.5k for studio.

Seems to be about the same range here...2.5k for 2bdr on average and 2000 for a studio. See some pickings for 1420 in Hesperia...and 750 to stay in an RV

Clown world, man.

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You've got 49 other states you can live in. Don't have to choose the most expensive one.

CleoDookieslide posted...

Often times homeless people will be bussed off to California as the weather there is constantly warm enough that they won't freeze to rest and there aren't tornados and such.

this simply isn't true. I mean, yeah the beaches are nice and stuff if you can afford a place there. But most of the state lives in poverty. And the homeless rate is because its crazy expensive for no real reason outside of policy. They should have tried to curb it when everyone told them it was coming but now its too late. But if you are rich, great beaches

It is true.

In one case a Nevada mental hospital settled with the state after it was discovered they dumped 500 mental patients on San Diego streets over the years. It was funded by the state of NV.

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/nevada-settles-homeless-dumping-lawsuit/62120/

There are other examples:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvg7ba/instead-of-helping-homeless-people-cities-are-bussing-them-out-of-town

https://marcus-ruiz-evans.medium.com/texas-may-not-be-the-main-source-but-newsom-is-right-a-lot-of-the-homeless-in-california-are-f43a3a2aa84e



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brestugo posted...

It is true.

In one case a Nevada mental hospital settled with the state after it was discovered the dumped 500 mental patients on San Diego streets over the years.

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/nevada-settles-homeless-dumping-lawsuit/62120/

There are other examples:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvg7ba/instead-of-helping-homeless-people-cities-are-bussing-them-out-of-town

https://marcus-ruiz-evans.medium.com/texas-may-not-be-the-main-source-but-newsom-is-right-a-lot-of-the-homeless-in-california-are-f43a3a2aa84e

That map image is poorly designed. It makes it look like the homeless are leaving California.

Dude, one of your sources is vice. Like, don't get me wrong. Im sure somebody out there at one point did this but for the most part, it just doesn't happen and it sure as heck doesn't show their disproportionate rate among every other state.

Esrac posted...

That map image is poorly designed. It makes it look like the homeless are leaving California.

Agreed, trash map design.

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I live in Los Angeles and this generally isn't true. Lot of retail jobs still try to get by with paying the minimum $14/hr. The average for a studio apartment is $1300. That's more than 60% of someone's paycheck at minimum wage.

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NoxObscuras posted...

I live in Los Angeles and this generally isn't true. Lot of retail jobs still try to get by with paying the minimum $14/hr. The average for an apartment is $1300. That's more than 60% of someone's paycheck at minimum wage.

LoL I'd hate to go back to LA at this point.

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I personally live in the Midwest and making 40k a year is a decent living.

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Veggeta_MAX posted...

I personally live in the Midwest and making 40k a year is a decent living.

Yeah I've thought about making those moves for a long time. Hard to though when literally all my people are around here and too attached to CA to even think about alternatives.

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People who say "just move" fail to recognize the cost of it and how difficult it would be to do so for most people here. People surviving on paycheck to paycheck aren't gonna be able to take time off to prepare and make the move and also setup a job where they move to. They're not gonna be able to afford to make the journey. Not to mention going far away from their only support system of friends and family. It's not that easy or that simple.

CommonStar posted...

People who say "just move" fail to recognize the cost of it and how difficult it would be to do so for most people here. People surviving on paycheck to paycheck aren't gonna be able to take time off to prepare and make the move and also setup a job where they move to. They're not gonna be able to afford to make the journey. Not to mention going far away from their only support system of friends and family. It's not that easy or that simple.

For sure.

If you have a close enough friend or relative who you can land around with to put your feet back on the ground then it can be more ideal. Otherwise you're kinda trapped unfortunately.

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CommonStar posted...

People who say "just move" fail to recognize the cost of it and how difficult it would be to do so for most people here. People surviving on paycheck to paycheck aren't gonna be able to take time off to prepare and make the move and also setup a job where they move to. They're not gonna be able to afford to make the journey. Not to mention going far away from their only support system of friends and family. It's not that easy or that simple.

It's not but these are really only excuses for the short term. Someone committed and capable enough with no children can make the jump even if it takes them years to prepare.

Although The mental obstacles like leaving your family and freinds are another story as some people can cut their ambilocal cord easier then others.

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CommonStar posted...

People who say "just move" fail to recognize the cost of it and how difficult it would be to do so for most people here. People surviving on paycheck to paycheck aren't gonna be able to take time off to prepare and make the move and also setup a job where they move to. They're not gonna be able to afford to make the journey. Not to mention going far away from their only support system of friends and family. It's not that easy or that simple.

Veggeta_MAX posted...

For sure.

If you have a close enough friend or relative who you can land around with to put your feet back on the ground then it can be more ideal. Otherwise you're kinda trapped unfortunately.

Again, this is my first day in a new state, my stuff isn't even here yet. I'm lucky that I work from home so I was able to keep my employment as literally every rental agency and landlord required proof of employment at usually 3x the rate of rent.
The move itself cost me about $5500, the security deposit+first month rent+ other expenses cost about another $3000.
If I didn't have money saved up and a big payment coming in it wouldn't have happened.

Right now the only ways to move out of state are either have a great work from home job OR live with a friend /family member in your desired state until you get a job there.

Also thank you @brestugo for backing me up on the homeless thing. I only know about it because I have some friends in the medical field and they hear about it from homeless patients.

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The_Hat posted...

Also thank you @brestugo for backing me up on the homeless thing. I only know about it because I have some friends in the medical field and they hear about it from homeless patients.

@ the_hat

Best of luck to you in your new digs. Stay safe and well.

I'm not normally a conspiracy guy but the bussing homeless to CA is definitely a thing. I worked with the city of L.A. for a bit and while the problem is well known among homeless advocates and bureaucrats in CA, no major media outlet wants to pursue the story. Maybe the "California Bad" stories sell better.

For the lurkers- think about it, if the homeless folks were entirely local, they'd generally have a social network to keep them off the streets.

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The_Hat posted...

Right now the only ways to move out of state are either have a great work from home job OR live with a friend /family member in your desired state until you get a job there.

Correct

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I mean you can afford to live here. I live in San Diego alone with a dog and make enough to live.

but i know in another state my money would go a lot further.

My ex paid 600 for a one bedroom in Massachusetts. My cousins have big houses for less than what i pay monthly.

However they have bad weather and nothing to do. So you gotta weigh the pros and cons. I know a lot of people who have moved from other places to here that love it and say its worth it but the older you get the more you think "How much do i love it to not having the amount of money i want"

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MaddenDude-- posted...

Just depends on where you live, what neighborhood you want to live in, and what type of place you want.

You can easily rent a small house for around 2k and send your kids to great schools in the south bay.

I dunno about that.

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brestugo posted...

@ the_hat

Best of luck to you in your new digs. Stay safe and well.

I'm not normally a conspiracy guy but the bussing homeless to CA is definitely a thing. I worked with the city of L.A. for a bit and while the problem is well known among homeless advocates and bureaucrats in CA, no major media outlet wants to pursue the story. Maybe the "California Bad" stories sell better.

For the lurkers- think about it, if the homeless folks were entirely local, they'd generally have a social network to keep them off the streets.

Thanks man!

Veggeta_MAX posted...

Correct

Yup, and not many have access to those options =[

I4NRulez posted...

I mean you can afford to live here. I live in San Diego alone with a dog and make enough to live.

but i know in another state my money would go a lot further.

My ex paid 600 for a one bedroom in Massachusetts. My cousins have big houses for less than what i pay monthly.

However they have bad weather and nothing to do. So you gotta weigh the pros and cons. I know a lot of people who have moved from other places to here that love it and say its worth it but the older you get the more you think "How much do i love it to not having the amount of money i want"

There's also "I love it here, but how much do I love feeling broke all the time when I could be saving if I lived somewhere else?"

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I4NRulez posted...

I mean you can afford to live here. I live in San Diego alone with a dog and make enough to live.

but i know in another state my money would go a lot further.

My ex paid 600 for a one bedroom in Massachusetts. My cousins have big houses for less than what i pay monthly.

However they have bad weather and nothing to do. So you gotta weigh the pros and cons. I know a lot of people who have moved from other places to here that love it and say its worth it but the older you get the more you think "How much do i love it to not having the amount of money i want"

+1

This guy gets it.

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People that work at Blizzard have stories of living out of their cars because they can't afford the cost of living in the area.

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The_Hat posted...

There's also "I love it here, but how much do I love feeling broke all the time when I could be saving if I lived somewhere else?"

thats literally what i said lol

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It's true that places with higher cost of living tend to have higher wages, but it's not proportional - the cost of living in these places is higher relative to wages too, rather than solely higher in absolute terms.

Which is also exactly why I'm not much of a supporter of pushing up the minimum wage. I 100% agree there's a problem, but for this exact reason I believe it needs to be looked at through a lens of "how can we bring the costs of living down" rather than "let's just bump up minimum wage again, maybe THIS time it'll achieve what we want it to".

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I4NRulez posted...

thats literally what i said lol

In my mind I was changing the context, but I guess not. I am very sleep deprived haha

Trumble posted...

It's true that places with higher cost of living tend to have higher wages, but it's not proportional - the cost of living in these places is higher relative to wages too, rather than solely higher in absolute terms.

Which is also exactly why I'm not much of a supporter of pushing up the minimum wage. I 100% agree there's a problem, but for this exact reason I believe it needs to be looked at through a lens of "how can we bring the costs of living down" rather than "let's just bump up minimum wage again, maybe THIS time it'll achieve what we want it to".

California is a huge problem for minimum wage. It's huge, diverse, and goes through areas where the ultra rich live and areas where the ultra poor/ghettos are. $15 isn't enough in the bay/LA/San Diego/San Francisco, but $15 is huge in the desserts.

Honestly Cyberpunk2077 may have it right: split California in two like the decotas.

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Minimum wage is only $13 or $14 an hour depending on how many employees a company has. It seems if you don't have a great career you'd struggle to survive

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brestugo posted...

@ the_hat

Best of luck to you in your new digs. Stay safe and well.

I'm not normally a conspiracy guy but the bussing homeless to CA is definitely a thing. I worked with the city of L.A. for a bit and while the problem is well known among homeless advocates and bureaucrats in CA, no major media outlet wants to pursue the story. Maybe the "California Bad" stories sell better.

For the lurkers- think about it, if the homeless folks were entirely local, they'd generally have a social network to keep them off the streets.

Oh hell, some homeless individuals are just too much to deal with and even their own families refuse to try and help them anymore.

The bussing thing is such a myth. Like yeah, maybe 5 people did get bussed there. But most of them are home grown. I just don't understand how that can be and why don't they focus on these issues. Literally blows my mind that they do nothing to help them.

CleoDookieslide posted...

The bussing thing is such a myth. Like yeah, maybe 5 people did get bussed there. But most of them are home grown. I just don't understand how that can be and why don't they focus on these issues. Literally blows my mind that they do nothing to help them.

It's not.

Many institutions have settled with the state of CA. I provided a link that reported a NV mental institution that sent 500 settling.

As you altrighters like to say, do your own research.

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The_Hat posted...

the decotas.

Damn you are sleep deprived, lol.

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I'm not an alt righted as I'm neutral when it comes to politics. Keeps me objective. But no, again, far more of the homeless community in California is home grown and quite frankly, I really wish the politicians would do something to help these people

CleoDookieslide posted...

I'm not an alt righted as I'm neutral when it comes to politics. Keeps me objective. But no, again, far more of the homeless community in California is home grown and quite frankly, I really wish the politicians would do something to help these people

Well, he's posting links and articles. Do you have any non anecdotal evidence to oppose him?

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I4NRulez posted...

Well, he's posting links and articles. Do you have any non anecdotal evidence to oppose him?

He's posted vice lol. I've already even agreed that im sure there is a handful of people that were bussed over but the majority weren't. That means its a California created problem. So why don't they fix it? Someone needs to help these people. Why are they being ignored??

I4NRulez posted...

Well, he's posting links and articles. Do you have any non anecdotal evidence to oppose him?

He does not.

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