Cost of living in Marin County and your area...

Parent Cafe
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<p>[Report:</a> cost of living rising sharply in Marin and Bay Area - Marin Independent Journal](<a href=“http://www.marinij.com/business/ci_19033330]Report:”>http://www.marinij.com/business/ci_19033330)</p>

<p>Cost of living in Marin is Up to 86,000 a year for a family of four…up quite a bit over the last few years…and this is just basic stuff…</p>

<p>What are you seeing in your neck of the woods?</p>

<p>"Posted:*10/04/2011 12:01:00 AM PDT</p>

<p>It costs more than $86,000 in Marin County for a family of four to pay its basic needs — housing, food, transportation, health care and more — the highest price tag in California, according to a report released Tuesday.</p>

<p>And that figure is up by about $13,000, or 18 percent in the past three years since the U.S. economic downturn began, according to the report by the Oakland-based Insight Center for Community Economic Development.</p>

<p>The report seeks to highlight the difficulties for many families that are not earning enough to keep up with rising costs, said Jenny Chung Mejia, center program manager. Such difficulties are not always reflected in the national poverty rate, which does not factor in regional differences in living costs, she said.</p>

<p>“It doesn’t truly highlight the needs within California and specifically the Bay Area, which has the highest costs within the state,” she said of the national poverty rate.</p>

<p>Marin’s official poverty rate in 2009 was 7.3 percent, but the center found that a full 23 percent of Marin households could not meet what it calls a “self-sufficiency standard.” The center has not yet released a percentage of households for 2011, Chung Mejia said."</p>

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<p>I am from Marin County , and I think 86k doesn’t begin to pay for the average Marin lifestyle .</p>

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<p>Sadly, I have to agree with fauxmaven…</p>

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<p>Doesn’t pay for the average lifestyle…it’s a barebones budget…and the costs are up 18% in 3 years.</p>

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<p>I live in south Texas and I’ve read that the cost of living here is 1/3 less than the national average. Of course, the catch is that you have to live in south Texas!</p>

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<p>:)…</p>

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<p>Median family income where I live is $54k, and you could live well on that (or less). Quality of life is very high as well.</p>

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<p>Gives the term Valley Girl a total new meaning. For sure. For sure.</p>

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<p>I find it difficult to believe that families can live on 54,000… I know they do but</p>

<p>If you have to pay for your own healthcare insurance you are out about 15,000…food 15,000…cost of running two cars…15,000…house expenses…15,000…and my numbers are higher than most of these…</p>

<p>But that is 60,000 right there…and you haven’t even had much fun yet…</p>

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<p>It was $73,800 in 2008 in our county for two adults, a preschooler and a schoolage child, and $80,500 if there were two small ones. Child care and housing here are brutal.</p>

<p>The 3 BR (barebones, no frills) townhouse we rented when the kids were in early elem school now goes for $2100/mo. This is significantly more than our total mortgage payment, which includes PITI!</p>

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<p>If you have to pay for your own healthcare insurance you are out about 15,000…food 15,000…cost of running two cars…15,000…house expenses…15,000…and my numbers are higher than most of these…"</p>

<p>We run two cars, and it isn’t even close to $15,000 (I doubt it breaks $10k). House expenses here don’t need to run $15,000 (You can rent a three bedroom house for as little as $850.) Food is WAY less than $1,250 a month. Health insurance here (if you have to buy it) runs maybe $12k. I get to maybe $45k, with lots left over for fun (not expensive fun, but fun.). I know families who live relatively comfortably on less than $45k as well.</p>

<p>And we live in a town full of “kultur”. Four colleges/universities. Two symphony orchestras. Six playhouses. Artists all over the place. Beautiful mountains on both sides, with lots of outdoor activities. A great children’s museum. Children’s playhouse. Two youth orchestras. Lots of jazz. If you live 30 minutes outside of town, you could cut lots of those expenses by 20-25% (but I wouldn’t do it.)</p>

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<p>Born in San Francisco, grew up in Marin, back to San Francisco (okay, technically in Pittsburgh right now…). Indeed, it is an expensive place! My family could absolutely never afford to be buying a house there now.</p>

<p>My parents bought our house there in the 80s, I believe. They originally moved because they could get more for their money in Marin than in the city. Just goes to show that things change…;)</p>

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<p>I’m sure families do live comfortably, mini…</p>

<p>As far as the cars go…I am adding depreciation…the cars themselves cost money…they don’t run forever…although they do seem to last longer than they used too…</p>

<p>As far as health insurance goes…that was part of the 15,000… I am including dental care…and stuff that is not covered because of the deductible. I know I Didn’t say that. I was being lazy.</p>

<p>Housing…obviously depends on the area.</p>

<p>I don’t think you could rent much of anything here for 850. Maybe two garages.</p>

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<p>dstark
ucbalumnus had a little tiff with me about the COL in your area on a thread earlier this year. I think he was referring to stats like the one you quoted, that many here and elsewhere have a hard time believing!
My thought is that some do have a much lower COL in such high-end areas as Marin IF they live in housing priced a good while ago. Paying current levels of rent and buying a new home these days is KILLER.</p>

<p>Not only does that hurt the new grads and younger set trying to set themselves up, but for the older folks, it means down-sizing often does not work- a larger residence priced in yester-year dollars can cost as much as or more than a smaller one today… so the only way to save, even if the COL is staying level, is to trade down in both size and to an area with a lower COL. </p>

<p>The Bay Area is hugely expensive. There are high taxes, lots of regulation, above average social welfare, subtle things like earthquake insurance and seismic construction, not to mention the ridiculous mess with the state government which pushes many expenses down to the local gov levels.</p>

<p>What costs went up? which ones did not?</p>

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<p>My cars don’t depreciate. LOL! In fact, since “cash-for-clunkers”, they’ve actually appreciated significantly. Both my car and my wife’s are worth more than we paid for them six and five years ago respectively. Strange, I know. (Besides, there was nothing to depreciate.) And they do run forever!</p>

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<p>“My thought is that some do have a much lower COL in such high-end areas as Marin IF they live in housing priced a good while ago”</p>

<p>That is true to a large extent…just hope your home doesn’t need repairs.</p>

<p>Healthcare, food, rents are starting to go up…the cost of owning a car…you know the stuff that is hard to give up. :)</p>

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<p>“My cars don’t depreciate”:)</p>

<p>Where Are the NYC people to tell us their costs? i know it is the city that never sleeps. :)</p>

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<p>Yup, dstark, and the cost of “maintaining” a home is going up all the time there, I am sure!</p>

<p>NYC: you can afford a TON of taxis before you approach the cost of owning a car: insurance, repairs, dings, parking, tolls, taxes and fees!</p>

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<p>Yeah…I can see where the taxis help…plus there is the subway.</p>

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<p>You can move to Alameda or contra costa…:)</p>