...even if we take this not-quite-equivalence at face value (note: 650 < 979 and 20% < 25%), most life expenses don't scale linearly with housing values - not even close.
Groceries may be more expensive in the big city, but not 10x more expensive. You're not paying 10x more for a car, or a plane flight. And insurance premiums / deductibles sure aren't 10x cheaper in a less expensive part of the country.
Plus, the "$300K in expensive place" household has the option of moving to the less expensive place. The reverse is hardly true.
> it is arguable that 30k in MO would actually be better off
1. No. 2. Even if we were to accept that $30K in one place went just as far as $300K in another, "better off" ignores that higher property costs are likely to indicate a more desirable place to live. (For whatever reason: access to jobs, lower crime rates, pleasant to live in, what-have-you.)
Re:Stop Pretending You’re Not Rich
by mikesickler on Monday June 12, 2017 @09:10AM
(#14537062)
Yeah but look at the different in what you're left with after rent and taxes. It's not even close.
2 Beds 1 Bath -- 650 Jackson MO or 7800 a year or 25% of the income gross
$4940 - $5160 /mo 2 beds / 2 bath 979 sqft say 5000 a month or 60000 a year or 20% of the income
add the huge differences in effective tax rate of CA to MO combined with the jump in federal tax rates and it is arguable that 30k in MO would actually be better off