$80k Salary in Maryland/Baltimore/D.C. area?

SchlauCow · 12-04-2010, 01:45 PM

l

Memphis1 · 12-04-2010, 01:51 PM

you will need income support...

BTM · 12-04-2010, 01:53 PM

DC has the highest rent/real estate prices (overtook Manhattan this year) and notoriously terrible traffic. Not sure about the other areas, perhaps you could look into Virginia/Alexandria as well

JayKay335i · 12-04-2010, 01:56 PM

+1 on Virgina

Chest Rockwell · 12-04-2010, 02:04 PM

I'm there and 80K is not going to be enough to live comfortably without a roommate or two. You can make it work on your own, but you won't have a lot of extra cash. I'm right in the middle of DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis and the average appartament around here is $1450 a month. A house rental/mortgage will run you between $1600-2900. IF you want to live in the city it can be cheaper, but the neighborhood you'll be in will be pretty shady.

The traffic here makes me want to punch a baby, it's stupid. If you have a good company you're working for they may let you do flex hours like a lot of us do and that way you can come in to work before or after the major rush. Just as an example, it normally takes me 35 min to get to work on any given day, today I did it in 17 because it was a Saturday. The worst drivers I have ever been around, they just can't stand letting someone in front of them and have never heard of the concept of zippering. It is a beautiful area once you get away from the peope though.

You could make 80K work here, you would just have to be willing to live a little further away and put up with the traffic. I know a lot of people that live up in PA and do the long commute because you can live very comfortably up there at half price.

Hope that helped.

Negotiator · 12-04-2010, 02:24 PM

What's zippering? And tbh, 80k is good if you're living by yourself. Probably won't support a family if you want to continue driving bimmers. Insurance is higher, overall cost of living is higher than in most places in the US.

NYCGarbagePrince · 12-04-2010, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTM

DC has the highest rent/real estate prices (overtook Manhattan this year) and notoriously terrible traffic. Not sure about the other areas, perhaps you could look into Virginia/Alexandria as well

I have done some research on this, Manhattan has far and away the highest avg. rental rate. If there was some report that says different, I would be interesting in reading it.

And 80k will not go far. I hope whomever you are moving with has an income as well.

darkcloud · 12-04-2010, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Negotiator

What's zippering?

aka yielding. basically 2 lanes merging into one and the cars merge in a zipper fashion. that idea.

JayKay335i · 12-04-2010, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkcloud

aka yielding. basically 2 lanes merging into one and the cars merge in a zipper fashion. that idea.

Except people are retarded, and dont under stand that one person from each lane at a time. Some douche in a busted piece of shit always needs to floor it a quarter inch off the person in front of them's bumper and let nobody merge.

Mighty M · 12-04-2010, 03:21 PM

I just bailed from DC area. Traffic, humidity, bugs, snow, and the people largely suck.

That said, Arlington, VA is not bad. You can metro in to downtown DC if you like and its a pretty clean semi urban environment. A lot of young single people. Keep in mind DC has a zero tolerance policy. They lock up old ladies on one glass of wine. The whole area has turned in to a police state with all the security and what not. The cops are pretty much all assholes around there. The guys running around in the black SUVs will run your ass off the road without a second thought.

And whatever you do, do not end up in DC jail. Not even for a night. You'll have nightmares.

BTM · 12-04-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCGarbagePrince

I have done some research on this, Manhattan has far and away the highest avg. rental rate. If there was some report that says different, I would be interesting in reading it.

And 80k will not go far. I hope whomever you are moving with has an income as well.

I'll dig it up, it was in the WSJ a few months back. It basically said that the UES had the highest price/sq foot, but when considering the island as a whole DC is on average more expensive/sq foot

Here is one I found but not the one I'm looking for http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126291211587420679.html

LACSTER · 12-04-2010, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chest Rockwell

I'm there and 80K is not going to be enough to live comfortably without a roommate or two. You can make it work on your own, but you won't have a lot of extra cash. I'm right in the middle of DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis and the average appartament around here is $1450 a month. A house rental/mortgage will run you between $1600-2900. IF you want to live in the city it can be cheaper, but the neighborhood you'll be in will be pretty shady.

The traffic here makes me want to punch a baby, it's stupid. If you have a good company you're working for they may let you do flex hours like a lot of us do and that way you can come in to work before or after the major rush. Just as an example, it normally takes me 35 min to get to work on any given day, today I did it in 17 because it was a Saturday. The worst drivers I have ever been around, they just can't stand letting someone in front of them and have never heard of the concept of zippering. It is a beautiful area once you get away from the peope though.

You could make 80K work here, you would just have to be willing to live a little further away and put up with the traffic. I know a lot of people that live up in PA and do the long commute because you can live very comfortably up there at half price.

Hope that helped.

SchlauCow · 12-05-2010, 06:36 AM

Thanks for the replies everyone, any more input? Seems like DC area is more 'viable' if salary is in the 85+ range...

Chest Rockwell · 12-05-2010, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkcloud

aka yielding. basically 2 lanes merging into one and the cars merge in a zipper fashion. that idea.

Thank god someone else knows about this, I was starting to think it was somethig I had made up.

85+ would actually be worse. I got a friend that's looking into a job right now and the tax bracket stops at $82,500 I think he said. Once you get into that next bracket you wouldn't start seeing any more money till about 94K. His research, not mine but he's a pretty sharp guy.

If you don't have expensive tastes then you can make 80K work. I tend to spend money like an idiot so I couldn't do it, but I know a lot of people that make it work. Like I said, you're just going to need a room mate unless you are one of those guys that just sits on xbox all day and doesn't spend any money. You might be OK then.

SchlauCow · 12-05-2010, 02:21 PM

Chest,
Thanks for the input. What's your opinion on the Fort Meade area? Living, wages, etc.

Chest Rockwell · 12-05-2010, 06:22 PM

I know that area well. There are some appts right near there that aren't too bad price wise, but you may be buying new rims every couple months. I make the commute there every day and the drive isn't too bad where I'm at because I'm usually going against traffic.

I don't personally like the area because it's too crowded, I grew up out west and just don't get the draw to this place. There's a ton of stuff to do, but there is also a ton of people who all want to so the same thing at the same time so it sucks. It's going to be what you make it though, just going to be a bit different from Germany. Any other questions feel free to PM me, I'll try to steer you away from the really bad areas.

TMNT · 12-05-2010, 07:26 PM

I currently live in Arlington, Va....3 miles from D.C. and 80k is fine if you're single. If you have a family it won't be unless you have an extra set of income coming in.

I'm single, own a condo, car payment (not a bmw) , student loans, and go out to the bars/eat out and currently make less than 80k and I live just fine though I can't spend as freely as I did when I had a roommate. You can live resonably with 80k, but you won't be ballin that's for sure.

And yes traffic sucks...sometimes even on the weekends.

Check out the citydata.com forums for the D.C. area. There is a ton of information and threads about questions just like yours. It would be a great site for you.

donovan · 12-05-2010, 10:01 PM

I never knew it was that bad.. 80k cant cover what it used to. I'm amazed..

one thing it should cover is a bullet proof vest and twin 9mm for 8pm-7am.

ejheverest · 12-06-2010, 07:53 AM

My good friend lives out in Annapolis, MD and I love the town but, I can't believe how expensive that area is.(walking distance to downtown, water) We usually take his boat out during the summer a few times and cruise past the Academy and head across the bay. 80k is doable but, cost of housing and rent is extremely high.

import36 · 12-06-2010, 11:06 AM

i gotta agree with everything Chest said. a basic 5-6 mile drive from my hotel to the naval yard took me close to an hour. i'm thankful i don't live/work in the area. definitely a very expensive place to live.

my bro lives in Stafford and commutes to DC from there, somewhat of a drive but he deals with it.

Rawhide · 12-06-2010, 12:00 PM

"Zippering":

This comes from a very interesting site with a study on traffic. Give it a read if you haven't already:

http://www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html

s2k_335i · 12-20-2010, 05:19 PM

Traffic is horrible in DC. If you drive over 80 (i think), you get a criminal record in VA. 80k is not enough to live in VA even if you single. Rent runs around $1500 in the arlington/Rosslyn area for a small studio or if you lucky 1 br. Food and insurance is high compare to other cities. People drives like they stole the car. If i have the opportunity, ill move in a heartbeat.

12-04-2010, 01:45 PM	#1
SchlauCow ****** 137 Rep 337 Posts Drives: Honda M6 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Radiance iTrader: (4)	0977 l Last edited by SchlauCow; 01-19-2015 at 06:05 PM..
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12-04-2010, 01:51 PM	#2
Memphis1 Lieutenant Colonel 89 Rep 1,838 Posts Drives: Z4 SDrive 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: CT iTrader: (0)	you will need income support... __________________
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12-04-2010, 01:53 PM	#3
BTM Banned 483 Rep 10,309 Posts Drives: A///MERICAN!!! Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: A///MERICA!!! iTrader: (11) Garage List 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe [7.20]	DC has the highest rent/real estate prices (overtook Manhattan this year) and notoriously terrible traffic. Not sure about the other areas, perhaps you could look into Virginia/Alexandria as well
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12-04-2010, 01:56 PM	#4
JayKay335i Banned 189 Rep 5,046 Posts Drives: ///M323 DCT Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: North Dakota; its best DUHHHHHH iTrader: (1)	+1 on Virgina
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12-04-2010, 02:04 PM	#5
Chest Rockwell Private First Class 17 Rep 134 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 Sedan Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I'm there and 80K is not going to be enough to live comfortably without a roommate or two. You can make it work on your own, but you won't have a lot of extra cash. I'm right in the middle of DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis and the average appartament around here is $1450 a month. A house rental/mortgage will run you between $1600-2900. IF you want to live in the city it can be cheaper, but the neighborhood you'll be in will be pretty shady. The traffic here makes me want to punch a baby, it's stupid. If you have a good company you're working for they may let you do flex hours like a lot of us do and that way you can come in to work before or after the major rush. Just as an example, it normally takes me 35 min to get to work on any given day, today I did it in 17 because it was a Saturday. The worst drivers I have ever been around, they just can't stand letting someone in front of them and have never heard of the concept of zippering. It is a beautiful area once you get away from the peope though. You could make 80K work here, you would just have to be willing to live a little further away and put up with the traffic. I know a lot of people that live up in PA and do the long commute because you can live very comfortably up there at half price. Hope that helped.
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12-04-2010, 02:24 PM	#6
Negotiator Lieutenant 42 Rep 539 Posts Drives: 07 GTI Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Fairfax, VA iTrader: (0)	What's zippering? And tbh, 80k is good if you're living by yourself. Probably won't support a family if you want to continue driving bimmers. Insurance is higher, overall cost of living is higher than in most places in the US.
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12-04-2010, 03:21 PM	#10
Mighty M First Lieutenant 25 Rep 304 Posts Drives: 08 M3 Jerez/FR Manual Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vienna, VA iTrader: (0)	I just bailed from DC area. Traffic, humidity, bugs, snow, and the people largely suck. That said, Arlington, VA is not bad. You can metro in to downtown DC if you like and its a pretty clean semi urban environment. A lot of young single people. Keep in mind DC has a zero tolerance policy. They lock up old ladies on one glass of wine. The whole area has turned in to a police state with all the security and what not. The cops are pretty much all assholes around there. The guys running around in the black SUVs will run your ass off the road without a second thought. And whatever you do, do not end up in DC jail. Not even for a night. You'll have nightmares. __________________
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12-05-2010, 06:36 AM	#13
SchlauCow ****** 137 Rep 337 Posts Drives: Honda M6 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Radiance iTrader: (4)	Thanks for the replies everyone, any more input? Seems like DC area is more 'viable' if salary is in the 85+ range...
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12-05-2010, 02:21 PM	#15
SchlauCow ****** 137 Rep 337 Posts Drives: Honda M6 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Radiance iTrader: (4)	Chest, Thanks for the input. What's your opinion on the Fort Meade area? Living, wages, etc.
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12-05-2010, 06:22 PM	#16
Chest Rockwell Private First Class 17 Rep 134 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 Sedan Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I know that area well. There are some appts right near there that aren't too bad price wise, but you may be buying new rims every couple months. I make the commute there every day and the drive isn't too bad where I'm at because I'm usually going against traffic. I don't personally like the area because it's too crowded, I grew up out west and just don't get the draw to this place. There's a ton of stuff to do, but there is also a ton of people who all want to so the same thing at the same time so it sucks. It's going to be what you make it though, just going to be a bit different from Germany. Any other questions feel free to PM me, I'll try to steer you away from the really bad areas.
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12-05-2010, 07:26 PM	#17
TMNT Captain 176 Rep 872 Posts Drives: 330ci ZHP Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: VA iTrader: (0)	I currently live in Arlington, Va....3 miles from D.C. and 80k is fine if you're single. If you have a family it won't be unless you have an extra set of income coming in. I'm single, own a condo, car payment (not a bmw) , student loans, and go out to the bars/eat out and currently make less than 80k and I live just fine though I can't spend as freely as I did when I had a roommate. You can live resonably with 80k, but you won't be ballin that's for sure. And yes traffic sucks...sometimes even on the weekends. Check out the citydata.com forums for the D.C. area. There is a ton of information and threads about questions just like yours. It would be a great site for you.
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12-05-2010, 10:01 PM	#18
donovan Brigadier General 371 Rep 4,167 Posts Drives: R8 - Ford Raptor Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: National iTrader: (17)	I never knew it was that bad.. 80k cant cover what it used to. I'm amazed.. one thing it should cover is a bullet proof vest and twin 9mm for 8pm-7am. __________________ Audi R8 v10 Ford Raptor m3e46freak@yahoo.comfor all euro parts!! ebay/craigslist verified/ m3post/e46fanantics/m3forum/zpost/bimmerforum
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12-06-2010, 07:53 AM	#19
ejheverest First Lieutenant 25 Rep 395 Posts Drives: E90 SG 330i Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mass, NH, Maine, Virginia iTrader: (0)	My good friend lives out in Annapolis, MD and I love the town but, I can't believe how expensive that area is.(walking distance to downtown, water) We usually take his boat out during the summer a few times and cruise past the Academy and head across the bay. 80k is doable but, cost of housing and rent is extremely high. __________________ SOLD......E90 SG, ColdWeather Pckg, Sport Pckg, Logic7,H R Sports, Rogue Ikon, M sport shift knob/boot
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12-06-2010, 11:06 AM	#20
import36 Burrito bowl connoisseur 124 Rep 3,501 Posts Drives: 2015 Nissan GTR Black Edition Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Seven Cities iTrader: (1)	i gotta agree with everything Chest said. a basic 5-6 mile drive from my hotel to the naval yard took me close to an hour. i'm thankful i don't live/work in the area. definitely a very expensive place to live. my bro lives in Stafford and commutes to DC from there, somewhat of a drive but he deals with it.
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12-06-2010, 12:00 PM	#21
Rawhide Captain 363 Rep 794 Posts Drives: 2022 M340ix Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: USA, KC iTrader: (0)	"Zippering": This comes from a very interesting site with a study on traffic. Give it a read if you haven't already: http://www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html
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12-20-2010, 05:19 PM	#22
s2k_335i This is it!! 15 Rep 672 Posts Drives: FBO 335i without meth Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Land of Freedom iTrader: (1)	Traffic is horrible in DC. If you drive over 80 (i think), you get a criminal record in VA. 80k is not enough to live in VA even if you single. Rent runs around $1500 in the arlington/Rosslyn area for a small studio or if you lucky 1 br. Food and insurance is high compare to other cities. People drives like they stole the car. If i have the opportunity, ill move in a heartbeat.
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