Let’s face it. We’ve been well aware of how expensive it is to live in Northern California for some time now. However, seeing the numbers laid out like this really puts it into perspective for us. A website called HowMuchpublished some horrifying infographics which have confirmed our long-held suspicions: Living in Northern California costs an ungodly amount of money. Seeing these stats will probably make you cringe but keep reading to see exactly how out of control the cost of living in Northern California is and the state as a whole.
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What do you think about these infographics? Is the cost of living in Northern California high enough to scare you away from living there? Or do other factors play into your decision to call NorCal home?
We could all use a little pick-me-up after delving into that information, so be sure to check out our list of the 11 best places to live in Northern California and why. Because the Northern California cost of living shouldn’t deter you from enjoying this beautiful region.
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Cost of living in Northern California
Chris Muras|January 04, 2023
Is NorCal cheaper than SoCal?
You may or may not be surprised to learn that living in NorCal is cheaper than living in SoCal - as long as you leave out the Bay Area. When you include the San Francisco Bay area the cost of living skyrockets. In fact, the Bay Area is 55 percent more expensive than LA.
Which city in California has the lowest cost of living?
The California city with the lowest cost of living might just be Bakersfield. This lovely city a bit north of Los Angeles actually has a rather affordable (by California standards) median home price of $350,000. The cost of living in Bakersfield is 24 percent lower than the California average.
What is the nicest cheapest place to live in California?
Everyone knows California is an expensive place to live. However, not all cities in the state are equal when it comes to the cost of living there. It also depends on what areas you are comparing to. The cost of living in Northern California is much cheaper as long as you completely ignore the Bay Area. What that said, here are some nice and relatively cheap places to live in California:
Desert Edge, Riverside County, CA Big River, San Bernardino County, CA Needles, San Bernardino County, CA Gerber, Tehama County, CA Alturas, Modoc County, CA Lake Isabella, Kern County, CA Eureka, Humboldt County, CA Redlands, San Bernardino County, CA Oxnard, Ventura County, CA Camarillo, Ventura County, CA
If you are looking for more picturesque small towns in Northern California to explore try these 15 lovely towns. Then plan a road trip through beautiful Northern California.
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Overall, SmartAsset found that to live comfortably in any major city, you need to make about $96,500 annually, up immensely from the nearly $68,500 it estimated last year. A family of four would need to make much more at $235,000 to avoid living paycheck to paycheck. You can view SmartAsset's full list here.
While California ranks third-most expensive for a single adult to live comfortably at $113,652, it only ranks fifth-most expensive for two working adults raising two children. The total family income should be at least $276,724 in the latter case.
California ranks number 4 out of 50 states nationwide for 30$ An Hour job salaries. To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for 30$ An Hour jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Is the minimum wage enough to live on? California's minimum is high enough to ensure that full-time workers earn more than the federal poverty threshold. The state's expensive cost of living, however, means a minimum wage income might not be enough to make ends meet.
A good salary in California varies widely depending on location and industry, ranging from $50K to $100K. California ranks as the fourth most expensive state in the U.S. for living costs. In Los Angeles, households spend an average of $67,587 annually, with housing and transportation being major expenses.
If we look at an adult with one child, the MIT living wage calculator is about $45 an hour, so even this $20 per hour is far below what MIT suggests for a living wage," Leigh said. MIT's living wage calculator considers expenses for a living wage to cover basic needs, such as food, health care and housing.
But just how much does a single person in California need to make to live comfortably? A new study from Smart Asset determined that a person must make at least $ 89,190 to get by comfortably.
What is 500 a week annually? Earning $500 in weekly wages is the equivalent of earning $26,000 a year. This calculation is based on the person working 52 weeks a year; the math is 500 x 52, which equals $26,000.
With careful budgeting and financial planning, $25 is still a viable hourly wage. Even though it's not a particularly high hourly rate, it's still well above the minimum wage rate in most areas. Keep in mind that your take-home pay will also be affected by things like benefits, overtime pay, and possible bonuses.
According to research from MIT, the living wage in the United States was $25.02 per hour ($104,077.70 per year) before taxes per year in 2022 for a family of four (two working adults with two children). That's an increase from $24.16 ($100,498.60 per year) in 2021.
Here, a single person needs $110,781 annually or $53.26 in hourly wages to be comfortable, according to the data. For a family of two working adults with two children, a salary of $276,557 is needed. Anaheim and Long Beach also made the list, tying for #14.
According to 2021 research from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, California's average cost of living is $53,082 annually (rising above $ 70,000 for heavily populated areas like Los Angeles).
The data used in the study analyzed the cost of living in each city as of 2022. For California cities like Los Angeles, Berkeley and San Diego, a single person must make more than $76,000 to “live comfortably,” the data shows.
You need to make at least $80,013 per year to have a "living wage" in California, the survey found. This factors in how much it costs to pay for basic necessities while still having some extra spending money and funds to put aside as savings.
While $100,000 may not have much purchasing power in California, the six-figure income goes a long way in other states, mainly due to lower taxes and cost of living rates than in the Golden State.
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