Income a family of four need to live comfortably by state in the U.S.

[ls1mike]

I watch this channel on YouTube called Joe and Nicks Road trip, it fascinates me. I'm a GS-12 step 9 with Seattle locality pay, plus Navy retirement. My wife is a GS-11 step 5 with Seattle locality pay. You can look it up to see what we make. We are solid. Anyway, he and his wife road trip through the states and showcase a bunch of communities and discuss all types of facts and figures about them. I don't know how some people live on the incomes he covers in some of these places. Really worth a watch to see how lots of people in America live. None of them come close to the chart posted here. The channel blew my mind. I had no idea that some of the places they showcase exist in America.
Cairo Illinois and Selma Alabama are worth a watch.

 

[Pew]

I watch this channel on YouTube called Joe and Nicks Road trip, it fascinates me. I'm a GS-12 step 9 with Seattle locality pay, plus Navy retirement. My wife is a GS-11 step 5 with Seattle locality pay. You can look it up to see what we make. We are solid. Anyway, he and his wife road trip through the states and showcase a bunch of communities and discuss all types of facts and figures about them. I don't know how some people live on the incomes he covers in some of these places. Really worth a watch to see how lots of people in America live. None of them come close to the chart posted here. The channel blew my mind. I had no idea that some of the places they showcase exist in America.
Cairo Illinois and Selma Alabama are worth a watch.

I've watched a few of their trips, specifically places that died after industry went overseas. Pretty good videos to just lay down and watch before bed. Really liked their Gary Indiana and East St Louis one.

 

[ls1mike]

I've watched a few of their trips, specifically places that died after industry went overseas. Pretty good videos to just lay down and watch before bed. Really liked their Gary Indiana and East St Louis one.

Both of those were good. Not sure I would have parked and walked around Gary.

 

[GON]

I watch this channel on YouTube called Joe and Nicks Road trip, it fascinates me. I'm a GS-12 step 9 with Seattle locality pay, plus Navy retirement. My wife is a GS-11 step 5 with Seattle locality pay. You can look it up to see what we make. We are solid. Anyway, he and his wife road trip through the states and showcase a bunch of communities and discuss all types of facts and figures about them. I don't know how some people live on the incomes he covers in some of these places. Really worth a watch to see how lots of people in America live. None of them come close to the chart posted here. The channel blew my mind. I had no idea that some of the places they showcase exist in America.
Cairo Illinois and Selma Alabama are worth a watch.

Thanks for posting about Joe and Nicks. Just finished Cairo, IL. Imagine how different things would be if Illinois was led over the past 100 years like Utah was led over the past 100 years. Illinois with its central location, water ways, railways, flat terrain, and very high yield per acre for grains, Illinois would be a prosperous state, instead of a failed state. Shows how leadership is key to quality of life for residents.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I watch this channel on YouTube called Joe and Nicks Road trip, it fascinates me. I'm a GS-12 step 9 with Seattle locality pay, plus Navy retirement. My wife is a GS-11 step 5 with Seattle locality pay. You can look it up to see what we make. We are solid. Anyway, he and his wife road trip through the states and showcase a bunch of communities and discuss all types of facts and figures about them. I don't know how some people live on the incomes he covers in some of these places. Really worth a watch to see how lots of people in America live. None of them come close to the chart posted here. The channel blew my mind. I had no idea that some of the places they showcase exist in America.
Cairo Illinois and Selma Alabama are worth a watch.

I have watched his channel before, and it is interesting as I am familiar with some of the small Southern Towns he visits. I am pretty sure no one is living all that comfortably in these places.. In fact anyone left is so because there stuck there. These towns are dying, the population has been shrinking likely because a major employer left years ago and anyone with the means to leave, did as well.

I drive through a lot of such towns in South Carolina. Its surprising, you can drive through such a town, and 10 or 15 miles away there will be a hustling / bustling town with lots of activity because its full of manufacturing plants. I think @GON is probably right in its mostly a leadership (or lack thereof) problem.

 

[ls1mike]

Thanks for posting about Joe and Nicks. Just finished Cairo, IL. Imagine how different things would be if Illinois was led over the past 100 years like Utah was led over the past 100 years. Illinois with its central location, water ways, railways, flat terrain, and very high yield per acre for grains, Illinois would be a prosperous state, instead of a failed state. Shows how leadership is key to quality of life for residents.

One thing I like is they do, for the most part, keep politics out of. From time to time he will mention how a particular town or county votes. Republican or Democrat.

 

[Dave Hess]

Which is why personal finance needs to be taught from an early age.

I agree. And how taxes from paycheck and retail sales gets spent.
How you should plan for your financial future now verses starting at 50 years old. Trust me I’ve met people in their 50’s with almost zero saved for retirement.

At 25 years old I admittedly was a dumb-dumb about finances in the big picture.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I agree. And how taxes from paycheck and retail sales gets spent.
How you should plan for your financial future now verses starting at 50 years old. Trust me I’ve met people in their 50’s with almost zero saved for retirement.

At 25 years old I admittedly was a dumb-dumb about finances in the big picture.

IMO, human nature expects immediate gratification. "I'll save for my future later..." while driving that new car and wearing those fancy-pants clothes. Please.
If it takes 30 years of dedicated effort, work and school, to get to be comfortable, ya better start now.
And you just might find the journey is one great reward in itself.

 

[ls1mike]

One thing I like is they do, for the most part, keep politics out of. From time to time he will mention how a particular town or county votes. Republican or Democrat.

I need to slow down typing when I can't sleep, you all understood what I meant. There are a couple of episodes that touch on what people vote in some of the areas they go, but they don't talk about anything except what the voted.

 

[SC Maintenance]

IMO, human nature expects immediate gratification. "I'll save for my future later..." while driving that new car and wearing those fancy-pants clothes. Please.
If it takes 30 years of dedicated effort, work and school, to get to be comfortable, ya better start now.
And you just might find the journey is one great reward in itself.

YOLO.

 

[JeffKeryk]

YOLO.

Yeah, a lotta people live that way. Scary, at least to me.
My father, a mean man who never gave me a thing, told me, "If you die, your problems are over. What happens if you live to get old?"

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

This chart states 77 percent of Americans can't afford to purchase a median NEW priced home:
View attachment 219971

ONE word was left out of your OP.... NEW. NEW Home.


There's a myriad of reasons/issues why the "median price" of a new home is $500k.

I would say the median price of an existing home, in livable condition, in a decent area, is about $300k. I said median price, in a decent area.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

We need more housing. Go look at who's out there actually building houses and sweating their sombreros off.

I'm sure you assumed what I was talking about and I'm going to assume you're dead flat wrong. The Sombreros coming across the border looking for a better life aren't the issue nor will they be an issue. They never have. If you are getting your information from the wrong source, you have no idea who is coming across the border in droves.... they aren't coming here to build houses, roads and do landscaping...

Nonetheless, the number of people coming across the border need a place to sleep. The VOLUME is the issue.

 

[alarmguy]

People making plenty of money in the USA for housing. If your not, ample opportunities to do so.
How do I know? Because historically same amount of people own homes as they always did. So I dont understand the purpose if social media, news media other than to generate news and sell advertising.
So until facts show differently, why the discussion? The economy is cranking along, homes are selling like crazy but if you listen to the media there is never and will never be a good day in the USA.

Also keep in mind temporary blips caused by the voters who wanted the economy shut down over a virus. We are recovering.
IN fact we are lazy now as a people, we vote for massive borrowing and spending so we can live better than we deserve and better than mankind ever did in history.

Source = https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA646N

Source = https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?rid=249&eid=259568#snid=259591

Here is an older one but this puts everything into perspective, life has never been more easy and it will never get more easy.

source = https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2022/acs/acsbr-011.pdf

 

[alarmguy]

In reality homeownership is at a historical high if you take into account the number of people who now stay single.
More reality over the decades nothing is changed, homeownership is the same as it always has been with upticks and dips.
More people choose to stay single than ever before and the ones that do not have less kids.
Americans are living more comfortably then ever in the history of mankind. Anyone who complains, well ...

Source - https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/homeownership-rate-by-year

Besides the above chart showing home ownership in the mid 60s since the "beginning of time" Its amazing, during this time marriage is at an all time low, which goes to show how strong this economy is. So anyone thinks its hard now. wait until the day comes that it gets multiple times harder and its is going too, so save your money and stop buying things on credit.

Source= https://www.statista.com/statistics/195951/marriage-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/

Life is good in the USA, enjoy it because at some point in time it will not be this easy. Save your money.
The people of the world, love to read about misery, so social media feeds you and they are making boatloads of money selling misery. This is the only change from decades ago when people thought times were good, when in reality times were much harder then. It's easy to control the human being.

 

[Dave Hess]

Why did the marriage rate spike recently ?

 

[alarmguy]

The people of the world, love to read about misery, so social media feeds you and they are making boatloads of money selling misery.

Why did the marriage rate spike recently ?

I suspect weddings were put off until after covid seems plausible.

 

[Dave Hess]

Lots of younger folks don’t want to get married after seeing their parents divorced..

I still believe in marriage (man & woman) and having 2.3 kids based on government data.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Why did the marriage rate spike recently ?

Daughter went to a wedding recently. They had technically been married 2 years but never had a ceremony previosly. Pandemic first reason, cost too much last summer second reason.

I eloped. Worked for us - 25 years this year.

The birth rate is down to 1.6 - just published recently. Replacement is about 2.1. So unless all these married folks get busy were still hosed.

 

[Dave Hess]

I do NOT believe in spending big $$$ on a wedding.

I’m old fashioned and do not like the circus atmosphere of fancy weddings.

Some parents will get a second mortgage to pay for a wedding…..