How much do you need to earn to afford to live here?

South San Francisco, CA   May 31, 2015

Source: Tanvi Misra, Atlantic CityLab

Source: Tanvi Misra, Atlantic CityLab

Zilliow recently published that the median rent in San Francisco is running $4,225 for a 2/1 apartment. South San Francisco is close behind coming in around $3,200 for the same 2/1 apartment.  At the same time, Tanvi Misra with CityLab has published a map showing how much a person needs to earn hourly to live in each state in the US. While this is an overall average, the $26.65 stated for Californians is a far cry from the reality of what we see in the Bay Area.  This reality has many long time neighbors leaving their home town for outside areas that are more affordable – and less populated. Here are some of the comments from our neighbors regarding the map/ wages. (CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE)

Marci Arkansas … Um… Yeah.

Harry More like $48 an hour

Chris Rent in SF is around $4000+ a person living alone needs $25 an hour at full time just to cover that rent. Not including everything else. That number could easily go up to $40 an hour.

Patti Way off for California…..!!

Ryan Why don’t companies flock to states with relatively low hourly wages instead of all crowding into our already congested Bay Area?? Real estate is typically cheaper in those states aswell.

Loren  Much blame goes to our government who allows foreign companies to buy property here in the Bay Area and rent out at astronomical prices.

Antonio  It’s all about greed. Of course it’s going to burst. Animals seem to be much smarter then humans. If something bad happens to an animal it will not do it again. Human beings will keep doing the wrong thing until it kills them. Should sell my house to some idiot that will pay $800,000 and move to a place less toxic in every way. ALASKA!

Pamela If I were a renter today in South City and even the surrounding area, I’d definitely consider moving. I’m just glad my mortgage is paid.

  • Kelly  What’s a Mortgage …LOL

Edgar I love South City- it’s my home. I was raised there. I can’t think of any other place I wana be but there but sadly I live in San Leandro now with two girls and wife cause rent is to dam high. And what kills is that I can’t live in the place I love all because of the stupid money

Wendy  When we run out of water I’m sure that the prices will go down….

Erika  If you don’t want to commute you pay. To some spending the extra money for rent is worth being able to be home with family more as opposed to traveling 4+ hours a day, gas, toll, traffic and never seeing your loved ones. What can you do? Not all of us have rich parents to leave us homes or write checks for $200,000 to put down on a crappy peninsula 3 bedroom 1/2 bathroom home that rats don’t even want to live in…. Yet we are forced into paying $3,000 a month in rent for the same crappy house so that our 5 person families are not shoved into a studio where we are breathing in each others recycled air. Oh and in turn never being able to save enough to actually get the $200,000 on our own because rent in this area is absolutely horrendous. Greedy greedy greedy and it only gets worse. End rant….

Rayna  I moved 3 hours away and bought outright so happy hated traffic.

Melanie Buying a home IS doable. You may have to sacrifice some vacations and buying fancy cars to do so and many are not willing to do that. If you’re renting an apartment and driving a $100,000 car, you may need to re-think your priorities…

Diana We’re moving, and our current landlord said he was going to be increasing rent for whoever the new tenant is. I hope it’s not much. I feel like we have decent rent rate.

Sue  If I could afford it I would of stayed in SSF, but we moved to Vacaville. Lot more house and not far at all from the bay area

Mark  People need to quit flooding the Peninsula…there are other places to move to!

Oscar Stop gentrification

Lanette  How is anyone going to pay for that? you’re either going to have to have families where 4/5 live together or rich people. the average joe’s NOT going to be able to pay that much money. so California is going to become for people with money and people without money, no middle class.

Juan  Ever notice it’s always the other guy that’s greedy and never ourselves?

Brad  this is just another bubble that will eventually pop, stock markets go up and down, world economies change every quarter, technologies erupt and then eventually level out. the most important thing to teach new graduates today is to remember who they are, remember their neighbors and remember the community that they were raised in. not all of us make it to the big show of 6 figure incomes so its really times like these where we really need to help each other (the commoners) as much as possible. don’t rent your studios or rooms to a techie! LOL jk….. or am I?

Christina  We are all being forced out! Rents are astronomical and there’s no end! Where’s all the affordable housing in nice areas!?

Eileen  My 3 kids are all so crunched it’s a crime ! Two rent apartments and one a house. Both my husband and I both grew up here, so did my children! Back in 1979 we only had to borrow $7000.00 from my Dad for help to put down a ďownpament on our house . Now it’s impossible to help your children frown emoticon

Loretta  I moved away and can’t come back because of prices.

Yvonne  Yea there fleeing to the Midwest until they experience there first winter’..

           Kelly  LOL the first Summer fries it off too…wink emoticon

Yvonne  It’s high way robbery out there and safety and mental health and homelessness are at the highest they’ve ever been.. But hey that’s the price you pay for the California sun

Yvonne  people need to read the Chinese fortune cookies out there the next one will say penniless will only get you so far.

Lucinda it really sucks just alone i live in a crapy place and on section 8 and we pay 1553 a month our portion. We need to have 3 jobs or they need to raise the minimum wage in the Peninsula and also have more jobs here. Just alone getting paid 15hr and the only person in the house working -and with a disabled mother also to take care of also and also her expenses. We need some type of rent control in San Mateo county starting now or all of us are forced to move or be homeless

 

Karen  If I ever have to leave this area, I won’t be able come back with these prices.

Richard  Yep, all the way to Antelope. I know, where!?

PHrank As a property owner I say oh yeah! I want to forget back when the values crashed, thank you. Besides. So City weather SUCKS! There is still some deals in the East bay. Come to sunny side.

                  Kelly Yeah …Umm didn’t we all call it salshitty?

                  PHrank  South Shitty! Yes. Lol.

 

Denny  The main reason I could not return to SSF, I had to buy in Oregon… but SSF will always be HOME!

JoAnn  Considering it because of this God awful weather this month.

 

 

 

 

 

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