Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse

The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?

Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
32 Posts 8 Posters 280 Views
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • KlausK Offline
    KlausK Offline
    Klaus
    wrote on last edited by
    #3

    Oh, I just see that Manhattan metropolian area is in Kansas ! 🙂 That explains it, then...

    1 Reply Last reply
    • LuFins DadL Offline
      LuFins DadL Offline
      LuFins Dad
      wrote on last edited by
      #4

      That’s actually kind of cool. I’d like to see know a bit about what they are defining as standards of living, but that seemed pretty accurate to me.

      The Brad

      1 Reply Last reply
      • Doctor PhibesD Online
        Doctor PhibesD Online
        Doctor Phibes
        wrote on last edited by
        #5

        That calculator adds a lot of assumptions - it plugs in $30,000 of child-care, which you won't need if there's only one wage-earner in a family of four, $12,000 of health-care which you probably won't need if your employer includes health insurance - I guess that's considered part of your income?

        I was only joking

        1 Reply Last reply
        • MikM Away
          MikM Away
          Mik
          wrote on last edited by
          #6

          Underestimated. It states $72K for a family with one child in my area. You might have been able to do that 20 years ago but not today.

          “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

          1 Reply Last reply
          • JollyJ Offline
            JollyJ Offline
            Jolly
            wrote on last edited by
            #7

            49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

            Maybe, but doubtful...

            “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

            Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

            LuFins DadL MikM 2 Replies Last reply
            • Doctor PhibesD Online
              Doctor PhibesD Online
              Doctor Phibes
              wrote on last edited by
              #8

              They're saying $136K where we are with two kids, but $30K of it is child-care, and Mrs. Phibes did it for free (God, I hope she doesn't read this)

              What does $23K of taxes include? Our property tax is only about $5K - not sure what that number is supposed to reflect.

              I was only joking

              1 Reply Last reply
              • JollyJ Jolly

                49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                Maybe, but doubtful...

                LuFins DadL Offline
                LuFins DadL Offline
                LuFins Dad
                wrote on last edited by
                #9

                @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                Maybe, but doubtful...

                May I ask what county?

                The Brad

                JollyJ 1 Reply Last reply
                • JollyJ Jolly

                  49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                  Maybe, but doubtful...

                  MikM Away
                  MikM Away
                  Mik
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #10

                  @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                  49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                  Maybe, but doubtful...

                  Not and live in any comfort at all.

                  “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                    @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                    49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                    Maybe, but doubtful...

                    May I ask what county?

                    JollyJ Offline
                    JollyJ Offline
                    Jolly
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #11

                    @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                    @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                    49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                    Maybe, but doubtful...

                    May I ask what county?

                    None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                    “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                    Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                    LuFins DadL MikM JollyJ 3 Replies Last reply
                    • LuFins DadL Offline
                      LuFins DadL Offline
                      LuFins Dad
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #12

                      Modest yet adequate… Those are the key words… Ax titled it as middle class but that phrase is wide open to interpretation…

                      The Brad

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • JollyJ Jolly

                        @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                        @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                        49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                        Maybe, but doubtful...

                        May I ask what county?

                        None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                        LuFins DadL Offline
                        LuFins DadL Offline
                        LuFins Dad
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #13

                        @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                        @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                        @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                        49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                        Maybe, but doubtful...

                        May I ask what county?

                        None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                        Okay, Parish, smart ass…

                        The Brad

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • JollyJ Jolly

                          @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                          @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                          49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                          Maybe, but doubtful...

                          May I ask what county?

                          None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                          MikM Away
                          MikM Away
                          Mik
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #14

                          @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                          @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                          @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                          49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                          Maybe, but doubtful...

                          May I ask what county?

                          None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                          Parish the thought.

                          “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • JollyJ Jolly

                            @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                            @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                            49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                            Maybe, but doubtful...

                            May I ask what county?

                            None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                            JollyJ Offline
                            JollyJ Offline
                            Jolly
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #15

                            @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                            @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                            @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                            49k for two people, no children in my area. I assume that's take home pay, after all deductions.

                            Maybe, but doubtful...

                            May I ask what county?

                            None. We don't have counties. 😛😛

                            Seriously...That would be North and Central Louisiana, or maybe most of the state north of I-10, excluding the metropolitan areas.

                            I've never figured out why we don't aggressively recruit retirees. We have Homestead Exemption, which keeps property taxes low or nonexistent. We have a state income tax, but it doesn't apply to state pensions, federal (I think) pensions or Social Security. We do have a fairly high sales tax. In the more economically poor areas of the state, you can still find land reasonable...Right now, I know of a 3/2 brick veneer for $650,000...With barn, outbuildings and 80 acres of mixed woodland and improved pasture.

                            “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                            Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • LuFins DadL Offline
                              LuFins DadL Offline
                              LuFins Dad
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #16

                              I think the disagreement has a lot to do with our own definitions of "Middle Class" as Ax described it or "modest yet adequate" as expressed by EPI. This isn't perfect, but it's light years ahead of the Federal guidelines used in legislation...

                              My wife grew up in Brown County, Ohio. These are the numbers from EPI:

                              Brown County, OH
                              HOUSING $738
                              FOOD $725
                              CHILD CARE $1,131
                              TRANSPORTATION $1,215
                              HEALTH CARE $1,068
                              OTHER NECESSITIES $530
                              TAXES $517
                              MONTHLY TOTAL $5,924
                              ANNUAL TOTAL $71,090

                              So let's start with housing since that's likely to be the biggest variable...

                              I used $750 just to make things easier calculations. Most online calculators using $750 as a base payment with 20% down came up with a housing price of between $165K to $190K as being in that budget. $180K gets me - https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1205-S-2nd-St-Ripley-OH-45167/78963340_zpid/

                              I'd say that's modest but adequate.

                              The Brad

                              AxtremusA 1 Reply Last reply
                              • JollyJ Offline
                                JollyJ Offline
                                Jolly
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #17

                                I would agree.

                                “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                                Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                                LuFins DadL 1 Reply Last reply
                                • JollyJ Jolly

                                  I would agree.

                                  LuFins DadL Offline
                                  LuFins DadL Offline
                                  LuFins Dad
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #18

                                  @Jolly said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                                  I would agree.

                                  Picked at random - Beauregard Parish, LA
                                  MONTHLY COSTS
                                  2 adults and 2 children
                                  Beauregard Parish, LA
                                  HOUSING $725
                                  FOOD $787
                                  CHILD CARE $643
                                  TRANSPORTATION $1,272
                                  HEALTH CARE $1,545
                                  OTHER NECESSITIES $548
                                  TAXES $603
                                  MONTHLY TOTAL $6,122
                                  ANNUAL TOTAL $73,462

                                  https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/107-N-Division-St-Deridder-LA-70634/106017626_zpid/ That's actually pretty nice...

                                  The Brad

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                                    I think the disagreement has a lot to do with our own definitions of "Middle Class" as Ax described it or "modest yet adequate" as expressed by EPI. This isn't perfect, but it's light years ahead of the Federal guidelines used in legislation...

                                    My wife grew up in Brown County, Ohio. These are the numbers from EPI:

                                    Brown County, OH
                                    HOUSING $738
                                    FOOD $725
                                    CHILD CARE $1,131
                                    TRANSPORTATION $1,215
                                    HEALTH CARE $1,068
                                    OTHER NECESSITIES $530
                                    TAXES $517
                                    MONTHLY TOTAL $5,924
                                    ANNUAL TOTAL $71,090

                                    So let's start with housing since that's likely to be the biggest variable...

                                    I used $750 just to make things easier calculations. Most online calculators using $750 as a base payment with 20% down came up with a housing price of between $165K to $190K as being in that budget. $180K gets me - https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1205-S-2nd-St-Ripley-OH-45167/78963340_zpid/

                                    I'd say that's modest but adequate.

                                    AxtremusA Offline
                                    AxtremusA Offline
                                    Axtremus
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #19

                                    @LuFins-Dad said in Middle Class? How much income needed to live modestly and adequately?:

                                    I think the disagreement has a lot to do with our own definitions of "Middle Class" as Ax described it or "modest yet adequate" as expressed by EPI. This isn't perfect, but it's light years ahead of the Federal guidelines used in legislation...

                                    Exactly, the primary reason I share it here is because I think the EPI's method is more useful than the Federal guidelines.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • JollyJ Offline
                                      JollyJ Offline
                                      Jolly
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #20

                                      Hey, D'Evereaux is for sale... Comes with 12 acres...

                                      https://www.trulia.com/p/ms/natchez/160-devereaux-dr-natchez-ms-39120--2155767171

                                      alt text

                                      “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                                      Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • George KG Offline
                                        George KG Offline
                                        George K
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #21

                                        $1.9M?

                                        That's more than I earn in 6 months.

                                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • JollyJ Offline
                                          JollyJ Offline
                                          Jolly
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #22

                                          Yeah, but it's bigger than your condo...

                                          “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                                          Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                                          George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          • Login

                                          • Don't have an account? Register

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Tags
                                          • Popular
                                          • Users
                                          • Groups