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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?

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  • 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 Offline
    MikM Offline
    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.

    โ€œI am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.โ€ ~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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

      โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

      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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” 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 adequateโ€ฆ Those are the key wordsโ€ฆ Ax titled it as middle class but that phrase is wide open to interpretationโ€ฆ

        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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

          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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

          Okay, Parish, smart assโ€ฆ

          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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

            MikM Offline
            MikM Offline
            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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

            Parish the thought.

            โ€œI am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.โ€ ~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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

              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. ๐Ÿ˜›๐Ÿ˜›

              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.

              โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

              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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” 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.

                  โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

                  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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” 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

                        โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

                        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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” 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...

                            โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

                            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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” Buck Sexton

                            George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                            • JollyJ Jolly

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

                              George KG Offline
                              George KG Offline
                              George K
                              wrote on last edited by George K
                              #23

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

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

                              Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                              ETA: They are!

                              "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.

                              KlausK JollyJ 2 Replies Last reply
                              • George KG George K

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

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

                                Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                ETA: They are!

                                KlausK Offline
                                KlausK Offline
                                Klaus
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                @George-K 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?:

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

                                Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                ETA: They are!

                                And you would have space for a workshop!

                                George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                                • KlausK Klaus

                                  @George-K 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?:

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

                                  Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                  ETA: They are!

                                  And you would have space for a workshop!

                                  George KG Offline
                                  George KG Offline
                                  George K
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

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

                                  And you would have space for a workshop!

                                  Yup!

                                  But...

                                  It's Mississippi.

                                  (@klaus probably won't get this)

                                  Q: Why does Alabama exist?

                                  A: To keep Georgia from getting its border dirty.

                                  "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
                                  • George KG George K

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

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

                                    Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                    ETA: They are!

                                    JollyJ Offline
                                    JollyJ Offline
                                    Jolly
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    @George-K 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?:

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

                                    Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                    ETA: They are!

                                    You want low taxes? You want character?

                                    https://www.trulia.com/p/la/alexandria/222-florence-ave-alexandria-la-71301--2203390894

                                    alt text

                                    โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

                                    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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” Buck Sexton

                                    George KG LarryL 2 Replies Last reply
                                    • JollyJ Jolly

                                      @George-K 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?:

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

                                      Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                      ETA: They are!

                                      You want low taxes? You want character?

                                      https://www.trulia.com/p/la/alexandria/222-florence-ave-alexandria-la-71301--2203390894

                                      alt text

                                      George KG Offline
                                      George KG Offline
                                      George K
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

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

                                      You want low taxes? You want character?

                                      https://www.trulia.com/p/la/alexandria/222-florence-ave-alexandria-la-71301--2203390894

                                      Wow.

                                      Pour another $250K into that and you'd get something really spectacular!

                                      How far away is the nearest grocery store WalMart?

                                      "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
                                        #28

                                        Which one?

                                        There's three Super Walmarts and two neighborhood markets within a five mile circle.

                                        โ€œCry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!โ€

                                        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 terroristsโ€™ "due process". โ€” Buck Sexton

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • JollyJ Jolly

                                          @George-K 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?:

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

                                          Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                          ETA: They are!

                                          You want low taxes? You want character?

                                          https://www.trulia.com/p/la/alexandria/222-florence-ave-alexandria-la-71301--2203390894

                                          alt text

                                          LarryL Offline
                                          LarryL Offline
                                          Larry
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

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

                                          @George-K 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?:

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

                                          Taxes are probably lower, LOL.

                                          ETA: They are!

                                          You want low taxes? You want character?

                                          https://www.trulia.com/p/la/alexandria/222-florence-ave-alexandria-la-71301--2203390894

                                          alt text

                                          Why is that house so cheap?

                                          George KG 1 Reply Last reply
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