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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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  • 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
                                        • LarryL Larry

                                          @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 Offline
                                          George KG Offline
                                          George K
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #30

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

                                          Why is that house so cheap?

                                          Because it needs a quarter of a million dollars of work?

                                          Maybe the location sucks?

                                          "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.

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