How do you know if you're in a HCOL or LCOL area?

EnglishMajor03

I think I'm in a medium COL area  Anyone else?

wifeandmama

HAHA - I have no clue???  I've lived in the same general vicinity my whole life (grew up in the suburbs, moved to the city, back to the same suburb now) so it all seems "medium" to me since it's all I know!

lms_bride

I know I'm in a HCOL area, but I suppose it would be more ambiguous if I didn't live in California in the SF bay area.   

EJChapman123

I think median incomes in your area in comparison with the national average can be something of a determinant. 

I live in the Tampa area though, for instance, which the county is somewhere in the middle of the road for income.  Where I live in the suburbs, I consider to be pretty low cost of living, but you get into some other areas and out towards the beach, and its extremely high cost of living, and I am not just talking real estate.  Everything is more expensive out there.  It can vary greatly....

DevonPow

We are HCOL, but it is a well known fact about Boston. Most major cities are HCOL I believe.

Shozzies

https://www.kiplinger.com/tools/bestcities_sort/

EnglishMajor03

Shozziee:

https://www.kiplinger.com/tools/bestcities_sort/

Interesting...my city is tied with Boston. As is most of the Northeast. 

susanmosley

I'm in Dallas - not suburbs, in the city - and we def don't have a HCOL.  Actually though, we are lower than I thought.  

ariel06

I'm in a little above average COL. 

gatogrrl

I think if you watch House Hunters enough, you can tell.  I am constantly amazed by how much square footage and amenities you can get south of the Mason Dixon line.

COL is a bit misleading, though.  I've lived in Berkeley, CA and Chicago (both HCOL) on as little as 20K a year.  Anyone creative and energetic enough can have a fine life on very little money.  There are all sorts of tricks.

mrsrobinsontobe

i'm on the north shore of boston...it's definitely hcol. everything just keeps getting more and more expensive!

eaduvall

Detroit is listed as average but I live north of Detroit in Oakland County and it is A LOT more expensive to live here then in the surrounding counties, before the economy crash Oakland County was the richest county in the state. of course the crash really changed things here in metro Detroit.

babypuplove

DC/NOVA is definitely HCOL.  I though Chicago was more MCOL (maybe the higher end), unless you live on Michigan Ave.  While it is a big city, it is still the Midwest.  I have good friends who grew up there and they don't consider it quite as bad as DC.

lbaby08

I grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and it is an interesting paradox. Compared with other southern towns/cities Atlanta is probably considered HCOL but when you compare it nationwide to cities of a similar size it is actually more on the medium COL side. Of course, there are the obviously more expensive pockets around the city.

In our experience, you can get a lot more for your money than compared to most other places. And it is not just limited to real estate - good private schools, fantastic restaurants, great amenities (the Aquarium, sports teams, symphony, theatre, etc) all seem to cost less but still deliver great quality.

I am big Atlanta fan if you can't tell!  

jennie13

You're in a HCOL area when you watch house shows on HGTV and want to throw up when you see huge new mansions in other parts of the country selling for what your un-renovated 1957 3 bedroom raised ranch cost.

EmmieB

susanmosley:

I'm in Dallas - not suburbs, in the city - and we def don't have a HCOL.  Actually though, we are lower than I thought.  

seriously? I you. We lived on the corner (literally - our loft was a corner unit) of main and st paul until 2 years ago when we moved to san jose. the COL here is out of control. We have *maybe* 500 more sq ft than in our loft and we're paying over twice the amount of rent.

we're at 158 according to that link...up there with honolulu and the NY/tri-state...

what you could get for $3-400k in dallas you pay $1M+ here. INSANE. 

 

when does sticker shock wear off? ever?