- Posts
- 7,579
- Reaction score
- 11,838
What I find interesting is a lot of people think CA has the highest and TX has the lowest and neither state made the list.
The #1 and #2 happiest cities in America are both in California’s Silicon Valley - Fremont and San Jose. Weird how they can be so happy without open carry laws, with high taxes, and with all those people speaking foreign languages, am I right?It's not always a question of how much people are taxed but rather what they get for what they are paying. Some European countries have high taxes and high costs of living but their citizens consistently rank among the world's happiest.
I take your points, but having $ helps.The #1 and #2 happiest cities in America are both in California’s Silicon Valley - Fremont and San Jose. Weird how they can be so happy without open carry laws, with high taxes, and with all those people speaking foreign languages, am I right?
When I moved out here, I lived in Fremont for the first several years because it was the only place I could afford. At the time it was $1300 a month rent for a 600 square foot apartment, and a long commute to San Jose for work.I take your points, but having $ helps.
When I moved out here, I lived in Fremont for the first several years because it was the only place I could afford. At the time it was $1300 a month rent for a 600 square foot apartment, and a long commute to San Jose for work.
Interestingly, #1 and #2 are not very wealthy enclaves of Silicon Valley; the people with money go to Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Menlo Park, etc.
Of course it’s all relative - ”poor” people in San Jose make more money than rich people in much of the country. But everything is so expensive that you don’t feel rich unless you are making a ton of money. $100k a year is likely going to make you feel pretty poor in most of the Bay Area.
Also, many of those same people who bought 20+ years ago paid normal prices for homes before they skyrocketed so they're essentially grandfathered in. We rented a 1000 sq ft home in Daly City for a year and it was around $50K, we had to move out to the central valley to buy. Right now the median income needed to buy out on the peninsula is $350K a year, regular people simply can't afford that.In general, and having not put a great deal of thought into it... I think people who grew up living on the San Francisco peninsula (where a large part of Silicon Valley is) and ended up working in tech, are for the most part still living here. Housing costs are higher, but tech wages are higher, so it all kind of works out.
Also, many of those same people who bought 20+ years ago paid normal prices for homes before they skyrocketed so they're essentially grandfathered in. We rented a 1000 sq ft home in Daly City for a year and it was around $50K, we had to move out to the central valley to buy. Right now the median income needed to buy out on the peninsula is $350K a year, regular people simply can't afford that.
Exactly, there's a huge working class and in order for them to make it most are forced into shared housing. In Daly City it's not uncommon to see 9 or 10 people per household. They've been doing a better job of putting up apartments up and down the peninsula though so there's that but it's really overcrowded and overpriced.It’s also important to remember that not everyone who lives and works in the Bay Area is in tech and earns good money for their labor.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.