My life. COL Comparison: Chicago-Boston My wife and I work full-time in Boston where average* rent is $2152 this year and rising. *Note, in case you're unfamiliar, that'll get you in a multi-family with quarter-operated laundry in the basement, utilities not included, and parking will be an extra $200, thanks. Move-in will be first month, last month, deposit of one month, and the cost of one month's rent for broker fees ($2152*4 = a cool $8600) My brother lives in one of these mid-size cities where he's paying off a 3-bed/2-bath house in the middle of downtown at $200 less than what we pay for a 1-bed/1-bath basement. We're technically in the Greater Boston Area which really means our commutes are an hour+, but it also means that our rent is about 2/3 as much as anywhere on the T. You do the math on what my brother pays for his spacious luxury. He also has two dogs in that white picket mansion, and he didn't have to ask nobody's permission 'bout that. We have good jobs, good education, and good prospects. The allure of mid-sized cities is stronk.
Do people routinely commute an hour? From an hour away, I could buy land for $10,000 an acre and build a house for $150/sq ft.We're technically in the Greater Boston Area which really means our commutes are an hour+
That makes sense, and the congestion here varies depending on where you're going. My office is rural but right off the interstate, just off the first exit out of town. I saw farm equipment across the road today. Staying close to the interstate and not crossing town at rush hour, I could cover close to a mile per minute. A thirty minute commute feels a little crazy because I could be thirty miles from town.