Commenting about the cost of living in Boston…vs San Diego.
The state sales tax is 5.5% compared to 7.75%…and in MA there is no clothing sales tax at all. Probably because you need so many more clothes here.
In New Hampshire there is no sales tax, period. So a lot of people commute to Boston from NH….although the NH property tax is reportedly higher.
I would say that when I compare Boston to SD, condos and detached homes are more expensive in SD. The Boston real estate market is also declining and is still overpriced –but SD is completely unrealistic. The market in Boston is a lot of renovated old buildings/homes and SD is mostly new….but still, SD prices are unrealistic especially considering the median income.
In Boston, it was reported that the med/pharm/bioresearch sector was losing out on the “best” qualified professionals since the cost of living…housing…was too high. The quality of life is not outstanding here, other than it being a mecca of higher education. That equals a lot of desperate students everywhere…and even resident docs and fellows don’t make that much $.
The BIG DIG: BIG DIG has been a money drain…From what I have seen on both coasts…Caltrans does a superb job compared to the engineers who planned the Boston roads. Maybe some of the CA engineers should be recruited to come to MA. By now, most people would have heard about the woman who was killed when her car was smashed while driving thru the brand new tunnel ….hit by a falling concrete panel. That and the subsequent repair costs–all caused by glaring engineering flaws –bolts that were too weak to hold the concrete up.
Add to that $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ there are tolls to pay for the roads and bridges coming in and out of Boston…and on the MASSPIKE which is like being charged to use I-5 or I-8.
Housing & Income: I make more $ in New England….rent is slightly cheaper, but heating an average winter is $200 a month for forced air…about 5-6 months for a small 500 sq. ft apt.
Commuting: I could find something in the Greater Boston area on public transportation (ie subway or rail) that I could afford, which is a plus. For example, I live about 25 miles outside of Boston and my rail commute is 30 minutes on the train..I drive to the train 10 minutes…
That commute in the morning by car would be minimum 45 minutes and parking would cost at least $100. 8 Months out of the year you can expect bad weather -add to that old conjested freeways… Public transportation with subways and rails is excellent for commuting. and even though we have a subway and commuter rail (which cost anywhere from $65 -$150 per month)
