My hometown of Cherry Hill NJ has a median HH income of $105K. It has demographics similar to Carlsbad, top rated schools and healthcare. Its an easy one hour drive to lovely Jersey Shore towns. Its an easy 15 minute drive to Philadephia with great jobs, multiple teaching hospitals some of which rank among the best in the country and Ivy League schools nearby. They have professional sports and world class musuems and theatre in Philly. School funding is among the highest in the country. The median home price is $336K.
The median HH income in St George is under $50K. It has none of that. School funding is among the lowest in the country. The only university was recentlya two year associate degree college. No theatre, no international airport, no teaching hospitals, no major industries, no pro sports, no beaches, no culture or diversity. The median home price is $430K.
And you dont think you just bought into one big time bubble that will come crashing down as soon as the economy turns? You have bought into Hemet circa 2005.[/quote]
sdr: for starters, New Jersey is losing population. Why would that be? And if you think Philly is good for culture, the arts, and theatre, check out their crime rate before going downtown.
St. George/Washington City is exploding with growth because of its culture, broadly defined. Theatre, museums, concerts, a rapidly expanding 4-year university, lauded health care, year-around outdoor activities such as hiking, biking trails, parks (minus the homeless in tents), and numerous gyms. The people are young, healthy, and fully employed–unemployment rate 2.9%. Because the cost of living is so low, average income means little. True, the average household income is slightly under the US average. But adjusted for COL is what counts. For example, my total utilities for last month were $181.10–gas and electric, water and sewer. That’s with our hotter weather and the AC on constantly in a 2500 SF house. My friend in Scripps Ranch recently told me his total was over $1,000.
Educational quality has little to do with spending. In NYC the per pupil spending is over $20,000 per year, and their educational attainment is dreadful. CA is notorious for high government spending in most every category and abysmal results. San Diego is the best of the big cities, but it is still in CA.
