Austinites must work 64 hours to pay a month’s rent

kxan ^ | Feb. 13, 2018 | Kate Winkle

[bgill]

With an average hourly wage of $18.64 (with taxes accounted for) and the median price of rent at $1,194 in Austin, SmartAsset calculated it would take about 64 hours for those living in Austin to make enough to cover their housing bills. Obviously, if people make more or less or if rent is less or greater, then those numbers shift. To calculate yours, take your monthly rent and divide it by how much you make an hour, after tax and deductions. San Jose, California, is the big city with the most hours of work needed to pay off rent, with 89.7. In Houston, it takes about 66.3 hours — although the median rent is less than Austin, so is the average hourly wage. Dallas and San Antonio also take slightly longer than Austin to pay off rent, with 64.5 hours and 64.3 hours, respectively.

[bgill]

If Austin or Dallas gets picked for Amazon's new headquarters, it'll drive the prices up even more. It'll also put a greater strain on the infrastructure and 5 pm traffic will be worse. Austin already has a severe housing shortage and people are forced to commute up to two hours out of the city. Amazon would need 50k more employees and add in their families and more than likely their lib votes. Sorry, I don't want it in TX.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The RENT is TOO DAMN HIGH, y'all!

[jonsie]

Ha ha ha, I remember that. Thanks!

[3boysdad]

This article was written for the IQ of a dope-baked mine. Austin is a liberal cesspool.

[digger48]

And I now have to work 80 hours just to pay my health insurance premium

thanks Obamacare!

[Axenolith]

Get a roommate, cuts it in half...

[Buckeye McFrog]

When I was young I worked 60-70 hours per week in the retail business to pay the rent. Did not think much of it.

[lurk]

Landlords are killing it in the desirable urban and suburban zones of growing metro areas. People have to have dwellings, and they have to pay what the market demands.

[bwest]

Pays to have a full time job, no?

[MrEdd]

Fakenews.

[spintreebob]

Are they comparing the MEAD average wage to the MEDIAN average rent? Am I scratching my head?

[Cen-Tejas]

.........well, this article is skewed a little. It is because of the phenom that thousands of young people want to live and work downtown. So, you have 75 story condo’s going up at 1,000 psf or more. So, a big closet (300sf) will cost you $300,000.00. And, the idiots buy them!

Traffic downtown is deadstop. My attorney is there because that’s where the courthouse is. So, we meet out by his house early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

[BlueLancer]

Well, I live well away from Austin and dividing my pay per hour by my housing cost gives me an answer of “infinity”. My house is paid for, so ... well, you know, dividing by 0 and all ...

[gr8eman]

So how’s that gender studies “degree” worked out for ya dumb commie!

[Dilbert San Diego]

I don’t get it.

You could say this about any expense, that it takes “x” number of hours worked, to afford, take your pick:

car payment
housing
groceries
cable TV bill
cell phone bill
Netflix
clothes
dining out
pay your property taxes
pay your income taxes
wide screen TV
remodel your kitchen
buy new tires
video games

literally anything can be discussed this way. But what does it really mean? Whether in San Jose or Austin, the lower income people cannot afford the most desirable places to live. Always was that way. That’s true anywhere. So what exactly is his point?

[Garth Tater]

"Get a roommate, cuts it in half..."

Get married and find the old lady a second job. Problem solved.

[x]

Yeah, but Austenites have such cool pads.

Great wardrobe, too.

Okay ... "Austinites" ...

Never mind.

[digger48]

Thanks to Obamacare, I can no longer afford several of the things on your list

[al_c]

Obviously, if people make more or less or if rent is less or greater, then those numbers shift.

[mom of young patriots]

Not the part about Austin’s housing shortage, cost of housing, or the traffic problem. That is all unfortunately very, very real. As is the overload of liberals.