Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

California living costs typical middle-class family an extra $26,479 per year
just the news ^ | 11/10/2013 | The Center Square Staff

Posted on 11/11/2023 9:46:09 AM PST by Signalman

According to a new study, the cost of living in California imposes an extra $26,479 each year on a typical middle-class family.

“Our methodology calculates that a typical middle-class family of three earning $130,000 a year faces a “Cost of California” penalty of $26,478.72 versus if they simply paid the national average of cost in each category,” wrote the Transparency Foundation in their report.

The study compared costs in major household budget categories between national and California averages, such as housing, taxes and transportation. In California, renters pay 47% more than the national average, while homeowners pay 32% more, healthcare services cost 42% more, and state and local taxes are 14% higher, among others.

There were only two categories Californians experienced any savings over the national average were 3% in health insurance, which is subsidized by higher taxes paid to the state government, and homeowner’s insurance, which is 68% cheaper in California because of government-run rate change limits that are driving insurers out of the state as claims exceed insurance premiums.

Some California legislators view the report as an opportunity to highlight the need to reduce regulations and make other efforts to make the cost of doing business — and living — lower in California.

“With irresponsible policies and shameless tax increases, the majority party has made this state a very difficult place to raise a family or pursue your dreams,” said State Sen. Roger Niello, R–Fair Oaks, to The Center Square. “A very important observation of this report is that politicians point blame at others when they are really the ones to blame. Better policy and budget decisions that put Californians first need to be implemented soon before Californians are priced out of this state.”

A recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found 71% of Californians believe their children will be financially worse off than they are, suggesting many believe California’s economic prospects may be fading off into the sunset.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: california; justthenews; livingcosts

1 posted on 11/11/2023 9:46:09 AM PST by Signalman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Signalman

The article implies this is some unexplained mystery. “Gee, don’t Californian’s have it rough?” No idea that voting for Democrats on almost every state an local level just couldn’t be a factor.

Sorry for my fellow conservative brethren in CA, but this is what people in California keep voting for so they must be okay for it.


2 posted on 11/11/2023 9:51:56 AM PST by Obadiah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

Young folks on blogs often ask “how do I go from broke to wealthy”.

If they live in CA the answer is a no brainer.

Run.

Factoid—the median CA home costs five times as much as the median WV house.

(...while median CA salaries are less than double median WV salaries)

The inflated CA numbers means higher federal and state income taxes on top of all the other damage.


3 posted on 11/11/2023 9:54:20 AM PST by cgbg ("Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training." Anna Freud.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

I heard groceries are so high, Pedo Joe is going to declare Thanksgiving, “Taco Thursday.”


4 posted on 11/11/2023 9:58:48 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer ('Build Back Better' is a Bidenskyyyyyyism for 'we gotta get rid of all dem white peoples'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

That is a low ball number. On average the penalty has been 30-40% for over a decade — and that is before that corrupt BeijingBiden admin took basics like food and gas out of the CPI.


5 posted on 11/11/2023 10:04:39 AM PST by bobbo666 (Baizuo, )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

But there is a solution.

Move.


6 posted on 11/11/2023 10:05:21 AM PST by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

It’s the “Sunshine, Coastline, and Gorgeous Places” tax.


7 posted on 11/11/2023 10:06:35 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

Yes, but they earn an extra $80,000 vs living in the Midwest.


8 posted on 11/11/2023 10:08:24 AM PST by nwrep
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

Yeah, but they get $100k a year in govt benefits, right?


9 posted on 11/11/2023 10:22:58 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Successful People Have a Sense of Gratitude. Unsuccessful People Have a Sense of Entitlement)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Obadiah; All
Thank you for posting Obadiah.

"Sorry for my fellow conservative brethren in CA, but this is what people in California keep voting for so they must be okay for it."


I wouldn't blame California's socio-economic problems on the voters.

Over Half of 2022 Mail-In Ballots Are Still Unaccounted for in California (1.24.23)

All Democratic and Republican Trump supporters in the nation need come to the rescue of ordinary California voters by electing a new federal Congress that will actually do its constitutionally enumerated duty to guarantee each state a republican form of government.

"Article IV, Section 4 (4.4): The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government [emphasis added], and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."

In fact, the very corrupt, constitutionally undefined political parties that have pirated control of Congress are unsurprisingly not lifting a finger to enforce Section 2 of the 14th Amendment, that section a penalty for states where ballot box fraud has occurred.

Excerpted from 14A:

Regarding the Section 2 penalty, consider the zero tolerance "hair trigger" wording of that clause that screams for the feds to investigate allegations of vote-counting fraud.

In fact, if this were a better world, the federal government should be warning the states before every election that the feds will be darkening their doorway to investigate complaints about vote-counting problems.

10 posted on 11/11/2023 10:25:08 AM PST by Amendment10
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Signalman
California living costs typical middle-class family an extra $26,479 per year

And that's not counting the "attitude tax."

11 posted on 11/11/2023 10:25:45 AM PST by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

Going to California with an aching in my heart.


12 posted on 11/11/2023 10:27:25 AM PST by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

No extra charge for the wildfires and power outages and crime, so that helps.


13 posted on 11/11/2023 10:27:57 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Successful People Have a Sense of Gratitude. Unsuccessful People Have a Sense of Entitlement)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steely Tom

Have California friends who may have to sell their house - move to less expensive area. She is not happy! Doesn’t want to start over again in a strange area she does not know as she sells high end real-state. He’s an Attorney. Both professions rough to move.


14 posted on 11/11/2023 10:31:39 AM PST by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom

Utopian Tax


15 posted on 11/11/2023 10:34:12 AM PST by Brownie63
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

I was born and raised in Southern California, Bellflower Paramount, and Downey areas.
I figured it out in 1979, get out! The Democrats are destroying the state. So I left.


16 posted on 11/11/2023 10:42:50 AM PST by rellic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brownie63

Utopian weather, yes. But horrendous government, ultra-progressive policies, drugs, overrun by illegals, homeless everywhere, needles everywhere...not exactly “utopian.” That’s why I focused on natural beauty and weather. They haven’t ruined those...yet. Wait until they figure out how to tax those.

Wait a sec...this $26,000 penalty IS tax on those!


17 posted on 11/11/2023 10:50:03 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

California the instruction manual on how to fail at everything.

Hate this place but locked in with few options if any to escape.


18 posted on 11/11/2023 1:59:42 PM PST by Vaduz (....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Signalman

You can be making $20/hr and it will only pay for a 1 bedroom apt ($2,000 a month) and utilities and a old car with some food and no money left over.


19 posted on 11/11/2023 2:55:07 PM PST by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rellic

I knew a guy who got a promotion by State Farm Insurance to move to Ventura from Houston. It was a huge pay boost. His standard of living went from being able to afford a 3 bedroom apartment to living in a one room apartment. He and his wife were working and still couldn’t keep up. They left after 2 years of living in the people’s republic of California.


20 posted on 11/13/2023 8:07:17 PM PST by Texas resident (Biden=Obama=Jarrett=Soros)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson