The 25 Best Affordable Suburbs in the U.S.

Business Week ^ | Maya Roney

[RockinRight]

Low crime, reasonable commute, and good schools—who says you can't find a nice house in a suburb without paying a fortune? Buying your first house? Fleeing the city for a life within your means? Here's a novel idea: Move to a suburb where you won't break the bank or get your car broken into. A community with reasonable home prices and decent schools. A suburb close to your city job, with a lively downtown of its own. For hedge-fund managers, plastic surgeons, corporate lawyers, and other people who earn millions a year, choosing a suburb is not about affordability but convenience and, frankly, prestige. These folks don't balk at high prices or look for fixer-uppers. They can pay for prime real estate on the most exclusive streets in the fanciest towns with the best schools. If they want to live in Greenwich or Brookline or Lake Forest or Malibu, they can. Unfortunately, most people aren't so lucky. Most people have to balance their real estate aspirations with reality—compromising on acreage or culture in exchange for better schools or lower property taxes.

[goldstategop]

Wow... $2.3 million. The rent helps pay for part of that.... is yours a luxury condo?

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[goldstategop]

With no kids, all my other expenses add to $400 a month. Of course two people would double that so having twice the income would get a home paid off much faster.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[gun_supporter]

Thank God for the South! I live in Richmond, VA part of the year and a house down here in north Mississippi that costs $250,000 here could easily sell for $500-700,000 in Richmond, and thats not even near DC!

[RockinRight]

Utilities - $170 - $340
Phone - $90 (cell for work)
Internet/Cable - $80
Food - $200
Gasoline - $200

I don't see how. Not for me anyway, and my (too high) car payment isn't in that.

[goldstategop]

Do you fill up a full tank of gas from empty? And how often do you eat out? I watch my budget by filling up the tank when its half empty and limiting trips to what's necessary. And I eat out once a week and look for discounted food specials in the grocery store. We can't avoid living expenses but we can make every dollar we do spend count.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[TC Rider]

Thank God, Cary, NC is not on the list.

[HKMk23]

Yeah, that kind of monthly budget in this part of the country would make a trip to McDonalds seem like luxury dining.

[RockinRight]

Don't eat out more than three times a month usually.

Keep in mind, I do drive a lot with my job. No drive = no clients = no income.

[Young Scholar]

Doesn't change my analysis - I still don't know how people making 50 - 60k could even DREAM of affording that.

Maybe not, but jobs that pay 50-60k in most of the country likely pay significantly more in high COL areas like Boston and NYC.

[RockinRight]

No doubt.

I was pointing out the stupidity of how the article was written.

[Capt. Tom]

State and local taxes in Massachusetts are relatively low, particularly property taxes

We can thank Barbara Anderson (Prop 2-1/2) for keeping the property taxes under control. - tom

[Mr. Jeeves]

Wow... $2.3 million. The rent helps pay for part of that.... is yours a luxury condo?

Yeah, but it ain't that luxurious! LOL! Actually, the sale price would be more like $1.3 million, but the estimated mortgage payments come out to around $6,500 on the calculators. It's all about location - I'm near the center of a very popular and almost crime-free Bay Area "edge city" and can walk to everything.

[HKMk23]

Had family stuff that held me up at the house, this morning, but, as I came in at 10:30, the electronic sign in front of the Santa Clara Covnention Center (corner of Tasman and Great America Parkway) was showing 46 degrees.

I'm thinking that had to be reading too low, but I don't know; it's just 57 right now, down here.

I've thought repeatedly about moving out of state and buying two or more properties wherever I land; one to live in and the others to rent/lease out. I have some connections at a university in the northwest and could conceivably get a house near the campus and lease it to the university for faculty housing. Things like that parade through my mind regularly.

[pepperdog]

Why do I think that Business Week is a bit weak in the realm of the average family's financial situation?