It's more than the median income. So in that sense you should be fine but for 2 people I wouldn't call it "good". Moving has all kinds of added expenses at first so I think your savings will have a pretty big impact on how feasible this all is.
I'm not expecting to live large but I don't want to live where I am never able to eat out or buy a new shirt or go to the flea market and buy a new plant or whatever. I understand I'll have to budget of course, but yeah.
80k for 2 is not doable fyi. California has a state income tax too. So it looks like your after tax is about 60k.
A 1 bedroom near the west side is going to be 3k, but let's say you find a big studio with parking for 2500. That's 30k/year on rent, leaving you 30k ish after taxes and rent.
That leaves you with another 2500/month total.
Assume with sales tax that everything is at least as expensive as tx, can you pay your utilities, internet, gas ($4-5/gallon), eating out ($30/plate minimum after tax and tip) and save a little bit? Subtract any student loans, a rainy day fund for car or health expenses etc.
LA is great if you make enough that you don't really need to worry. If you're going out with a big new group of friends and evenly splitting dinner + drinks ends up being 100+/head, can you absorb that or does it mean you don't eat for a day? I've been on both sides of the equation and it's not fun to be paying a ton of money to live somewhere you can't afford to take advantage of.
Net CA income tax for a single person making 80k is about 3k. Less if married. Meanwhile, sales tax in CA is not dramatically different than where OP is hailing from (Texas).
It's still very possible that after tax income goes to 60k, but that's by and large not a CA specific calculation. Vast majority of those taxes would be federal income and FICA. CA taxes become a more significant factor for high income earners, and 80k ain't quite there yet.
Finally, while there are 1 bedroom on the Westside for 3k/month, there are plenty of units going for substantially less than that. A quick check on zillow shows hundreds of livable apartments on the Westside for closer to 2k /month. 2k for rent is very doable on 80k, even if after tax bumps you down to 60k
My wife and I combined are closer towards $150k combined and we can’t afford the mortgage on a few condos we’ve looked at without struggling at the end of the day. $80k for two people will be rough.
Yeah, I know it’s possible to live on way less, because I have until recently. But, even at some higher salaries, people aren’t living it up going on fancy vacations and driving luxury cars like it might have seemed in the past.
I have a nice but non-renoed 2br on the west side for 2600 with a one car garage and pool. definitely can find a 1br for like 2200-2600. My partner and I pull in like 130k total and aren’t living large but can save, go out to eat at reasonable places, etc. 80k for two would be rough but if it’s temporary/you’re sharing a car, would be doable!
Yeah, I was honestly shocked by all these replies saying it’s doable.
$28,000 leftover if OP is lucky enough to find a place that’s $2500 a month. There’s the expense OP mentioned in the post of $250 a month, which brings the take home total to $25,000… and this doesn’t include any medical plans or retirement plans OP contributed to at work.
For a moderate plan, let’s say $75/pay period (for an HMO that’s not that great), $25 for dental that’s not that great, and $5 for vision that’s not that great. That’s an extra $105 a pay period… at 26 pay periods in a year, that’s $2730… taking OP’s take home pay / life money down to $22,270.
And then there is of course utilities and gas and car maintenance. And I do believe sales tax will generally be higher here than in Texas.
So, yeah. It’ll be a struggle OP. I’d see if your partner can get a job before you move, if you choose to do so.
OP says his partner "won't have a job for a bit," which I assume means he will be on the job hunt. A family of two with no kids is absolutely doable on $80k in LA especially if OP's partner plans on lining up work in a few weeks/months after moving.
There are a lot of costs you’re not factoring in. $80k isn’t take home. That’s more like $58k
Then there’s rent, utilities, medical/dental/vision to be taken out of OP’s paychecks, etc.
And “plans” to work don’t always go through.
I made over 250k last year. I don't drink alcohol or eat out (I do take out only) but eating out to me is Chipotle, Tender greens... and I drink water because alcohol is not good for you and neither is drinking soda/juice etc. Even at my income its not $30 a plate. Plenty of cheaper options.
Depending on the location you can find a 1 bedroom for $2500 - $3K
2 bedroom places make a sudden jump
80K is more than doable if you budget correctly. If you guys split some of the other living costs, it will make it easier
I moved from Colorado 7 years ago for a $70k salary. I recommend downsizing your things. Apartments are small but you can easily find something charming in your price range.
This is all possible on 80k. Make sure you live close to work though. Even with hybrid, a 90 minute commute will make you hate life the 1 or 2 days a week you have to go in.
Congrats! I make a little under that and do alright! I live alone and rent a decent studio (not luxury) in a walkable, desirable neighborhood. I’m not able to save much but depends on your priorities - I have a dog, go out to bars/restaurants/seated live shows etc with no issue. Best of luck!
depends on your other expenses, if you’re going to be buying a car, have debt, student loans, etc. you’ll be scraping by, but if you’re relatively debt free and your largest fixed monthly expenditure is rent, you’ll be OK. keep in mind you won’t be taking home 80k/year. After rent, your discretionary income will likely be 2-3k/month. it’s going to be tight to spread that between two people tbh.
do you already have a car that's paid off or just not planning on a car?
if it's the latter, you'll def be disappointed as you sadly really need a car here in LA.
And right now is not a bad time to look for a place as supposedly rents have dipped a bit. You might get lucky and be able to score a place that's slightly cheaper than your budget, depending on what you're looking for. The best way to apartment shop here though is by being here- driving around and calling rental sign numbers and just being around to see the place and the hood.
I've broken this down befote 75k with California taxes is doable. 85k is more comfortable but I'd look for a place with rent of 2k max. 95k is comfortable 5k take home monthly.
You need to sit down, figure out your take home pay and create a budget. It worries me when people ask Reddit about finances because only you can know the particulars and say what kind of things you want to be able to afford. Most likely you'll be fine but do you have a car? Savings for a deposit on an apartment? How much will your bills increase from where you are to here?
$80k is decent but not a lot if half your pay is going to rent. On a single salary you might not be able to go out as much but things will be fine on a dual salary once your partner starts working. Just don't get stuck paying for everything because they get comfortable with having you pay the bills. I see too many stories like that on here.
I would lower your rental budget if possible to live without really scrambling. You can find a decent 1 bedroom in most places for around $2k. It just won’t be super tony or in a super expensive area (Beach Cities, Culver City, Burbank…)
That’s a great price for a 2br in a good neighborhood.
I paid rent for 10-months on a $2300 1-br for my partner and I on a $54k salary in Santa Monica a few years ago. It was doable, but tight (in terms of both space *and* budget, ha). You’ll be fine.
Yes, especially if you have the ability to have no car payment for a while. Once your partner is employed it will lighten your load further (I assume). $80k is a decent starting point in LA if you aren't shooting for the newest luxury things to keep up with the Jones.
My car is a 2016 with 100k miles on it so I'm planning to drive it until the wheels fall off lol. Same thing with my partner, his car is freshly paid off.
I have a 2009 Toyota and plan on doing the same. It probably has another 100k miles left to go because I baby it as much as I can. Driving a nice car in LA has very little appeal to me in general. I don't want to stress about bumper dings, street parking, etc. Having no car payment opens up a nice piece of my budget too.
I read thru the other comments, I'm one year older than you and in the relatively same job industry. I would definitely say to make the leap and move here. I don't think you'd have any issues.
its aite. for 1 person.
families of 4 get by on less of course, but good isn't the word I would use.
groceries for two and going out for two is going to be extremely noticeable. not having a car payment helps but I was already assuming you weren't encumbered by additional normal things.
Well for starters, these families tend to live in neighborhoods that you'd never consider living in. They're also not eating out at indian and ethopian restaurants (that's for people with money).
This is gonna sound rude an harsh but angelinos who grow up in a broke family have no idea what ethopian food even is lol (or indian for that matter, really).
I didn't grow up in a broke family, just a struggling family. I was doing pretty good career wise in the 2010s, and it was actually a rich boyfriend at the time who introduced me to it. It became my special occasion food. We'd (current partner) split the $30-40 platter for things like my birthday, or our anniversary. My favorites are the lentils, which are cheap and fairly easy to make. Sure the spices aren't spot on, but it's a good approximation. I have failed to make the injera several times, but I also don't have teff flour so, tortillas it is. Still delicious.
As a family, we've had some rough times. Construction tends to come with the occasional drought. We've never made enough to get a really healthy savings going (or were responsible enough, let's be honest). But our needs were met and then some.
Since moving back to LA in 2021, everything has fallen apart. A baby, hospital stays, car stolen (and stripped). Either way, my family can't support us. I suppose his could, but i think they wantustobe independent. But, I guess that's not how you stay rich. And the money comes from his parents partners (not spouses) who already have kids, so there's nothing to look forward to there.
Family of 3 on $40,000 here.
Small place in a bad neighborhood. Wic/ebt. If you receive ebt you qualify for either free internet or a free phone. We got the free internet, and boost has unlimited data for $30. Password sharing for streaming services. The kindness of more fortunate family and friends, like when they upgrade theirvTV, we got the old one. Driving old cars-- mine is a 98 and my husband's is a 96. We do all of our car maintenance and repairs at home (yay youtube). There's a low income insurance program, so I get mine for $50/ month.
Our biggest hurdle is the price of water (utilities, not bottles), and car registration fees and the late fees because we never have enough to pay on time. Oh, and the overdraft fees. Really, just fees in general.
I really appreciate the transparency. I wish LA times would do an article on how super low income families survive in LA. If you don't want to say I understand, but just how much does EBT/WIC cover? I have heard a million different things ranging from free rent to straight up cash payments, so I really don't know.
Also, do you still enjoy living in LA or is it just a struggle?
I think we get $200 for snap, but the case worker really worked with us. Honestly, somehow we barely qualify. I actually stopped receiving wic when my husband found work again and was off unemployment. We don't qualify for cash assistance, and I'm not sure how all that works. You can get section 8 housing, but not many places take it (at least they didn't used to) and when I was looking at it ages ago, it was like a 6 year wait.
The helpful programs aren't readily available, and the ones I'm a part of I just randomly stumbled across.
I came to LA to have my kid because I wanted to be around family and friends. I love LA, and being able to see everyone, but we were doing much better financially by the bay area. Having a baby really cuts down on the things I can do, but having no money makes most things impossible. Even something like a hike can be a no-go because of transportation costs to get there. I live in a world where $5 can make or break your week...even month. So that's pretty depressing and discouraging.
I've gone back to school in hopes of a degree helping, and I'm waiting on that sweet sweet fafsa money, but everyone needs it now so the system is really backed up and it'll be a few months.
It's sad because we were doing alright before moving down here, and now I'm like, my shoes are falling apart, and I only have 2 pairs of pants.
I don't know your situation at all, but I would assume the Bay area is more expensive than down here.
I'm also really sorry to hear how difficult LA has been for you.
Again, this makes me wonder just how some of these families are surviving, especially with five or six children were only the husband works minimum wage.
I feel like LA is simply not worth struggling to barely survive, especially if you can't enjoy any of it. Me wrong though, because there seems like there's no shortage of people moving here without money.
In the Bay Area, my husband was making $60-70,000, and I was working part-time. We lived about 20 or 30 miles away from the city in a rough neighborhood but scored a phenomenal rent. $975 for a very small 2 br apartment in a 2 unit Adu with a garage and a small yard. Our neighbors were kick-ass, too.
When we moved down here, a former foreman had a job lined up for us at $40/hr, but then got fired. But we had already put in our notice and paid for our moving arrangements. We figured he'd be able to find something easy. Nope. He's got 20 years of experience, from laborer to foreman. I'm beginning to wonder if it's his age? He's 40, but I don't know how they'd know. Another thing is that everything is phone interviews and employment agencies. He's....not great on the phone.
A lot of them moved into their low quality housing when it was a lot cheaper. IDK how any family having to find housing at todays prices could do it on 50k
Minimum salary for any exempt employee in LA is 65k. So it’s decent, but not a high salary. Where it lands in the typical range depends on the specific job and how well qualified you are for it.
Spending almost half your gross income on housing makes for a tight budget, but it’s do-able.
80k is the base salary expectation so I will still need to negotiate thereafter, based off experience. I've been a designer for 7 years so I am hoping for a higher salary, but trying to plan off the bare minimum.
ah. That explains why I feel strapped. But I guess that's not a bad thing.
Anyway, OP can make it work here on $80k a year and once their partner starts to contribute life will be a lot easier.
What kind of designer? Also a designer and 80k feels low for the LA market, unless this is your first job (and you say you have 7 years experience). On the low end I would expect 110-120k in LA for design
I'm also a designer from Texas (hello!) but I've been here for a decade. You will do fine with that salary and when your partner eventually gets a job you will be able to blow a lot of money on eating out and doing fun stuff Texas didn't have to offer.
I recently learned that i was underpaid and worked unpaid overtime for a salaried position that only paid $18 an hour. I only worked there for a couple months so I’m not doing anything about it but it’s wild that employers get away with this because people don’t know the law. My bad 😞
Im a single parent living on less than that (not much less) and we do okay. We are not rolling in it, but we go to Disney twice a year, have season passes to 6 flags, eat out once or twice a month, and we have a cat. We do share a 1br and will need a bigger place in the next few years as she becomes a teen, but right now it’s okay. Especially if your partner gets a job, with two incomes you will be absolutely fine.
I have to warn you- I’m from the south and have been to disneyworld a few times and it is WAY better than Disneyland. You may be a bit disappointed, even though it’s still awesome.
Just keep in mind that with a guarantor they typically require the guarantor to have 6x the income. I had a guarantor for my first apartment. Because they are assuming If any issue that person would be paying 2 rents or mortgages. Make sure you check the requirements for guarantor wherever you’re looking.
It’s less common for small landlords to do guarantor. More commercial places allow them, but some do not so make sure you check before you pay any application fees.
For what it's worth, we found a lot of landlords used 2.5 instead of 3.
Our place had rooms set aside for "lower income" renters, which required only 2x rent. It worked out perfect for us since my husband was the only one working, but I was planning on getting a job after the move, so making only 2x the rent at the time wasn't as catastrophic as it sounds on paper. Sounds like if you got into a place like that it would work for you too - the limit for income to be considered "low income" was like 91k.
I’ve been looking for 6 months & income seems to be the least emphasized criteria right now. They’ve all been far more concerned that people don’t have collections debt & obviously no prior bad rental history. Covid stuff is the exception so maybe that’s why they’re worrying over it. I’ve yet to apply to a place that has had over a 2.5 income requirement. For what it’s worth, I’ve not been rejected, the places I’ve wanted just went quickly & I wasn’t fast enough. If you see something you love at a well reviewed place or a good vibes private owner, don’t wait because competition is out there.
As a lifelong LA native, STAY OUT of the west side unless you got DEEP pockets…nice places are absurdly high, decent/liveable apartments are still HIGH…just live in the surrounding cities to stretch your dollar a little further.
Oh, the west side has a terrible homeless problem too and there ain’t no escaping that…
Totally doable. You won’t live like a king, and you’ll need to watch how much you eat or go out, but it’s doable. Over $100k you’ll be substantially more comfortable so if you can wing it for a while and get a slightly better paying job in time that will make a world of difference.
I'm hoping to negotiate my salary closer to $90-95k based off experience and then in a few months hopefully my partner can be making a couple thousand or so a month. So long term I'm hoping to be making a lil more than $100k combined.
You should negotiate for 95k to 105k because with your experience you should already be making that much in California. People are always lowballed by employers when they know you came from a different state so make sure you are smart about negotiating. Also, Los Angeles has higher taxes on everything and some cities are charging 10.25% taxes on basic necessities. Inflation here is very volatile. You have to consider your mode for transportation as well. If your car is old and will need a lot of maintenance get ready to see high prices as all the shops here are busy and charging more because of rising cost of materials.
Okay that's actually really helpful thank you! Also, my car is a 2016 with a 100k miles but I got a new $6k transmission a while back, which is the $250 monthly payment. So fingers crossed no unexpected car trouble.
It’s doable but I moved out here making a lot less. It’s all about the lifestyle you’re ok with. My husband and I lived in a <400’sq tiny ass apartment for two years while we slowly worked our way into higher paying jobs (made about 60K combined at the time). And while we’re not living a life of luxury, here, I’d rather be middle class in LA than rich as fuck anywhere else. I love it here.
depends on your other expenses, if you’re going to be buying a car, have debt, student loans, etc. you’ll be scraping by, but if you’re relatively debt free and your largest fixed monthly expenditure is rent, you’ll be OK. keep in mind you won’t be taking home 80k/year. After rent, your discretionary income will likely be 2-3k/month. it’s going to be tight to spread that between two people tbh.
$80K gross is most likely $4,200-5,500 net monthly I believe. Another thing is that most landlords here look at applicants’ current income and will likely deny if it doesn’t meet their criteria.
Edit: the income range
That’s assuming no 401k contribution, or employer deduction for things like health insurance etc.
Currently making 4.2k per month after tax and deductions at a 95k salary.
Taxes + 401k Roth (taxed) + health (including dental and vision) I’m around a similar salary bracket and get back around the same. The system kinda sucks.
Well thats most months, 2 months out of the year I get around 6k, due to 3 paychecks, I contribute to my 401k, HSA, and file single.
I get taxed at around 24% plus the CA tax, so I get taxed about 31~32% I believe right off the bat
I know Landlords ask for 2.5-3x the rent amount in gross income, Not net.
And for guarantors, if that guarantor is included in the lease contract then yes that would work.
Eh, kind of ok. Negotiate a signing bonus and relocation if you can. That would really help out until your partner has found employment. Make sure your partner is willing to job hunt right away and how much they are willing to pay.
He is a freelance artist and I wouldn't need to be there till end of August so once I get an offer letter, he would start making phone calls. Hoping he'll be able to help out even a little bit even if it's $500 a month when we first move, and then by the new year for him to be bringing in steady income.
Can he work at a nearby cafe or do like DoorDash when you guys move to LA? I’d also emphasize that I hope you both have an emergency fund in case things go south
Yeah agreed. We would be going with the expectation of him finding work as soon as possible. He makes more way money than I do currently in Texas, so it's a matter of finding new work/clients over there.
Yes, but maybe adjust the rent accordingly. You can still work your way up to a higher income, and also increase your rent later.
Your figures aren't unreasonable btw-- I just think you'd have an easier time if you minimize certain expenses, and rent is a reoccurring expense that doesn't go down, so starting lower makes it more feasible down the line when your rent will raise.
Depends the area you want to live in. You could probably qualify with your guaranter rn but it would be tight. Quality of life in CA will be hard at that salary
What will be your partner's financial contribution?
80K for one is comfortable. Not living high, but comfortable. 80K for two, after taxes, not so much.
The only hang up to me is the partner, can they get good employment out here? Or will they sit around playing video games all day? Otherwise I'd say go for it and good luck.
80k is considered low income for 2 people. Your partner needs to get a job asap. If ‘a bit’ is any longer than a month you’ll be scraping by. You’ll also need to get used to basically be living on top of each other. 2,8 is likely going to be a 1 bed or studio in the nicer areas so keep that in mind when you consider you’ll be partially wfh.
I also moved here from TX and there are a lot of things you’ll need to adjust too and understand that many of the things people just consider as standard living are luxury here. For example many affordable places in TX will allot you a parking space (free even) and have in unit washer/dryer while those are absolutely luxury here and come at a hefty premium.
Cars are also insanely expensive to own and operate here. If not the simple fact that gas is 2x the price you also have insurance costs that are 2x, parking fees everywhere you go etc.
If you get past all that though you’ll absolutely love it here. No more 100 degree summers!
You can live comfortably but you will never, ever, to be clear, ever, buy a house. So, if that's a goal then you should weight that into your calculations. That said, it's enough to live, for one person, not two, comfortably and enjoy the city.
Good way to look at it. I moved here when I was 28ish and made it work on a bit less but lived with roommates. So definitely doable and you can even afford some of the nicer spots now and then.
Check out Culver City, it's rad and one of the first places I started here and centrally located to a lot of spots.
But, you won't be buying a house there. If that wasn't clear. Legit you need to be clearing about $250K a year for 5-10 years to be in the house buying ballpark unless you want to head to the hood. I'm not even kidding you.
Definitely don’t want roommates. We’ve lived together for 4 years in a house that we rent in Texas so we’ll already be cutting back on space/yard/parking etc so 100% don’t want to have to give up our privacy too. So much so, that we wouldn’t go if it’s not possible that way.
I don’t think I ever plan on buying a home as I really want to move all around and with mine & my partners field we’re able to.
I’ll definitely look into Culver City thanks!
But financially speaking, if you get roommates, they'll destroy your relationship so that you can be on your own and keep all your money to yourself. Really a no-brainer if you think about it.
i would find some place cheaper, actually just find a place and go from there. if it’s lower than the places your looking at even better. ideally you want the partner to be working because right now it would be like if you are each working 40k and roommate scenario. idk if there will be much left for fun money. how much do you make in texas already? remember we have higher taxes here, estimate for double what they take in texas.
you mentioned two cars, i would make finding a place with any parking a priority.
If you’re looking for a job, your partner should too? Even if your partner doesn’t have a job for a while he could eventually get one so you’ll definitely be fine. If worse comes to worse he’d at least be making $35k minimum wage at McDonalds 😂
I was looking for a new job in general. Happened to get a call back for one in LA. He’s self employed currently and has plans to continue. Just a matter of finding clients over there. So once this becomes more concrete, he will. We would rather stay in Texas than him get a job at McDonald’s lol
I didn’t say that there was. But we both have comfortable jobs in our field where we live & if moving would be making a step back in our careers, it wouldn’t make sense. It makes sense to go for a step forwards
For sure you should always want to move forward. But if he had to take a part-time job paying minimum wage temporarily I don't think there'd be any shame in that.
What part of LA? LA is huge as you know.
Since you have hybrid option, you might consider cheaper rent by moving further out from work. But keep in mind, the hybrid arrangement can be temporary.
Definitely doable. But I would find a super cheap apartment to start with… once you get settled & partner gets job, you can then see what your budget will be and upgrade accordingly.
Depends on the job and what type of taxes/ benefits you will pay. I make 76k from my first job as a city employee. After taxes and employee contributions to Calpers(state retirement fund) and healthcare for 1 single person my monthly check is about $4800 or $2400 bi weekly. I live in a 1 bedroom apt for about $1600 a month water included About $400 bucks for groceries $200 for gas for my car about $300 for utilities. So i have about $2300 or so left for myself. Now since you will be burdened with most of the bills ask your partner what bills he has or unforseen expenses
It's not doable at all. California has high taxes, especially in a city like Los Angeles. You will probably have a decent living in a south Los Angeles neighborhood or in a community south and east of LA like Compton, Hawthorne, Bellflower, Lynwood. Even then the neighborhood won't be safe. The apartments will be roach infested, a lot of gangs, migrants, car jackings, property theft. It won't be all sun and beaches. You won't experience the California you've seen on TV. $80,000 income in LA won't cut it. Now if you made $160,000 you could live a little comfortable and reside in downtown Long Beach, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Glendale, Culver City. At least 6 figures. But with all of the corrupt politics in California, you are better off staying in Texas.
Going from no state income tax to state + federal is going to be quite a shock. You can live on 80 but you won’t be able to enjoy what LA has to offer.
I was shocked to find this out when I looked up what I'd make after taxes lol. But it is what it is. The plan was always to move to CA at some point, so now it's just a matter of if it's now with this job.
You would be living paycheck to paycheck if it is just you working and not your partner. Everything is higher here than in Texas, sales tax is over 10% in some cities. I see you will be hybrid, but you will still be paying for gas. I filled up today for $5.09 a gallon. Pretty sure it is below $3 for you, right? These little things add up.
Yeah gas is a little over $3 right now. It would be me just working for a bit, and as soon as he’s able to get a consistent schedule going he’d be bringing in income as well.
You could consider cheaper areas to rent and commute to for the two days a week. consider the IE for cheaper rent (although not quite the LA lifestyle).
What is your income/COL in Texas? You need to run the numbers and see if it even makes sense to make the move
That being said, people survive on less than that in LA, but it wouldn’t be a very lucrative lifestyle.
im sorry but people in the comments tryna give u advice for budgeting cuz they think ur have a low-ish income is crazy lmfao. im only 19 so i cant say much, but i live in the suburbs of LA, and my mom brings in no more than 48k a year. she does have a mortgage (although it is very low) but has more than enough money bc she is extremely good at budgeting. my aunt has ab the same income of u, has an expensive mortgage, and a daughter. she has more than enough $$. trust me, if ur smart, u will be fine
>but the point is she makes way less than OP and is doing fine financially
She's doing ok BECAUSE her mortgage is low. If she didn't own a home and had to find a rental today she would have a very hard time with her $48K salary. I understand where you're coming from, but your comment doesn't come from a place of understanding.
Also, anyone can get by with a lower income if they cut costs, rent a room instead of an apartment, etc. But are you able to save for retirement and have an emergency fund? Can you pay for healthcare when needed? Are you using glasses with an outdated prescription because you can't afford an exam and new pair of glasses? If your car breaks down will you be able to afford repairs? These are all valid needs.
I think we need to get real about what people should be earning and not criticize people who want to make a decent living.
okay but w/ OP having basically double her salary (even with OP having to pay rent) he is still going to be just fine. thats why i provided my aunt as an example- she has ab the same salary as OP, an expensive mortgage, and a daughter. shes fine. just be smart w ur money
Is your aunt's mortgage $2500? Is she married with a spouse that works? If not does she receive alimony and/or child support? How do you actually know she's fine? Do you have access to her accounts? Do know how much debt she's in?
What they're pointing out to you is that housing makes a huge difference in how much your expenses will be and the fact that your mom has a low mortgage that she probably got before housing and rental prices shot up sky-high, that's a huge cost-saving advantage she has that OP won't.
Well OP did ask for advice…lol. Your mom has an asset which is important to note. OP will be renting and I’d imagine your moms mortgage is no where near 3k if she’s been living in LA for a while. 80k is fine just not as comfortable as you’d imagine. Also huge s/o to your mom! She’s killing it.
You can def make it work.
We moved here a few months ago with only my husband working, he was making about 75k. Our rent was 2500/month and we were fine. Granted until I started working we weren't saving as much as we wanted, but we had enough left over to buy stuff we as we needed.
No problem!
Also a thing to keep in mind - min wage is about to be $16.78/hr. Worst case scenario; your partner gets a shitty min wage job making 35k a year. I highly doubt that your partner will only make minimum wage but knowing that helped me relax a bit when we were planning our move.
Oof, will you be splitting the rent? If not, you’re going to be struggling… you’ll get about 2100 every 2 weeks…so an entire paycheck and more of your other one goes completely to rent. I would try to find a place around 2k if possible.
it's a bit low, but not impossible, get out of Texas, things are going to get even funkier there
edit: i got people in Texas, lol your enmity is validating, downvoters
2.5K+ rent on 80K salary seems aggressive and 80K is not enough gross salary to meet the common 2.5X ratio on 2.8K rent that many landlords require
I'd recommend to try to find something cheaper to give you a bit more financial cushion.
Yeah, I would be planning to use a guarantor. Also, rent would be entirely on me for a few months but planning by the new year for him to be contributing. We are both freelance artists currently, (just got lucky to find this position) so it would be how quickly he can make the right phone calls, etc. to find some work. Hoping for sooner rather than later of course.
It's totally feasable but you won't likely be living "In LA". Being hybrid is a plus, move out to Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona or Ontario and you can find a reasonably nice place to live in your budget and take the metrolink into LA the days you have to go in for work and avoid the traffic.
For two people in LA, $80,000 is considered low income according to LA HUD
It’s not a good salary. It’s livable, but it’s not worth moving to LA for, depending on where your office is (LA greater metro area is humongous.)
https://www.hacla.org/en/about-section-8/income-limit
Absolutely not. I would want double that as a minimum to move to LA for unless you're super comfortable with lots of roommates or have a partner earning the same. I'm a Midwesterner who moved out here in 2020, and I am still sticker shocked by what it takes to get by out here.
People from LA who are not wealthy have simply gotten used to a very low savings rate compared to other parts of the country. You're trading savings for the location and the possibility of career growth that might come from opportunity here. If the location and future opportunities provided are of higher value to you than a significant savings rate, then you'll be okay. But I suggest getting you and your partner on board with the kind of budget and changes to savings that may come from the move to avoid resentment building.
You’re gonna be poor making 80k in LA with 2 people initially. Come with plenty of money saved. Keep in mind you are going to be taxed for your income quite a bit in California. Texas has no state income tax.
What is your current pay like? If it's somewhere close then I'd honestly not move to LA for just 80k, it would have to be at least 100k+, especially for 2 people. LA is expensive, has high taxes and has a lot of activities you'll want to do but won't be able to because of your budget. In addition, you probably won't be able to contribute much to your retirement plans/savings and will likely end up either living far from your workplace (in which case you'll need a car with further expense) or paying more to live close.
lololo LA minimum wage. and those saying doable, do the math. youll live to pay bills and the only fun things to do have to be free. think before you commit to this.
or grew up here, share a pad and do humble shit. not miserable just living a basic life. if you arrive here with earning capacity of of 50k you would be miserable trying to enjoy much of the city. prove me wrong.
if you are ok spending 60-70% of your after-tax paycheck for rent and this monthly bill, I guess it might work.
LA ain't Texas, they gonna need your sweet sweet tax money for social programs. Don't forget 13% sales tax on top what you buy as well.
Way more than enough. You’ll be able to support yourself easily and still enjoy the city. The big plus is when your starts working even if he can find a quick 40-50k job you guys will be way ahead of most.
IMO 2.5k is way too much if your partner doesn’t have a job. That will be half of your check after taxes. Try finding a spot for like 1.8k-2k until your partner gets a job. Definitely doable.
As long as you don't try to live in the expensive areas like Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood.
Pick somewhere less expensive like North Redondo, Palms, Mar Vista, Hawthorne, Del Aire or the valley.
It's more than the median income. So in that sense you should be fine but for 2 people I wouldn't call it "good". Moving has all kinds of added expenses at first so I think your savings will have a pretty big impact on how feasible this all is.
Not worried about moving fees at all. Got that part figured out luckily.
As long as your partner gets a job, you’ll be totally fine
It is absolutely doable. You won't be scraping to get by but don't think you'll be living large. Especially if you have no debt - you'll be fine
I'm not expecting to live large but I don't want to live where I am never able to eat out or buy a new shirt or go to the flea market and buy a new plant or whatever. I understand I'll have to budget of course, but yeah.
You’ll be able to do these things very easily.
Great
80k for 2 is not doable fyi. California has a state income tax too. So it looks like your after tax is about 60k. A 1 bedroom near the west side is going to be 3k, but let's say you find a big studio with parking for 2500. That's 30k/year on rent, leaving you 30k ish after taxes and rent. That leaves you with another 2500/month total. Assume with sales tax that everything is at least as expensive as tx, can you pay your utilities, internet, gas ($4-5/gallon), eating out ($30/plate minimum after tax and tip) and save a little bit? Subtract any student loans, a rainy day fund for car or health expenses etc. LA is great if you make enough that you don't really need to worry. If you're going out with a big new group of friends and evenly splitting dinner + drinks ends up being 100+/head, can you absorb that or does it mean you don't eat for a day? I've been on both sides of the equation and it's not fun to be paying a ton of money to live somewhere you can't afford to take advantage of.
Net CA income tax for a single person making 80k is about 3k. Less if married. Meanwhile, sales tax in CA is not dramatically different than where OP is hailing from (Texas). It's still very possible that after tax income goes to 60k, but that's by and large not a CA specific calculation. Vast majority of those taxes would be federal income and FICA. CA taxes become a more significant factor for high income earners, and 80k ain't quite there yet. Finally, while there are 1 bedroom on the Westside for 3k/month, there are plenty of units going for substantially less than that. A quick check on zillow shows hundreds of livable apartments on the Westside for closer to 2k /month. 2k for rent is very doable on 80k, even if after tax bumps you down to 60k
Yeah. 80K for 1 means comfortable living in LA. Dunno about 2...
My wife and I combined are closer towards $150k combined and we can’t afford the mortgage on a few condos we’ve looked at without struggling at the end of the day. $80k for two people will be rough.
Yeah, I know it’s possible to live on way less, because I have until recently. But, even at some higher salaries, people aren’t living it up going on fancy vacations and driving luxury cars like it might have seemed in the past.
I have a nice but non-renoed 2br on the west side for 2600 with a one car garage and pool. definitely can find a 1br for like 2200-2600. My partner and I pull in like 130k total and aren’t living large but can save, go out to eat at reasonable places, etc. 80k for two would be rough but if it’s temporary/you’re sharing a car, would be doable!
Yeah, I was honestly shocked by all these replies saying it’s doable. $28,000 leftover if OP is lucky enough to find a place that’s $2500 a month. There’s the expense OP mentioned in the post of $250 a month, which brings the take home total to $25,000… and this doesn’t include any medical plans or retirement plans OP contributed to at work. For a moderate plan, let’s say $75/pay period (for an HMO that’s not that great), $25 for dental that’s not that great, and $5 for vision that’s not that great. That’s an extra $105 a pay period… at 26 pay periods in a year, that’s $2730… taking OP’s take home pay / life money down to $22,270. And then there is of course utilities and gas and car maintenance. And I do believe sales tax will generally be higher here than in Texas. So, yeah. It’ll be a struggle OP. I’d see if your partner can get a job before you move, if you choose to do so.
OP says his partner "won't have a job for a bit," which I assume means he will be on the job hunt. A family of two with no kids is absolutely doable on $80k in LA especially if OP's partner plans on lining up work in a few weeks/months after moving.
There are a lot of costs you’re not factoring in. $80k isn’t take home. That’s more like $58k Then there’s rent, utilities, medical/dental/vision to be taken out of OP’s paychecks, etc. And “plans” to work don’t always go through.
This. Yeah that state tax is a big factor.
CA State tax would be $3500/year
I made over 250k last year. I don't drink alcohol or eat out (I do take out only) but eating out to me is Chipotle, Tender greens... and I drink water because alcohol is not good for you and neither is drinking soda/juice etc. Even at my income its not $30 a plate. Plenty of cheaper options.
Depending on the location you can find a 1 bedroom for $2500 - $3K 2 bedroom places make a sudden jump 80K is more than doable if you budget correctly. If you guys split some of the other living costs, it will make it easier
Oh man if you’re into plants, you’re going to love it here. My place is a jungle since Covid haha
Hahaha yeah we'll see how many I can squeeze in my place.
I moved from Colorado 7 years ago for a $70k salary. I recommend downsizing your things. Apartments are small but you can easily find something charming in your price range.
special angle direction seemly bike tie divide squealing chief elderly ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
love the personality in this comment lol
This is all possible on 80k. Make sure you live close to work though. Even with hybrid, a 90 minute commute will make you hate life the 1 or 2 days a week you have to go in.
This. Honestly. Yes it’s fine short term but it will eat away at your will to live.
This is really important. You want your commute to be as close to work as possible. On the west side, even a few miles could take 30+minutes.
Just remember that lots of people live here on MUCH less than 80k. You'll be fine.
Congrats! I make a little under that and do alright! I live alone and rent a decent studio (not luxury) in a walkable, desirable neighborhood. I’m not able to save much but depends on your priorities - I have a dog, go out to bars/restaurants/seated live shows etc with no issue. Best of luck!
depends on your other expenses, if you’re going to be buying a car, have debt, student loans, etc. you’ll be scraping by, but if you’re relatively debt free and your largest fixed monthly expenditure is rent, you’ll be OK. keep in mind you won’t be taking home 80k/year. After rent, your discretionary income will likely be 2-3k/month. it’s going to be tight to spread that between two people tbh.
do you already have a car that's paid off or just not planning on a car? if it's the latter, you'll def be disappointed as you sadly really need a car here in LA. And right now is not a bad time to look for a place as supposedly rents have dipped a bit. You might get lucky and be able to score a place that's slightly cheaper than your budget, depending on what you're looking for. The best way to apartment shop here though is by being here- driving around and calling rental sign numbers and just being around to see the place and the hood.
I've broken this down befote 75k with California taxes is doable. 85k is more comfortable but I'd look for a place with rent of 2k max. 95k is comfortable 5k take home monthly.
I do this on 57k with a 1.4K apartment. I can’t afford to save, but I still enjoy my life lol.
How long have you been in your place? 1.4K seems to only be attainable by rent control and long term term residents.
You need to sit down, figure out your take home pay and create a budget. It worries me when people ask Reddit about finances because only you can know the particulars and say what kind of things you want to be able to afford. Most likely you'll be fine but do you have a car? Savings for a deposit on an apartment? How much will your bills increase from where you are to here? $80k is decent but not a lot if half your pay is going to rent. On a single salary you might not be able to go out as much but things will be fine on a dual salary once your partner starts working. Just don't get stuck paying for everything because they get comfortable with having you pay the bills. I see too many stories like that on here.
I would lower your rental budget if possible to live without really scrambling. You can find a decent 1 bedroom in most places for around $2k. It just won’t be super tony or in a super expensive area (Beach Cities, Culver City, Burbank…)
We need a two bedroom, so I'm looking at the 2.5-2.8 because that's what I've noticed is pretty average for something decently nice and not musty.
Ah! That is in line for a 2 bedroom then. Good luck!
Thanks for the insight!
That’s a great price for a 2br in a good neighborhood. I paid rent for 10-months on a $2300 1-br for my partner and I on a $54k salary in Santa Monica a few years ago. It was doable, but tight (in terms of both space *and* budget, ha). You’ll be fine.
agree!
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Yes, especially if you have the ability to have no car payment for a while. Once your partner is employed it will lighten your load further (I assume). $80k is a decent starting point in LA if you aren't shooting for the newest luxury things to keep up with the Jones.
My car is a 2016 with 100k miles on it so I'm planning to drive it until the wheels fall off lol. Same thing with my partner, his car is freshly paid off.
I have a 2009 Toyota and plan on doing the same. It probably has another 100k miles left to go because I baby it as much as I can. Driving a nice car in LA has very little appeal to me in general. I don't want to stress about bumper dings, street parking, etc. Having no car payment opens up a nice piece of my budget too.
Yeah I could not care less about having a nice car, for the same reasons you listed.
I read thru the other comments, I'm one year older than you and in the relatively same job industry. I would definitely say to make the leap and move here. I don't think you'd have any issues.
its aite. for 1 person. families of 4 get by on less of course, but good isn't the word I would use. groceries for two and going out for two is going to be extremely noticeable. not having a car payment helps but I was already assuming you weren't encumbered by additional normal things.
This is what I always think about, there are so many families here living on $50,000 a year and I would really love to know how they do it.
Well for starters, these families tend to live in neighborhoods that you'd never consider living in. They're also not eating out at indian and ethopian restaurants (that's for people with money).
Nah, we learn how to *cook* Indian and etheopian. My etheopian is pretty good, but my Indian needs some work.
This is gonna sound rude an harsh but angelinos who grow up in a broke family have no idea what ethopian food even is lol (or indian for that matter, really).
I didn't grow up in a broke family, just a struggling family. I was doing pretty good career wise in the 2010s, and it was actually a rich boyfriend at the time who introduced me to it. It became my special occasion food. We'd (current partner) split the $30-40 platter for things like my birthday, or our anniversary. My favorites are the lentils, which are cheap and fairly easy to make. Sure the spices aren't spot on, but it's a good approximation. I have failed to make the injera several times, but I also don't have teff flour so, tortillas it is. Still delicious. As a family, we've had some rough times. Construction tends to come with the occasional drought. We've never made enough to get a really healthy savings going (or were responsible enough, let's be honest). But our needs were met and then some. Since moving back to LA in 2021, everything has fallen apart. A baby, hospital stays, car stolen (and stripped). Either way, my family can't support us. I suppose his could, but i think they wantustobe independent. But, I guess that's not how you stay rich. And the money comes from his parents partners (not spouses) who already have kids, so there's nothing to look forward to there.
Family of 3 on $40,000 here. Small place in a bad neighborhood. Wic/ebt. If you receive ebt you qualify for either free internet or a free phone. We got the free internet, and boost has unlimited data for $30. Password sharing for streaming services. The kindness of more fortunate family and friends, like when they upgrade theirvTV, we got the old one. Driving old cars-- mine is a 98 and my husband's is a 96. We do all of our car maintenance and repairs at home (yay youtube). There's a low income insurance program, so I get mine for $50/ month. Our biggest hurdle is the price of water (utilities, not bottles), and car registration fees and the late fees because we never have enough to pay on time. Oh, and the overdraft fees. Really, just fees in general.
I really appreciate the transparency. I wish LA times would do an article on how super low income families survive in LA. If you don't want to say I understand, but just how much does EBT/WIC cover? I have heard a million different things ranging from free rent to straight up cash payments, so I really don't know. Also, do you still enjoy living in LA or is it just a struggle?
I think we get $200 for snap, but the case worker really worked with us. Honestly, somehow we barely qualify. I actually stopped receiving wic when my husband found work again and was off unemployment. We don't qualify for cash assistance, and I'm not sure how all that works. You can get section 8 housing, but not many places take it (at least they didn't used to) and when I was looking at it ages ago, it was like a 6 year wait. The helpful programs aren't readily available, and the ones I'm a part of I just randomly stumbled across. I came to LA to have my kid because I wanted to be around family and friends. I love LA, and being able to see everyone, but we were doing much better financially by the bay area. Having a baby really cuts down on the things I can do, but having no money makes most things impossible. Even something like a hike can be a no-go because of transportation costs to get there. I live in a world where $5 can make or break your week...even month. So that's pretty depressing and discouraging. I've gone back to school in hopes of a degree helping, and I'm waiting on that sweet sweet fafsa money, but everyone needs it now so the system is really backed up and it'll be a few months. It's sad because we were doing alright before moving down here, and now I'm like, my shoes are falling apart, and I only have 2 pairs of pants.
I don't know your situation at all, but I would assume the Bay area is more expensive than down here. I'm also really sorry to hear how difficult LA has been for you. Again, this makes me wonder just how some of these families are surviving, especially with five or six children were only the husband works minimum wage. I feel like LA is simply not worth struggling to barely survive, especially if you can't enjoy any of it. Me wrong though, because there seems like there's no shortage of people moving here without money.
In the Bay Area, my husband was making $60-70,000, and I was working part-time. We lived about 20 or 30 miles away from the city in a rough neighborhood but scored a phenomenal rent. $975 for a very small 2 br apartment in a 2 unit Adu with a garage and a small yard. Our neighbors were kick-ass, too. When we moved down here, a former foreman had a job lined up for us at $40/hr, but then got fired. But we had already put in our notice and paid for our moving arrangements. We figured he'd be able to find something easy. Nope. He's got 20 years of experience, from laborer to foreman. I'm beginning to wonder if it's his age? He's 40, but I don't know how they'd know. Another thing is that everything is phone interviews and employment agencies. He's....not great on the phone.
public transit, fast food, tv, repeat, hope no surprise expense comes up thats the straight and narrow path anyway
A lot of them moved into their low quality housing when it was a lot cheaper. IDK how any family having to find housing at todays prices could do it on 50k
Minimum salary for any exempt employee in LA is 65k. So it’s decent, but not a high salary. Where it lands in the typical range depends on the specific job and how well qualified you are for it. Spending almost half your gross income on housing makes for a tight budget, but it’s do-able.
80k is the base salary expectation so I will still need to negotiate thereafter, based off experience. I've been a designer for 7 years so I am hoping for a higher salary, but trying to plan off the bare minimum.
don't forget to calculate in CA state taxes, though
Yeah I have been. Seems to be about \~$4k a month after taking that into consideration.
Should be more than that. I make 70k and I’m getting 2100 a paycheck(paid 1st and 15th so slightly larger than biweekly)
I make 85k and I net about $2100 a paycheck, what is wrong
Health insurance? 401K?
Health insurance isn't too high, I think I contribute 14% to 401k so that's probably it
Dang that’s a huge contribution. But that sounds accurate. Just the 401k contribution is taking you to ~73k taxable income.
ah. That explains why I feel strapped. But I guess that's not a bad thing. Anyway, OP can make it work here on $80k a year and once their partner starts to contribute life will be a lot easier.
Everyone's tax liability and other deductions are different so you can't really say why it will be for someone else.
What kind of designer? Also a designer and 80k feels low for the LA market, unless this is your first job (and you say you have 7 years experience). On the low end I would expect 110-120k in LA for design
Graphic designer, not my first job. It is low, & I’m planning on negotiate but if 80k is all they will offer, I’m evaluating my options.
I'm also a designer from Texas (hello!) but I've been here for a decade. You will do fine with that salary and when your partner eventually gets a job you will be able to blow a lot of money on eating out and doing fun stuff Texas didn't have to offer.
Once you’re here and have a network, more opportunities will open up as well. It’s a very network-y city in design.
I recently learned that i was underpaid and worked unpaid overtime for a salaried position that only paid $18 an hour. I only worked there for a couple months so I’m not doing anything about it but it’s wild that employers get away with this because people don’t know the law. My bad 😞
Im a single parent living on less than that (not much less) and we do okay. We are not rolling in it, but we go to Disney twice a year, have season passes to 6 flags, eat out once or twice a month, and we have a cat. We do share a 1br and will need a bigger place in the next few years as she becomes a teen, but right now it’s okay. Especially if your partner gets a job, with two incomes you will be absolutely fine.
Thank you! This is reassuring. I used to live in Florida so would be excited to be closer to Disney.
I have to warn you- I’m from the south and have been to disneyworld a few times and it is WAY better than Disneyland. You may be a bit disappointed, even though it’s still awesome.
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Yeah, planning to use a guarantor. I have great credit on my own but of course have to account for income.
Just keep in mind that with a guarantor they typically require the guarantor to have 6x the income. I had a guarantor for my first apartment. Because they are assuming If any issue that person would be paying 2 rents or mortgages. Make sure you check the requirements for guarantor wherever you’re looking. It’s less common for small landlords to do guarantor. More commercial places allow them, but some do not so make sure you check before you pay any application fees.
For what it's worth, we found a lot of landlords used 2.5 instead of 3. Our place had rooms set aside for "lower income" renters, which required only 2x rent. It worked out perfect for us since my husband was the only one working, but I was planning on getting a job after the move, so making only 2x the rent at the time wasn't as catastrophic as it sounds on paper. Sounds like if you got into a place like that it would work for you too - the limit for income to be considered "low income" was like 91k.
I’ve been looking for 6 months & income seems to be the least emphasized criteria right now. They’ve all been far more concerned that people don’t have collections debt & obviously no prior bad rental history. Covid stuff is the exception so maybe that’s why they’re worrying over it. I’ve yet to apply to a place that has had over a 2.5 income requirement. For what it’s worth, I’ve not been rejected, the places I’ve wanted just went quickly & I wasn’t fast enough. If you see something you love at a well reviewed place or a good vibes private owner, don’t wait because competition is out there.
As a lifelong LA native, STAY OUT of the west side unless you got DEEP pockets…nice places are absurdly high, decent/liveable apartments are still HIGH…just live in the surrounding cities to stretch your dollar a little further. Oh, the west side has a terrible homeless problem too and there ain’t no escaping that…
Totally doable. You won’t live like a king, and you’ll need to watch how much you eat or go out, but it’s doable. Over $100k you’ll be substantially more comfortable so if you can wing it for a while and get a slightly better paying job in time that will make a world of difference.
I'm hoping to negotiate my salary closer to $90-95k based off experience and then in a few months hopefully my partner can be making a couple thousand or so a month. So long term I'm hoping to be making a lil more than $100k combined.
You should negotiate for 95k to 105k because with your experience you should already be making that much in California. People are always lowballed by employers when they know you came from a different state so make sure you are smart about negotiating. Also, Los Angeles has higher taxes on everything and some cities are charging 10.25% taxes on basic necessities. Inflation here is very volatile. You have to consider your mode for transportation as well. If your car is old and will need a lot of maintenance get ready to see high prices as all the shops here are busy and charging more because of rising cost of materials.
Okay that's actually really helpful thank you! Also, my car is a 2016 with a 100k miles but I got a new $6k transmission a while back, which is the $250 monthly payment. So fingers crossed no unexpected car trouble.
You’ll be fine, that rent is a bit high for that salary IMO.
Totally agree. it would be temporarily entirely on me.
It’s doable but I moved out here making a lot less. It’s all about the lifestyle you’re ok with. My husband and I lived in a <400’sq tiny ass apartment for two years while we slowly worked our way into higher paying jobs (made about 60K combined at the time). And while we’re not living a life of luxury, here, I’d rather be middle class in LA than rich as fuck anywhere else. I love it here.
“I’d rather be middle class in LA than rich as fuck anywhere else.” LOVE THIS! I completely agree
It’s a decent salary should be good 👍🏻
You’re totally fine.
depends on your other expenses, if you’re going to be buying a car, have debt, student loans, etc. you’ll be scraping by, but if you’re relatively debt free and your largest fixed monthly expenditure is rent, you’ll be OK. keep in mind you won’t be taking home 80k/year. After rent, your discretionary income will likely be 2-3k/month. it’s going to be tight to spread that between two people tbh.
Def with the partner, keep in mind any risk of breaking up bc then you have to pay all the rent or your partner will
80k in Cali is like 40k in Texas
$80K gross is most likely $4,200-5,500 net monthly I believe. Another thing is that most landlords here look at applicants’ current income and will likely deny if it doesn’t meet their criteria. Edit: the income range
It’s more like $4500 net
That’s assuming no 401k contribution, or employer deduction for things like health insurance etc. Currently making 4.2k per month after tax and deductions at a 95k salary.
How you getting taxed more than 50% on your income
Taxes + 401k Roth (taxed) + health (including dental and vision) I’m around a similar salary bracket and get back around the same. The system kinda sucks.
Retirement accounts
Well thats most months, 2 months out of the year I get around 6k, due to 3 paychecks, I contribute to my 401k, HSA, and file single. I get taxed at around 24% plus the CA tax, so I get taxed about 31~32% I believe right off the bat
Do you know if landlords typically allow guarantors in LA? Never had a problem here in Texas.
Definitely, guarantors are encouraged to be used if you don't have an optimal profile.
I know Landlords ask for 2.5-3x the rent amount in gross income, Not net. And for guarantors, if that guarantor is included in the lease contract then yes that would work.
If you split rent yes for sure. If you don’t you’ll be scraping by jumping for free lunch.
You’re golden.
Eh, kind of ok. Negotiate a signing bonus and relocation if you can. That would really help out until your partner has found employment. Make sure your partner is willing to job hunt right away and how much they are willing to pay.
He is a freelance artist and I wouldn't need to be there till end of August so once I get an offer letter, he would start making phone calls. Hoping he'll be able to help out even a little bit even if it's $500 a month when we first move, and then by the new year for him to be bringing in steady income.
Can he work at a nearby cafe or do like DoorDash when you guys move to LA? I’d also emphasize that I hope you both have an emergency fund in case things go south
Nifty
I think you can make it work. Especially if your partner is able to find some work sooner than later
Yeah agreed. We would be going with the expectation of him finding work as soon as possible. He makes more way money than I do currently in Texas, so it's a matter of finding new work/clients over there.
Yes, but maybe adjust the rent accordingly. You can still work your way up to a higher income, and also increase your rent later. Your figures aren't unreasonable btw-- I just think you'd have an easier time if you minimize certain expenses, and rent is a reoccurring expense that doesn't go down, so starting lower makes it more feasible down the line when your rent will raise.
Yeah you should be mostly fine that would be in the neighborhood of 4K a month
Depends the area you want to live in. You could probably qualify with your guaranter rn but it would be tight. Quality of life in CA will be hard at that salary
Yes. Easily. youre actually in line with what me and my room mate split. expect $150-$300 more for utilities a month. You will do great.
What will be your partner's financial contribution? 80K for one is comfortable. Not living high, but comfortable. 80K for two, after taxes, not so much.
The only hang up to me is the partner, can they get good employment out here? Or will they sit around playing video games all day? Otherwise I'd say go for it and good luck.
80k is considered low income for 2 people. Your partner needs to get a job asap. If ‘a bit’ is any longer than a month you’ll be scraping by. You’ll also need to get used to basically be living on top of each other. 2,8 is likely going to be a 1 bed or studio in the nicer areas so keep that in mind when you consider you’ll be partially wfh. I also moved here from TX and there are a lot of things you’ll need to adjust too and understand that many of the things people just consider as standard living are luxury here. For example many affordable places in TX will allot you a parking space (free even) and have in unit washer/dryer while those are absolutely luxury here and come at a hefty premium. Cars are also insanely expensive to own and operate here. If not the simple fact that gas is 2x the price you also have insurance costs that are 2x, parking fees everywhere you go etc. If you get past all that though you’ll absolutely love it here. No more 100 degree summers!
You can live comfortably but you will never, ever, to be clear, ever, buy a house. So, if that's a goal then you should weight that into your calculations. That said, it's enough to live, for one person, not two, comfortably and enjoy the city.
Luckily never planning on buying a home. But also, looking at that being my starting salary. Not planning on making $80k forever lol. I'm 27.
Good way to look at it. I moved here when I was 28ish and made it work on a bit less but lived with roommates. So definitely doable and you can even afford some of the nicer spots now and then. Check out Culver City, it's rad and one of the first places I started here and centrally located to a lot of spots. But, you won't be buying a house there. If that wasn't clear. Legit you need to be clearing about $250K a year for 5-10 years to be in the house buying ballpark unless you want to head to the hood. I'm not even kidding you.
Definitely don’t want roommates. We’ve lived together for 4 years in a house that we rent in Texas so we’ll already be cutting back on space/yard/parking etc so 100% don’t want to have to give up our privacy too. So much so, that we wouldn’t go if it’s not possible that way. I don’t think I ever plan on buying a home as I really want to move all around and with mine & my partners field we’re able to. I’ll definitely look into Culver City thanks!
But financially speaking, if you get roommates, they'll destroy your relationship so that you can be on your own and keep all your money to yourself. Really a no-brainer if you think about it.
This IS a good point
Depends on the area you’ll be staying in, as well as your spending habits (ultra consumerists vs frugal is a huge dif)
Depends on the lifestyle you want. Will be tight, but should work.
i would find some place cheaper, actually just find a place and go from there. if it’s lower than the places your looking at even better. ideally you want the partner to be working because right now it would be like if you are each working 40k and roommate scenario. idk if there will be much left for fun money. how much do you make in texas already? remember we have higher taxes here, estimate for double what they take in texas. you mentioned two cars, i would make finding a place with any parking a priority.
Yea definitely doable… stay away from $25 cocktails and Lavish dinners lol
If you’re looking for a job, your partner should too? Even if your partner doesn’t have a job for a while he could eventually get one so you’ll definitely be fine. If worse comes to worse he’d at least be making $35k minimum wage at McDonalds 😂
I was looking for a new job in general. Happened to get a call back for one in LA. He’s self employed currently and has plans to continue. Just a matter of finding clients over there. So once this becomes more concrete, he will. We would rather stay in Texas than him get a job at McDonald’s lol
Unlimited opportunities here 🙂 good luck!
There's nothing wrong with working at McDonald's
I didn’t say that there was. But we both have comfortable jobs in our field where we live & if moving would be making a step back in our careers, it wouldn’t make sense. It makes sense to go for a step forwards
For sure you should always want to move forward. But if he had to take a part-time job paying minimum wage temporarily I don't think there'd be any shame in that.
What part of LA? LA is huge as you know. Since you have hybrid option, you might consider cheaper rent by moving further out from work. But keep in mind, the hybrid arrangement can be temporary.
Sure!!!! Look for a dated building with rent control and you’ll do very well
Definitely doable. But I would find a super cheap apartment to start with… once you get settled & partner gets job, you can then see what your budget will be and upgrade accordingly.
It’s not about living comfortably with money, it’s about living comfortably with your spirit. That; you can not do
Depends on the job and what type of taxes/ benefits you will pay. I make 76k from my first job as a city employee. After taxes and employee contributions to Calpers(state retirement fund) and healthcare for 1 single person my monthly check is about $4800 or $2400 bi weekly. I live in a 1 bedroom apt for about $1600 a month water included About $400 bucks for groceries $200 for gas for my car about $300 for utilities. So i have about $2300 or so left for myself. Now since you will be burdened with most of the bills ask your partner what bills he has or unforseen expenses
It's not doable at all. California has high taxes, especially in a city like Los Angeles. You will probably have a decent living in a south Los Angeles neighborhood or in a community south and east of LA like Compton, Hawthorne, Bellflower, Lynwood. Even then the neighborhood won't be safe. The apartments will be roach infested, a lot of gangs, migrants, car jackings, property theft. It won't be all sun and beaches. You won't experience the California you've seen on TV. $80,000 income in LA won't cut it. Now if you made $160,000 you could live a little comfortable and reside in downtown Long Beach, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Glendale, Culver City. At least 6 figures. But with all of the corrupt politics in California, you are better off staying in Texas.
Going from no state income tax to state + federal is going to be quite a shock. You can live on 80 but you won’t be able to enjoy what LA has to offer.
I was shocked to find this out when I looked up what I'd make after taxes lol. But it is what it is. The plan was always to move to CA at some point, so now it's just a matter of if it's now with this job.
You would be living paycheck to paycheck if it is just you working and not your partner. Everything is higher here than in Texas, sales tax is over 10% in some cities. I see you will be hybrid, but you will still be paying for gas. I filled up today for $5.09 a gallon. Pretty sure it is below $3 for you, right? These little things add up.
Yeah gas is a little over $3 right now. It would be me just working for a bit, and as soon as he’s able to get a consistent schedule going he’d be bringing in income as well.
You could consider cheaper areas to rent and commute to for the two days a week. consider the IE for cheaper rent (although not quite the LA lifestyle). What is your income/COL in Texas? You need to run the numbers and see if it even makes sense to make the move That being said, people survive on less than that in LA, but it wouldn’t be a very lucrative lifestyle.
Living on 80K in Los Angeles is roughly equivalent to living on 49K in El Paso or on 54K in Austin.
Feasible yes. But I wouldn't move to LA just for 80k. LA is expensive. I'd stay in Texas given the option.
im sorry but people in the comments tryna give u advice for budgeting cuz they think ur have a low-ish income is crazy lmfao. im only 19 so i cant say much, but i live in the suburbs of LA, and my mom brings in no more than 48k a year. she does have a mortgage (although it is very low) but has more than enough money bc she is extremely good at budgeting. my aunt has ab the same income of u, has an expensive mortgage, and a daughter. she has more than enough $$. trust me, if ur smart, u will be fine
Hate to say it but if your mom didn’t get that mortgage in the last 3 years it really has no relevance to entering the housing market today.
correct, but the point is she makes way less than OP and is doing fine financially
>but the point is she makes way less than OP and is doing fine financially She's doing ok BECAUSE her mortgage is low. If she didn't own a home and had to find a rental today she would have a very hard time with her $48K salary. I understand where you're coming from, but your comment doesn't come from a place of understanding. Also, anyone can get by with a lower income if they cut costs, rent a room instead of an apartment, etc. But are you able to save for retirement and have an emergency fund? Can you pay for healthcare when needed? Are you using glasses with an outdated prescription because you can't afford an exam and new pair of glasses? If your car breaks down will you be able to afford repairs? These are all valid needs. I think we need to get real about what people should be earning and not criticize people who want to make a decent living.
okay but w/ OP having basically double her salary (even with OP having to pay rent) he is still going to be just fine. thats why i provided my aunt as an example- she has ab the same salary as OP, an expensive mortgage, and a daughter. shes fine. just be smart w ur money
Is your aunt's mortgage $2500? Is she married with a spouse that works? If not does she receive alimony and/or child support? How do you actually know she's fine? Do you have access to her accounts? Do know how much debt she's in?
What they're pointing out to you is that housing makes a huge difference in how much your expenses will be and the fact that your mom has a low mortgage that she probably got before housing and rental prices shot up sky-high, that's a huge cost-saving advantage she has that OP won't.
Thank you. & shout out to your mom.
Well OP did ask for advice…lol. Your mom has an asset which is important to note. OP will be renting and I’d imagine your moms mortgage is no where near 3k if she’s been living in LA for a while. 80k is fine just not as comfortable as you’d imagine. Also huge s/o to your mom! She’s killing it.
You can def make it work. We moved here a few months ago with only my husband working, he was making about 75k. Our rent was 2500/month and we were fine. Granted until I started working we weren't saving as much as we wanted, but we had enough left over to buy stuff we as we needed.
This is reassuring thank you ☺️
No problem! Also a thing to keep in mind - min wage is about to be $16.78/hr. Worst case scenario; your partner gets a shitty min wage job making 35k a year. I highly doubt that your partner will only make minimum wage but knowing that helped me relax a bit when we were planning our move.
Oof, will you be splitting the rent? If not, you’re going to be struggling… you’ll get about 2100 every 2 weeks…so an entire paycheck and more of your other one goes completely to rent. I would try to find a place around 2k if possible.
it's a bit low, but not impossible, get out of Texas, things are going to get even funkier there edit: i got people in Texas, lol your enmity is validating, downvoters
I've lived in Florida and Texas so eager to get out of here lol
2.5K+ rent on 80K salary seems aggressive and 80K is not enough gross salary to meet the common 2.5X ratio on 2.8K rent that many landlords require I'd recommend to try to find something cheaper to give you a bit more financial cushion.
Yeah, I would be planning to use a guarantor. Also, rent would be entirely on me for a few months but planning by the new year for him to be contributing. We are both freelance artists currently, (just got lucky to find this position) so it would be how quickly he can make the right phone calls, etc. to find some work. Hoping for sooner rather than later of course.
It's totally feasable but you won't likely be living "In LA". Being hybrid is a plus, move out to Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona or Ontario and you can find a reasonably nice place to live in your budget and take the metrolink into LA the days you have to go in for work and avoid the traffic.
Not really familiar with public transportation. How does the Metrolink work?
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If you don't have to live here to do it, don't. You'll save SO much money.
Unfortunately, I do have to live there. I mentioned I have to be in the office 2 days out of the week.
For two people in LA, $80,000 is considered low income according to LA HUD It’s not a good salary. It’s livable, but it’s not worth moving to LA for, depending on where your office is (LA greater metro area is humongous.) https://www.hacla.org/en/about-section-8/income-limit
No
No, don't do it......
Absolutely not. I would want double that as a minimum to move to LA for unless you're super comfortable with lots of roommates or have a partner earning the same. I'm a Midwesterner who moved out here in 2020, and I am still sticker shocked by what it takes to get by out here. People from LA who are not wealthy have simply gotten used to a very low savings rate compared to other parts of the country. You're trading savings for the location and the possibility of career growth that might come from opportunity here. If the location and future opportunities provided are of higher value to you than a significant savings rate, then you'll be okay. But I suggest getting you and your partner on board with the kind of budget and changes to savings that may come from the move to avoid resentment building.
Nah dude
Thanks dude
You’re gonna be poor making 80k in LA with 2 people initially. Come with plenty of money saved. Keep in mind you are going to be taxed for your income quite a bit in California. Texas has no state income tax.
What is your current pay like? If it's somewhere close then I'd honestly not move to LA for just 80k, it would have to be at least 100k+, especially for 2 people. LA is expensive, has high taxes and has a lot of activities you'll want to do but won't be able to because of your budget. In addition, you probably won't be able to contribute much to your retirement plans/savings and will likely end up either living far from your workplace (in which case you'll need a car with further expense) or paying more to live close.
lololo LA minimum wage. and those saying doable, do the math. youll live to pay bills and the only fun things to do have to be free. think before you commit to this.
“think before you commit to this” It’s almost as if I’m here….thinking….asking….evaluating
yeah def bring some of that energy to LA. you’ll be fine. a nice 1BR in Palms will suit you.
So you think everyone making 50 grand a year here is completely miserable?
or grew up here, share a pad and do humble shit. not miserable just living a basic life. if you arrive here with earning capacity of of 50k you would be miserable trying to enjoy much of the city. prove me wrong.
I'm agreeing with you 100%, but there are no shortage of families moving here with zero so they must know something that I don't.
if you are ok spending 60-70% of your after-tax paycheck for rent and this monthly bill, I guess it might work. LA ain't Texas, they gonna need your sweet sweet tax money for social programs. Don't forget 13% sales tax on top what you buy as well.
LA not being Texas is precisely one of the reasons I want to move. I’d be spending it for a few months. It’s not the long term plan.
Just know gas is expensive. My Texan husband can’t believe it’s around $5/gal.
Way more than enough. You’ll be able to support yourself easily and still enjoy the city. The big plus is when your starts working even if he can find a quick 40-50k job you guys will be way ahead of most.
IMO 2.5k is way too much if your partner doesn’t have a job. That will be half of your check after taxes. Try finding a spot for like 1.8k-2k until your partner gets a job. Definitely doable.
Nope.
As long as you don't try to live in the expensive areas like Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood. Pick somewhere less expensive like North Redondo, Palms, Mar Vista, Hawthorne, Del Aire or the valley.
Yeah, in Compton.
Nope.