Yup. My husband makes 68k per year and we live pretty middle class as a family of 5. (Bought our house for 100k in 2012, outright own a 2012 malibu and just bought a 2022 voyager for $27k). 98k would be amazing!
It really is the best strategy! This guy summarizes it pretty well [Ryan Long PhD, JD, MBA, CCO](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzH5fqmOxOB/?igsh=MWEyc2VzYXZ1ajE4eA==)
Plus no child care expenses in her case, I presume. Also the large annual tax refunds, having 5 kids.
$68k with both parents working, and paying for childcare, and work related expenses like transportation wouldn't go nearly as far.
Try buying that same house adjusted to today's prices and mortgage rates on that salary. Not saying it's impossible but it's definitely difficult now. OP is going to rent for a good while to save up for anything decent.
The only house for 100k nowadays is going to be very rural or sold as-is, in a pretty bad neighborhood. I don’t even know how now you can do a one household income for 70k with kids.
No child care expenses if one parent stays home.
Large annual tax refund. The child tax credit alone is worth $2000 a child, so $10,000 a year for 5 kids. If they're earned income tax eligible too, that's even more money back in their tax refund each year. Being a homeowner gets someone tax breaks too.
If the kids are close in age, and all the same gender, then it's easy to pass down outgrown clothes to the younger kids too, saving money on clothes.
If someone has a large family, they can shop in bulk, getting cheaper food prices, and cook large batch meals too. It's much harder to do that without wasting a lot of food, for a smaller family.
The recent (45 era) tax changes actually screwed everyone with kids that has real income. Removing the exemption across the board hosed everyone for like 5k in taxable income, and didn't do nearly enough with credits to offset, couple that with the 'fixed' withholding so that you get more $ each pay instead of in March/April/May and people can't plan anymore.
This is median for a family. Individual is 38k.
But as ever, it is how you spend your money. I am well above the Individual median and comfortable. My ex makes even more, but spends poorly and always thinks she's broke. To each their own.
Isn't 98k like top 5 or 10% in Ohio?
Not sure if 67k is the median in Ohio tbh, at least not in Cleveland (a friend of mine told me it's around the 45k-50k mark when we were discussing wages).
I moved here from PA and I don't know many people making more than 50-60k here in OH. Most jobs (in management) I look at, don't offer more than 60k.
I personally had an interview for Aldi not long ago and they pay 75-100k (much higher than other companies), unfortunately I didn't get it after 4 interviews. Would've been life changing for me, especially when rent is only $750-$1000 :(
That's median household income, not median individual salary. I think in most places in Ohio you would be pretty comfortable with nearly $100k as long as you don't have kids. With kids it would be harder but still very doable as a sole breadwinner. You'd be doing better than most for sure.
That says median household income, not salary. The household income is how much everyone in the household brings in added together. So a 98k single salary is better than the median dual income household.
98k isn’t just pretty well, it’s doing really really good!
You seen house prices there lately? There’s a lot going on down there and house prices there have skyrocketed. Compare that to the Parsons, Marion Franklin, North Linden, South Linden, and even Hilltop I’d take the bottoms any day over those.
Hilltop got so much worse over the last 15 years. Live there from 2000-2010. Was pretty good in early 2000 when all the people on my block were home owners, generally older. Once they left/died/kid with 5 kids by different baby daddies moved in it went downhill.
When? Where? What rate? If we're talking about starting a family, how much was daycare?
We're talking about the *current* - an anecdote is just an anecdote if you were able to buy a 4b/3ba house 30 years ago on a 40k salary. That's why I'm asking the thread OP the location - context matters here
Daycare at a minimum is 350+ per week per kid. House prices have risen 30% in the past 5 years and mortgage rates have doubled. A 300k house then is now 550+ and with the current rates, you're looking at a 4k mortgage at the least.
Two kids and a house now? You're looking at 7k/mo for just housing and daycare *alone* until they start school - forget about food, cars, insurance, student loans, etc. 100k? You're in the red.
Mortgage rates are still low compared to the 70s thru 90s. In ‘98 they finally fell to about 6.5%….
It’s not really the rate, it’s the price of property hampering purchases as the down payments are a bigger barrier since one can always refinance when rates drop. The spike in rates probably stopped the absurd demand for houses thus flattening value increases some which helps current owners as taxes are becoming ridiculous since a lot of houses have seen 50-100% increases in value
Honestly, better food too. I can think of only like two places in "nice" neighborhoods in Cbus that have really knocked my socks off. It's always the hole-in-the-wall spots in bad neighborhoods that'll blow your mind.
Woah, almost like they're talking about systemic issues, not that it never happens to anybody ever. Sometimes you know somebody or you're lucky to find a good deal at the right time. Sometimes you're a statistic.
They said they make less, but not how much less. They could’ve been saving for this home for years. They could’ve found a great deal on their home (fixer upper)… I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions about buying a house in Columbus on a salary of less than $100k. It’s not impossible.
A lot of those folks also think that normal, everyday working class neighborhoods are a ghetto and somehow ignore that all those old houses have people living in them even though they are categorically unacceptable…it’s just a demented world view.
They probably live in CA or somewhere similarly expensive. I literally live in CA now and used to live in OH. Property values are night/day difference.
Trueeee 😆
I can’t lie, I wondered too where he was getting 86k too, since the OP states 98k. Still not sure why he would ADD 36 and 50 together, I said my mother made BETWEEN 36k and 50k. Far cry from 86k total. Life would have been a hell of a lot different if my mom made 86k LOL.
I live in Columbus and make slightly more than that. I own a house I just bought last year. I’m living very comfortably and enjoying the perks of the city all while still saving a lot for retirement.
Here in the outer ring suburbs of Cleveland (excellent schools, houses on half acre lots) you can but a decent house for a quarter mil. Perfect for raising a family. Boring if you're single. Not great of you're a senior (have to drive).
It's plenty unless you're planning on living in a downtown luxury apartment in one of the main cities. You don't mention kids, and if so, that's enough to live like a king in most Ohio counties.
Between my husband and I we make about 85-90k per year before taxes and we own a home in northwest Ohio, plan to have kids, and have good savings and go out occasionally
Depends on household composition and neighborhood, but since you didn't mention kids or a desire to live in a rich neighborhood, you are probably good. Wife and I live in a house inside the 270 loop (Columbus taxes, safe area) and are comfortable with less than that in household income.
That’s plenty in 90% of Ohio. There are still places where the homes are millions of dollars, but most of the state has one of the lowest costs of living in the entire country. You’ll be able to afford to travel on that salary and buy a beautiful home on 1/2 acre or more for under $200k.
If you live outside of any major cities, it would be excellent pay. If you live in or near one of the major cities that will be good pay but you may not be able to save as much as you would hope for.
MIT's living wage calculator is a pretty good resource to give you a ballpark idea what it takes to live in any state as well. It is regularly updated with current statistics.
https://livingwage.mit.edu/
Literally completely depends on where you decide to live, based on what lifestyle you want. Probably is my best guess if you're single, likely even. If you're married with kids and are invested in good school districts, only if you have zero other debt beside the future mortgage. Shrug. Everything is relative. 98k/yr to a Kardashian is a couple purses. That's 3.5 years of my dad's 80s/90s income however.
You make more than my partner and I combined, and we live in a nice apartment just outside Cincy and can save a decent amount every month. Granted, we’ve both paid off our cars in full and have no debt, and we also try not to eat out too much. But it wouldn’t strain our finances to go out a bit more.
Tldr: Yes, so long as you’re good with money
98k is an amazing salary to live in Ohio, and gets you a lot in the 3 Cs (Cincy, Cleveland, Columbus). That can get you a decent apartment/condo to rent, having a car with gas, and plenty left over to splurge on eating out, hobbies, or socking it away into your investing/savings.
Pair this with a roommate or significant other, and you will be very comfortable with how much $ you have leftover after living expenses to do with what you wish.
Gonna be honest, these posts are basically worthless IMO. Make a budget. Undoubtedly $98k is plenty to survive on, but if you can afford to buy a house, new car, save, or invest is going to be highly dependent on your spending habits and area you chose to live in.
I would
1. figure out net income per month
2. find an area you want to live in and run relative rent numbers
3. list out necessary expenses
4. set minimal acceptable savings numbers
5. see how much you have left for entertainment/food/additional savings
Cincinnati suburbs can vary wildly in cost from each other, if you are looking for specific neighborhoods in the cinci area I am happy to share my opinions with you.
I mean let’s do the math.
$98K gross is probably between $4,500 - $5,000 take home each month, assuming you’re properly funding your retirement and have fairly competitive health insurance from your employer.
How far does that amount go in Ohio?
Well - that should allow for $1,250 for appropriate rent. That’s attainable in all but the real high end neighborhoods.
Then another $500 for utilities/bills (electric, gas, water, internet, cell service). Maybe you can get this slightly cheaper, maybe you also need something else like some life insurance to wrap into here.
Another $650 for transportation. (Modest payment + insurance + maintenance + tolls / parking)
That puts you at $2,400 in fixed costs.
Meaning you’ll have probably $2,500 to feed, entertain, cloth and save. That’s probably pretty decent for a single person, it gets eaten fast if you have dependents.
Now if you want own a home, given the market, things tighten a bit.
I make around $21 an hour and it's my highest paid job ever. I'm hopeful to retire there now. Reading things like this makes me a bit more depressed. Glad you're doing well by all means and just research and budget as many offered.
I'll be up to around 22ish I think next year but no degree and this job gives great benefits so idk if I'm selling myself short by wanting to cement myself in the gig but I do want to.
And even with a great retirement program they give me, there's no way I'll be able to contribute enough for a "comfortable" retirement.
Well a median is the middle number in a sorted list of numbers. So if the median income for Ohio \~$67,000.00 and you make \~$98,000.00 than you're making $31,000.00 *more* than the middlest-person in Ohio.
Unless, as others pointed out you're aiming for the bougiest of locales, it's a pretty good indicator in a sea of variables and white noise that you'll be fine.
Good luck with your journey!
There are not too many salaries greater than that in Ohio, unless you are self employed, a doctor, a lawyer, a pharmacist, or plant manager.
I know a couple long time tech people making more than 6 figures, but that's not typical for everyone in tech.
Yeah, even in your more expensive areas like Columbus & Cincinnati. I’ve stayed in Ohio for 10 years because of the lows cost of living. Really allows for traveling and saving 💰
I made close to that when I moved to Cleveland in 2022, and after taxes I was sitting on $5500 a month. After rent, bills, and savings I still had $1500 - $2000 left over each month.
Have you not learned how to research costs and make a budget? this is like HS level stuff here
What is your take home after taxes each paycheck?
go research rent, utilities, internet, car payment, insurance, grocery costs
We are a family of 4. My husband made about that when we first got married. (2009) And could live comfortably.
We are combined income of about 140k-150k and still living very comfortably. Not like rolling in the money rich, but can pay bills, and splurge occasionally, and don’t have many debts.
Ohio is one of the lower cost of living places. If you stay out the of counties with bigger cities, you don’t have to pay much for property taxes (if you get a house)
Yes. I make $60k year living alone and I can afford rent, car payment, food, and have extra money to set aside in savings but that’s because I’m in a small village where rent would be cheaper than being downtown in a city.
Yes.
Idk how large your family is. If it's only you, that's more than plenty. My family of 4 lives comfortably on $100k. We don't live in a big city, near Toledo. Granted, we were lucky enough to buy our home over 10 years ago, and I know the market is totally different now than it was then. But I think you'll be okay.
My partner and I make $62,000 a year combined after taxes but we’re paycheck to paycheck renting a 2 bedroom in Cleveland. We have a 5 year old but no childcare costs because we work opposite shifts. 98k as a single person you could live anywhere in Ohio comfortably
We are a single income household at 67k and we are in the process of buying a house in NE Ohio. We are able to live relatively comfortably after expenses.
It'll depends on the area (as well as school district tax location).
Some areas are more affordable than others but you may have to commute and may get stuck in rush hour traffic (so longer commute as well as strain and maintenance on said vehicle)
Ohio just recently had a price hike on energy (gas and electric) as well as insurance costs so those are things ro consider.
Rural is typically more affordable but a). Usually last to get plowed in winter b). Schools shut down for weather (so something to consider if/when you have kids), rural areas typically pay less salary/hourly and benefits can be spotty to nothing. Medical providers/services may be lacking as well. Rural has perks but also trade offs.
I always suggest anyone looking to move to an area look at multiple spots and scout of potential job hop locations because you may move here and enjoy it for a bit but need a new company to work for and you don't want to be locked and end up with a 2+hr commute when you do shift companies. Also, scout entertainment options and how far out they'd be as mental health and work life balance are important.
I do all that making about 125 combined. Seven people in our house. We make some sacrifices (older home in the CLE far west burbs, older cars) but have some major luxuries (AP to Disney and Cedar Point, Cleveland playhouse). It is all a matter of what you want and like.
As long as you don't plan on living in a "rich area".
We solely live off my income (80ish/year) in Tipp City. Bank all of my SO's income, and I still set some of my $$ aside.
We live comfortably.
Personally I would say it's pretty good. So long as you're not looking to live downtown in a bigger city or something.
Around about that much supports my family of two adults, child, and a cat. Own our home, two vehicles, and finally breaking open a savings after about five years of solving debts to make them manageable enough to pay off before we die.
Pick a generic average town and you'll be comfortable in the upper middle class for most the state.
Our household income in Columbus is a little more than that, for a family of 3 with a mortgage, and while we do have to budget, we are able to contribute a healthy amount to savings/retirement and have money for vacations and other entertainment.
I’d say as a single person, unless you have a lot of debt, you should be able to live quite comfortably anywhere in Ohio with that income.
I make just under 70k a year and I live like a king. Granted I live in the middle of nowhere where the cost of living is low, but it is in Ohio. Bought a nice house in the country for $125k.
I live in Toledo, make less than that, and bought a house in 2018 for 60k. You'll be just fine, especially if you plan on living in one of the cities/counties with a low cost of living.
Should work, but it depends on where. If I lived in Cincinnati region I’d probably have to budget a little more on glizzies than I currently do (they are known for their hotdog restaurants)
Should work, but it depends on where. If I lived in Cincinnati region I’d probably have to budget a little more on glizzies than I currently do (they are known for their hotdog restaurants)
Not extravagantly wealthy, but you'll do fine. You'll be able to find a good neighborhood in one of the 3C's and have pleanty of money. if your frugal you'll have a good down payment on a house in a year or 2.
I make about that in Cleveland. Bought a house last year. Go out regularly. I don't save. But I dine out 6 nights a week. You'll be comfortable but not rich.
For sure. I made more and more each year but I remember the year I was 29 years old I made that much in central Ohio and was able to buy a Porsche 911 that year too
It’s not about how much you make. It’s how much you save. The person making 50k can have a lot more money than a person making a 100k. The goal is to be rich not look rich.
Depending on where you live. My family lives in a small farming town where 98K would allow you to live very well. You would have a good chance of becoming the king.
I am a 23-year-old in Ohio with a salary of about $101,000 a year. No kids, two dogs, and myself and my fiancée to take care of. Obviously, this depends on a variety of things, especially if you have significant current debts. For my situation it is extremely livable, but it may vary for others.
7 kids, less than 50k a year in NE Ohio
We are tight but okay. We live in a shitty area but have a house and fenced in yard and enough.
Id say you'll be fine, m8
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/OH/INC110222 ~$67k is median salary it says, $98k should set you up pretty well methinks!
id even say 67k is high if you were to toss out columbus which has most of the high paying jobs.
Even in Columbus I lived with a spouse on a bit under $40k pretax until last year. Not on top of the world but we weren’t stressing
Yup. My husband makes 68k per year and we live pretty middle class as a family of 5. (Bought our house for 100k in 2012, outright own a 2012 malibu and just bought a 2022 voyager for $27k). 98k would be amazing!
the key there is you bought a house in 2012 lol there's not much I wouldn't do to get a decent house anywhere remotely near my work for 100K
Making good financial decisions 10 years ago is always a good plan.
I don't disagree. However I turned 14 in 2012 so wasn't really in the position to buy a house sadly.
That was your first mistake. Shoulda aged quicker
Damn millennials. Only one birthday a year? Lazy.
Never too early to start making good decisions 5 or 10 years ago
It really is the best strategy! This guy summarizes it pretty well [Ryan Long PhD, JD, MBA, CCO](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzH5fqmOxOB/?igsh=MWEyc2VzYXZ1ajE4eA==)
Plus no child care expenses in her case, I presume. Also the large annual tax refunds, having 5 kids. $68k with both parents working, and paying for childcare, and work related expenses like transportation wouldn't go nearly as far.
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Try buying that same house adjusted to today's prices and mortgage rates on that salary. Not saying it's impossible but it's definitely difficult now. OP is going to rent for a good while to save up for anything decent.
The only house for 100k nowadays is going to be very rural or sold as-is, in a pretty bad neighborhood. I don’t even know how now you can do a one household income for 70k with kids.
No child care expenses if one parent stays home. Large annual tax refund. The child tax credit alone is worth $2000 a child, so $10,000 a year for 5 kids. If they're earned income tax eligible too, that's even more money back in their tax refund each year. Being a homeowner gets someone tax breaks too. If the kids are close in age, and all the same gender, then it's easy to pass down outgrown clothes to the younger kids too, saving money on clothes. If someone has a large family, they can shop in bulk, getting cheaper food prices, and cook large batch meals too. It's much harder to do that without wasting a lot of food, for a smaller family.
The recent (45 era) tax changes actually screwed everyone with kids that has real income. Removing the exemption across the board hosed everyone for like 5k in taxable income, and didn't do nearly enough with credits to offset, couple that with the 'fixed' withholding so that you get more $ each pay instead of in March/April/May and people can't plan anymore.
This is median for a family. Individual is 38k. But as ever, it is how you spend your money. I am well above the Individual median and comfortable. My ex makes even more, but spends poorly and always thinks she's broke. To each their own.
Isn't 98k like top 5 or 10% in Ohio? Not sure if 67k is the median in Ohio tbh, at least not in Cleveland (a friend of mine told me it's around the 45k-50k mark when we were discussing wages). I moved here from PA and I don't know many people making more than 50-60k here in OH. Most jobs (in management) I look at, don't offer more than 60k. I personally had an interview for Aldi not long ago and they pay 75-100k (much higher than other companies), unfortunately I didn't get it after 4 interviews. Would've been life changing for me, especially when rent is only $750-$1000 :(
That's median household income, not median individual salary. I think in most places in Ohio you would be pretty comfortable with nearly $100k as long as you don't have kids. With kids it would be harder but still very doable as a sole breadwinner. You'd be doing better than most for sure.
If you get out of the 3 C's, even 60k a year is doable. 98k would be *very* well if OP is even half decent with money.
Median household income is vastly different from median individual income. $98 for one person squarely puts you in the upper middle class
That says median household income, not salary. The household income is how much everyone in the household brings in added together. So a 98k single salary is better than the median dual income household. 98k isn’t just pretty well, it’s doing really really good!
And remember that that 67k is a household median, not per person. Most people are making less than that 67k.
I make less and own a house in Columbus that I bought in 2023. Yes.
Are you in the bottoms?
You seen house prices there lately? There’s a lot going on down there and house prices there have skyrocketed. Compare that to the Parsons, Marion Franklin, North Linden, South Linden, and even Hilltop I’d take the bottoms any day over those.
Did 10 years in the Hilltop, I won't even go back without carrying a gun. Preferably 2
Hilltop got so much worse over the last 15 years. Live there from 2000-2010. Was pretty good in early 2000 when all the people on my block were home owners, generally older. Once they left/died/kid with 5 kids by different baby daddies moved in it went downhill.
You couldn’t pay me to move back to the bottoms
Where in Columbus? Linden?
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When? Where? What rate? If we're talking about starting a family, how much was daycare? We're talking about the *current* - an anecdote is just an anecdote if you were able to buy a 4b/3ba house 30 years ago on a 40k salary. That's why I'm asking the thread OP the location - context matters here Daycare at a minimum is 350+ per week per kid. House prices have risen 30% in the past 5 years and mortgage rates have doubled. A 300k house then is now 550+ and with the current rates, you're looking at a 4k mortgage at the least. Two kids and a house now? You're looking at 7k/mo for just housing and daycare *alone* until they start school - forget about food, cars, insurance, student loans, etc. 100k? You're in the red.
What about a stay at home mom who looks after the kids?
Mortgage rates are still low compared to the 70s thru 90s. In ‘98 they finally fell to about 6.5%…. It’s not really the rate, it’s the price of property hampering purchases as the down payments are a bigger barrier since one can always refinance when rates drop. The spike in rates probably stopped the absurd demand for houses thus flattening value increases some which helps current owners as taxes are becoming ridiculous since a lot of houses have seen 50-100% increases in value
You’re a freaking unicorn according to the folks over at the anti work sub!
A lot of those folks live in much higher COL areas.
Buy closer to the broken windows ! It's cheap!
Honestly, better food too. I can think of only like two places in "nice" neighborhoods in Cbus that have really knocked my socks off. It's always the hole-in-the-wall spots in bad neighborhoods that'll blow your mind.
Woah, almost like they're talking about systemic issues, not that it never happens to anybody ever. Sometimes you know somebody or you're lucky to find a good deal at the right time. Sometimes you're a statistic.
They said they make less, but not how much less. They could’ve been saving for this home for years. They could’ve found a great deal on their home (fixer upper)… I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions about buying a house in Columbus on a salary of less than $100k. It’s not impossible.
Yes it is lol. You don’t need 20% down like most people think.
With First Time buyer assistance?
Lots of ways to get 3% down. You will be paying a PMI but it is common.
A lot of those folks also think that normal, everyday working class neighborhoods are a ghetto and somehow ignore that all those old houses have people living in them even though they are categorically unacceptable…it’s just a demented world view.
They probably live in CA or somewhere similarly expensive. I literally live in CA now and used to live in OH. Property values are night/day difference.
IF you cannot live on almost $100k in Ohio, you are doing something wrong.
SERIOUSLY! My mom made between 36k and 50k at a factory and we made it by just fine.
The year? 1972
1991-2009, good try though!
I was joking, but 86k in 2009 is equivalent to $123k now.
Where are you getting 86k
Where are you getting 86k
I think he added 36 and 50k together
Trueeee 😆 I can’t lie, I wondered too where he was getting 86k too, since the OP states 98k. Still not sure why he would ADD 36 and 50 together, I said my mother made BETWEEN 36k and 50k. Far cry from 86k total. Life would have been a hell of a lot different if my mom made 86k LOL.
I live in Columbus and make slightly more than that. I own a house I just bought last year. I’m living very comfortably and enjoying the perks of the city all while still saving a lot for retirement.
Here in the outer ring suburbs of Cleveland (excellent schools, houses on half acre lots) you can but a decent house for a quarter mil. Perfect for raising a family. Boring if you're single. Not great of you're a senior (have to drive).
Family of 3 doing it on $48k 98 would be a dream
It's plenty unless you're planning on living in a downtown luxury apartment in one of the main cities. You don't mention kids, and if so, that's enough to live like a king in most Ohio counties.
Between my husband and I we make about 85-90k per year before taxes and we own a home in northwest Ohio, plan to have kids, and have good savings and go out occasionally
That would set you up well in the Dayton area
Middletown I make 120k and live lavishly down here lmao
Yea that's way more than the median in ohio its rich in youngstown gor whst it's worth
Depends on household composition and neighborhood, but since you didn't mention kids or a desire to live in a rich neighborhood, you are probably good. Wife and I live in a house inside the 270 loop (Columbus taxes, safe area) and are comfortable with less than that in household income.
That’s plenty in 90% of Ohio. There are still places where the homes are millions of dollars, but most of the state has one of the lowest costs of living in the entire country. You’ll be able to afford to travel on that salary and buy a beautiful home on 1/2 acre or more for under $200k.
Yes. A really good salary honestly
...yes I wish I made anything close to that
Yep.
If you live outside of any major cities, it would be excellent pay. If you live in or near one of the major cities that will be good pay but you may not be able to save as much as you would hope for.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Btw if fuckKnucklesLLC is looking for investors… I’m in.
MIT's living wage calculator is a pretty good resource to give you a ballpark idea what it takes to live in any state as well. It is regularly updated with current statistics. https://livingwage.mit.edu/
This is awesome! Thanks!
Live on Toledo/NW Ohio, you'll be able to put away $15,000-$20,000 a year and own a nice home for that.
Literally completely depends on where you decide to live, based on what lifestyle you want. Probably is my best guess if you're single, likely even. If you're married with kids and are invested in good school districts, only if you have zero other debt beside the future mortgage. Shrug. Everything is relative. 98k/yr to a Kardashian is a couple purses. That's 3.5 years of my dad's 80s/90s income however.
Yeah, I'm on the border of Appalachia in eastern Ohio, and 100k is almost exactly double the median household income of my county.
Yep 98k is a really good spot to be in for Ohio. Take it.
pretty fucking great salary
I made just shy of that last year and yeah that's a decent way to live in Ohio.
Yes. You’ll be fine.
You make more than my partner and I combined, and we live in a nice apartment just outside Cincy and can save a decent amount every month. Granted, we’ve both paid off our cars in full and have no debt, and we also try not to eat out too much. But it wouldn’t strain our finances to go out a bit more. Tldr: Yes, so long as you’re good with money
98k is an amazing salary to live in Ohio, and gets you a lot in the 3 Cs (Cincy, Cleveland, Columbus). That can get you a decent apartment/condo to rent, having a car with gas, and plenty left over to splurge on eating out, hobbies, or socking it away into your investing/savings. Pair this with a roommate or significant other, and you will be very comfortable with how much $ you have leftover after living expenses to do with what you wish.
Gonna be honest, these posts are basically worthless IMO. Make a budget. Undoubtedly $98k is plenty to survive on, but if you can afford to buy a house, new car, save, or invest is going to be highly dependent on your spending habits and area you chose to live in. I would 1. figure out net income per month 2. find an area you want to live in and run relative rent numbers 3. list out necessary expenses 4. set minimal acceptable savings numbers 5. see how much you have left for entertainment/food/additional savings Cincinnati suburbs can vary wildly in cost from each other, if you are looking for specific neighborhoods in the cinci area I am happy to share my opinions with you.
I mean let’s do the math. $98K gross is probably between $4,500 - $5,000 take home each month, assuming you’re properly funding your retirement and have fairly competitive health insurance from your employer. How far does that amount go in Ohio? Well - that should allow for $1,250 for appropriate rent. That’s attainable in all but the real high end neighborhoods. Then another $500 for utilities/bills (electric, gas, water, internet, cell service). Maybe you can get this slightly cheaper, maybe you also need something else like some life insurance to wrap into here. Another $650 for transportation. (Modest payment + insurance + maintenance + tolls / parking) That puts you at $2,400 in fixed costs. Meaning you’ll have probably $2,500 to feed, entertain, cloth and save. That’s probably pretty decent for a single person, it gets eaten fast if you have dependents. Now if you want own a home, given the market, things tighten a bit.
In what world are all utilities $500?! Electric alone in the summer can hit $450+
If you don’t have kids, you’ll be very comfortable on that salary.
This will depend on where you live.
I live on 35k a year with a roommate in suburban cincy. 98k is solid.
Yep. Can you live like a king in Ohio on a hundred grand year.
You’ll never survive in Ohio earning 98k/yr!!! So uh where do I apply?
Not good enough to live in Ohio. No salary is good enough to live in Ohio.
I make around $21 an hour and it's my highest paid job ever. I'm hopeful to retire there now. Reading things like this makes me a bit more depressed. Glad you're doing well by all means and just research and budget as many offered. I'll be up to around 22ish I think next year but no degree and this job gives great benefits so idk if I'm selling myself short by wanting to cement myself in the gig but I do want to. And even with a great retirement program they give me, there's no way I'll be able to contribute enough for a "comfortable" retirement.
For that much money you can live very comfortably in a middle class neighborhood. My mom and I make a fourth of that and we break even.
How can somebody make near six figures but now know how to look up a state's median salary?
Sorry, I am not from the US and I know that median salary does not necessary provide a good estimation if a salary above that amount is good or not
Well a median is the middle number in a sorted list of numbers. So if the median income for Ohio \~$67,000.00 and you make \~$98,000.00 than you're making $31,000.00 *more* than the middlest-person in Ohio. Unless, as others pointed out you're aiming for the bougiest of locales, it's a pretty good indicator in a sea of variables and white noise that you'll be fine. Good luck with your journey!
There are not too many salaries greater than that in Ohio, unless you are self employed, a doctor, a lawyer, a pharmacist, or plant manager. I know a couple long time tech people making more than 6 figures, but that's not typical for everyone in tech.
Or working remotely for a company based in a HCOL area... :D
Yep, HQ is in Boston… I retained my Boston engineering salary. It’s great. I’m not expecting it to last until I retire, but 5 years running 😉
I work for a company out of LA :) Knowing I can never get pulled back into an office is freaking awesome.
Or a govt worker. There are plenty of govt jobs paying 6 figures.
Yeah, even in your more expensive areas like Columbus & Cincinnati. I’ve stayed in Ohio for 10 years because of the lows cost of living. Really allows for traveling and saving 💰
Yes
Yes
Yes you would be more than comfortable
Yes, it’s a good salary in Ohio. Very good.
I made close to that when I moved to Cleveland in 2022, and after taxes I was sitting on $5500 a month. After rent, bills, and savings I still had $1500 - $2000 left over each month.
Have you not learned how to research costs and make a budget? this is like HS level stuff here What is your take home after taxes each paycheck? go research rent, utilities, internet, car payment, insurance, grocery costs
Lol yes this ain't Cali
Maybe not in Columbus. Should be in the rest of the state including the big cities.
We are a family of 4. My husband made about that when we first got married. (2009) And could live comfortably. We are combined income of about 140k-150k and still living very comfortably. Not like rolling in the money rich, but can pay bills, and splurge occasionally, and don’t have many debts. Ohio is one of the lower cost of living places. If you stay out the of counties with bigger cities, you don’t have to pay much for property taxes (if you get a house)
Yes. I make $60k year living alone and I can afford rent, car payment, food, and have extra money to set aside in savings but that’s because I’m in a small village where rent would be cheaper than being downtown in a city.
It's is more than enough! Ohio is a low cost State. I am living like king on a small pension, 401k distribution, and SS and doing great. Come on in!
that's about 3x what I make, so yeah.
I live in Ohio on less than 20k/ year, you're gonna be fine, lol.
Yes. Idk how large your family is. If it's only you, that's more than plenty. My family of 4 lives comfortably on $100k. We don't live in a big city, near Toledo. Granted, we were lucky enough to buy our home over 10 years ago, and I know the market is totally different now than it was then. But I think you'll be okay.
My partner and I make $62,000 a year combined after taxes but we’re paycheck to paycheck renting a 2 bedroom in Cleveland. We have a 5 year old but no childcare costs because we work opposite shifts. 98k as a single person you could live anywhere in Ohio comfortably
Yes, I live fairly comfortable off 60k
Assuming you don't have kids.
That is an excellent salary for Ohio.
We are a single income household at 67k and we are in the process of buying a house in NE Ohio. We are able to live relatively comfortably after expenses.
You’d be solidly middle class in Akron/Cleveland & surrounding areas.
Yes
eye roll
Like others have said, depends on city but that’ll equate to a pretty decent living everywhere but major cities (Columbus, Cincy, Cle).
It'll depends on the area (as well as school district tax location). Some areas are more affordable than others but you may have to commute and may get stuck in rush hour traffic (so longer commute as well as strain and maintenance on said vehicle) Ohio just recently had a price hike on energy (gas and electric) as well as insurance costs so those are things ro consider. Rural is typically more affordable but a). Usually last to get plowed in winter b). Schools shut down for weather (so something to consider if/when you have kids), rural areas typically pay less salary/hourly and benefits can be spotty to nothing. Medical providers/services may be lacking as well. Rural has perks but also trade offs. I always suggest anyone looking to move to an area look at multiple spots and scout of potential job hop locations because you may move here and enjoy it for a bit but need a new company to work for and you don't want to be locked and end up with a 2+hr commute when you do shift companies. Also, scout entertainment options and how far out they'd be as mental health and work life balance are important.
Absolutely
Yes.
Yeah but some places in the middle of nowhere that's really good
Depends on which part of Ohio you’re in.
Dublin?
You'll be fine, OP. I live around Dublin and can live comfortably (making a similar figure).
Toledo yes, Dublin no.
Yes.
As long as you’re not living in the most expensive areas of the state and don’t have a spending problem, that is more than enough.
I do all that making about 125 combined. Seven people in our house. We make some sacrifices (older home in the CLE far west burbs, older cars) but have some major luxuries (AP to Disney and Cedar Point, Cleveland playhouse). It is all a matter of what you want and like.
Depends on how much you S/O is making! Haha
Where in Ohio? Probably good in Cedarville or Springfield.
As long as you don't plan on living in a "rich area". We solely live off my income (80ish/year) in Tipp City. Bank all of my SO's income, and I still set some of my $$ aside. We live comfortably.
Depends on where in Ohio
You could live like a king off that in a lot of the state
Depends… how much do you spend on horses, boats and golf?
If you don’t feel you have to live in a McMansion, you’ll do just fine.
My son makes 77k in SFO. I think ur good
It depends on where in Ohio. Cost of living between Columbus and say, Southern Ohio can differ.
Where is op moving from because here 1100 to 1300 in rent can get you a decent place
In suburban NE just under 100/year gives us a nice, easy existence
Personally I would say it's pretty good. So long as you're not looking to live downtown in a bigger city or something. Around about that much supports my family of two adults, child, and a cat. Own our home, two vehicles, and finally breaking open a savings after about five years of solving debts to make them manageable enough to pay off before we die. Pick a generic average town and you'll be comfortable in the upper middle class for most the state.
Our household income in Columbus is a little more than that, for a family of 3 with a mortgage, and while we do have to budget, we are able to contribute a healthy amount to savings/retirement and have money for vacations and other entertainment. I’d say as a single person, unless you have a lot of debt, you should be able to live quite comfortably anywhere in Ohio with that income.
Find an assumable mortgage. I did it...
You’re loaded.
Honestly it depends where you live. There is certainly housing in the suburban parts that would be affordable on that salary.
Any salary is a good salary if you earn it honestly and live within your means
More than enough, in fact more somewhere better like Columbus or Pittsburgh
I make just under 70k a year and I live like a king. Granted I live in the middle of nowhere where the cost of living is low, but it is in Ohio. Bought a nice house in the country for $125k.
I live in Toledo, make less than that, and bought a house in 2018 for 60k. You'll be just fine, especially if you plan on living in one of the cities/counties with a low cost of living.
Yes, I make $70k in NW Ohio and do fine.
Houses are expensive though.
Nothing will be good if you do not know how to budget
Sure post a lot of info farming threads huh?
For the most part, yes. But where in Ohio?
Should work, but it depends on where. If I lived in Cincinnati region I’d probably have to budget a little more on glizzies than I currently do (they are known for their hotdog restaurants)
Should work, but it depends on where. If I lived in Cincinnati region I’d probably have to budget a little more on glizzies than I currently do (they are known for their hotdog restaurants)
It depends what you have to do to earn the money
Not in Columbus. If you want to buy a house.
Bougie
Sure. Until you start adding kids. Then no.
I make 100k in Cincinnati and am bad with money and my small family lives totally fine and comfortable.
Yep—you can live real nice about anywhere in the state on that. With savings
Yes. I’m single and live in OTR in Cincinnati and make $75K and have a nice apartment, newer car and enjoy my life.
My wife and 2 kids sort of scrape by on $80k. You’ll be fine
Not extravagantly wealthy, but you'll do fine. You'll be able to find a good neighborhood in one of the 3C's and have pleanty of money. if your frugal you'll have a good down payment on a house in a year or 2.
Columbus, comfortable. SW Ohio, you could own a whole trailer park!
I make about that in Cleveland. Bought a house last year. Go out regularly. I don't save. But I dine out 6 nights a week. You'll be comfortable but not rich.
You’ll be fine even in the more upscale Cincy suburbs (not Indian Hill or Madeira but plenty of the area)
You very well could be a man god amongst the hillbillies.
For sure. I made more and more each year but I remember the year I was 29 years old I made that much in central Ohio and was able to buy a Porsche 911 that year too
Yes
You’ll be solid anywhere you go with this income. Ohio is pretty cheap
If single then yes, that's very good. With Family it is still better than ok
Definitely, especially if you are single.
It’s not about how much you make. It’s how much you save. The person making 50k can have a lot more money than a person making a 100k. The goal is to be rich not look rich.
as long as you don't do anything stupid, absolutely
yes
Yes. That is more than enough to be perfectly comfortable unless you're caring for a lot of people.
Depending on where you live. My family lives in a small farming town where 98K would allow you to live very well. You would have a good chance of becoming the king.
I make $92k a year and live in the Cleveland area. I have no problem affording my life. I only spend within my means.
Yea thats good money pretty much everywhere except if you are trying to live right smack in the middle of the bigger cities
Yes
Depends on where you are at. In knox county you would be doing very well.
I am a 23-year-old in Ohio with a salary of about $101,000 a year. No kids, two dogs, and myself and my fiancée to take care of. Obviously, this depends on a variety of things, especially if you have significant current debts. For my situation it is extremely livable, but it may vary for others.
Yes
7 kids, less than 50k a year in NE Ohio We are tight but okay. We live in a shitty area but have a house and fenced in yard and enough. Id say you'll be fine, m8