how much money do you need to live in Orange County CA

[Clocker]

It seems that one needs a lot of income just to make rent in OC let alone living expenses. I think it would be impossible for any young professional to buy a house unless he was a doctor or something.

So, how much money do you think a person needs to make in OC to live a survivable wage.

Is 50k enough? Hmm rent is lets say 1300 for a single bedroom and lets say all other added expenses (utilities, food, etc) equal to 2200.

2200 x 12 months is 26400 (Are my estimates too unreasonable, then say something)

Ok even if you make 50k over half of your expenses is going towards just living. Damn that is rough.

Any one want to post their experiences. I think i may have to live elsewhere so i can go to work and save at least something.

 

[brtspears2]

I work in OC and live in Riverside. I say for a single person to live ok in OC (still cutting a lot of corners and living very cheaply), you will need to make over $55k. You could get a roommate to help cut down the housing expense. Public transit is worthless here, you will need a car. Everything here is very "suburb" like, as in it is a few miles of driving to get groceries, fast food, entertainment.

Sure it sucks commuting to OC daily, but I own my own place in Riverside.

 

[shopbruin]

i live in west LA with my boyfriend. he has his student loans and i make way less than 50k a year. (more than 35, less than 40k). we survive. OC costs aren't that much more than the westside.

depends on what you mean by a "decent" one bedroom, as it varies greatly between which city of OC you want to live in and how close to the ocean you want to be.

i think with 50k, as long as you're not an idiot with your money, you'll get by. you won't save much either, but if you want to live by yourself, you'll survive.

 

[puffpio]

Rivierside-OC commute and back is hell..all the freeways back up and it's insane..I would go crazy having to make that commute
Also it gets really hot there in the summer and all the pollution from LA floats to Riverside.....

 

[akodi]

Depending on your other expenses (car payments/loans) living in the OC isn't that bad with 50K, you will have to cut some corners but then again that's what you just have to do with that kind of salary. I can't imagine spending 900 dollars on "added expenses". The only thing expensive in the OC is rent everything else is similar in price to other areas in California.

 

[JS80]

for a house and family you need $250k/year.

 

[her209]

Ha ha!!! I live in Orange County, CA. Its f*cking expensive as hell. Renting in a nice area will cost you $1700+. In the "ghetto", you'll be able to find a 1 BR 1 BA for 1100+ on the low side. Of course, this means you'll have to commute and the 405 is a parking lot come 3PM weekdays. The 5 is horrible going northbound. Arggg!!!

 

[Montano]

12 million

 

[Kelvrick]

Where in OC?

I say 50k should be enough. Remember, you have to think after taxes, so your 50k salary is going to bring in like 33k, 2.8k a month.

2000 for living expenses (just housing and utilities) if you want your own place. If not, you can probably find a room in someone's house for like 6-800.

You'll need a car, so say 400 bucks towards car payment and insurance. Another 150 or so on food if you don't eat out much. Food can be found cheap, its just housing, that will hit you.

I don't know where you other guys are getting your figures from, but my experience is right in the Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley area.

Personally, I would head south towards San Diego to live if you want to be in the area because riverside is hot as hell and well, the commute sucks.

EDIT: OP said live. He certainly isn't going to be buying a house or anything unless he sells his balls to the devil for a huge loan.

 

[Rumpltzer]

I live in the Soth Bay of Los Angeles (just north of OC). I broke into six-figures last year. I put away about 10% of my income per month into savings plans and savings accounts, but the rest gets spent. I have a modest car with a 60 month loan. The interest rate on both my car and student loans is lower than what I'm getting from HSBC. I have no other debts. I rent a place and have no roommates.

I don't yet see a time when I'll have enough saved up to put down 20% into a house.

 

[djplayx714]

i heard that you have to make at least 99k a year to buy a house in the OC.

 

[Clocker]

I checked housingtracker.net the median house in orange county is $659,000. I also did a mortgage calculation. The mortgage payment for a 600k home provided you have 59k for the downpayment for 30 years at 5 percent is around 3,200.00 a month. OMFG. So diplayx714 is right. SCARY

 

[Clocker]

Oh another thing how does the average walmart employee or mc donalds worker survive in the OC? I mean I have lived in CA and I see a lot a lot of immigrant workers and I wonder how in the heck they are getting by.

 

[pulse8]

Actually, I think the median income to buy the median house is around $130k.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: pulse8
Actually, I think the median income to buy the median house is around $130k.

I wonder how many homes in Southern California were sold as "interest-only". It would be an interesting statistic.

 

[foghorn67]

You need A BUNCH of money to afford a house here. It really got out of hand. About 40% of my income goes towards rent. Hopefully my promotion is in the next few months. Or I have to slowly welcome the thought of relocating.

 

[miri]

Depends on where you live in Orange County, because it is so big.

I live in one of the most expensive parts of the county, newport beach and and pay $1500 for a 1 bedroom apartment.

If you live up near anaheim/orange/fullerton or tustin, it is a lot cheaper.

I like the newport beach area though, very nice and right near the beach and it is one of the safest areas in the country.

 

[db]

You have to look, but apartments can be had for $900/mo.
I know 2 people who have them: 1 in Costa Mesa and one in Tustin. Not ghetto either.
AFA commuting goes, it costs you a lot, but people don't figure that in. When you figure in your costs for gas, wear and tear on your ride, time wasted on the road, insurance, inconvenience & hassle, etc., it's about the same to actually live in the area.

 

[axelfox]

Live in Santa Ana in an illegal garage conversion

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: Clocker
Oh another thing how does the average walmart employee or mc donalds worker survive in the OC? I mean I have lived in CA and I see a lot a lot of immigrant workers and I wonder how in the heck they are getting by.

You live with 5+ people in an apartment in the cheaper neighborhoods or you live very far away from your job and are one of the people stuck in the 3pm parking lot mentioned previously.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: axelfox
Live in Santa Ana in an illegal garage conversion

hahahha my roomie said the same thing just now!

 

[AUMM]

i live in OC, just depends on where you want to stay here... you can stay in Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, Huntington Beach for much cheaper than say Newport BEach, Irvine, Laguna Beach etc...

 

[magomago]

Stay away from Irvine - its too expensive. I live close to UCI and I'm paying 2000 rent for 2 BR 2 bath ~800-900 sq ft. But I do know people who live about 6 miles away and pay about 2400 for a nice 4 bedroom house that they are renting...

I do have trouble believing 900 a month for a single bedroom place....sounds like something would be wrong with the place for it to be that low in costa mesa.

I wanna live here later on, but its too bloody expensive! Even coming out balling 65K with a BS really hurts you if you are interested in investing money, etc...

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: Clocker
Oh another thing how does the average walmart employee or mc donalds worker survive in the OC? I mean I have lived in CA and I see a lot a lot of immigrant workers and I wonder how in the heck they are getting by.

they live in palmdale and bus in

 

[MaDDinGO]

50k after taxes is roughly 35k... so with your estimate of 26400... you don't leave much for emergencies.