Houston cost of living more than NYC?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,523]

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/houston-affordability-transportation-costs/

When combining housing and transportation costs, Houston is slightly higher than NYC. I know the downsides of these surveys or analysis are that both cities have vastly different housing costs across the entire city.

I've noticed lately that it's becoming more difficult to buy in Houston Inner Loop or certain nearby areas for under 1M. Without a doubt, you can buy older properties for under 1M but you also compete against developers that want to rebuild that older house to extremely more expensive new homes/town-homes.  Maybe this 1M trend has been occurring for a while but it feels like it has quietly happened especially for people that haven't bought or sold in the past 5 years or so.

[Blotto 23,575]

I'm guessing its a fuckload cheaper to own/rent inside the loop in Houston than it is to own/rent in Manhattan, which would be a more apt comparison. 

https://www.rentjungle.com/average-rent-in-new-york-rent-trends/ 

Edited January 22, 2020 by Blotto

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,523]

The article has data from the govt backing the assertion but it's also good to note that the its a NYC group that is pointing this out. I imagine they are including rent-controlled apartments as part of the surveyed data, which isn't extremely questionable. I also wonder if NYC has a higher percent of subsidized housing.  If you add those into the survey, the median out-of-pocket costs could very well be higher in Houston. 

[TexasCPA 102]

I blame California 

[CHIEF 5,095]

One could also assume that most in New York do not own a car due to extensive public transportation. Not having a $600 car payment, auto insurance, and fuel costs would probably bring Houston to a considerably less cost of living.

CHIEF

[Blotto 23,575]

There is no fucking way it is cheaper to live in NYC than Houston. Whatever you save in transportation by not owning a car, you will likely pay in city and state income taxes. Its a flawed article. 

[StruggleBus 3,922]

I know it's still before noon, but this is the dumbest thing I've read today. 

[UTPhil2006 3,812]

I get what it's trying to do/say but it's comparing apples to not even oranges, but like a mailbox.  Selective data and such.  Houston may be higher than where it was 5 years ago (most of the state is) but we are nowhere near NYC levels of housing even factoring in car payments, gas, etc.

[Native Horn 3,515]

I don't believe this for a second, either.  Metro pass for NYC ain't cheap y'all.  (Kid in school in Manhattan)

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,821]

Much more bang for your buck in NYC. That 5x5 plot of grass for a backyard could fit 2 maybe 3 buddies

[StruggleBus 3,922]

29 minutes ago, UTPhil2006 said:

I get what it's trying to do/say but it's comparing apples to not even oranges, but like a mailbox.  Selective data and such.  Houston may be higher than where it was 5 years ago (most of the state is) but we are nowhere near NYC levels of housing even factoring in car payments, gas, etc.

Not only that, but to live in an equivalent home in near NYC that I do in Texas... hahahaha. I'd be shelling out millions. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,821]

Dammit, fellas, stop arguing against the article!   It's clearly a plant written to keep people from moving to Houston.  Don't ruin it!

[DaysOff 7,974]

There's not a soul that has visited or lived in both places that believe this clickbait bullshit. Shame on TM.

 

https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/houston-tx/new-york-ny/50000

 

 

[Aqua Buddha 14,610]

While I'm first to admit that Texas' cost of living is more myth than reality, to say any city in Texas is even close to NYC or SF is complete fucking idiocy.

[Zwylde 812]

https://reason.com/2020/01/21/is-houstons-affordability-just-a-myth/

 

 

[Pig Bellmont 8,738]

12 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

While I'm first to admit that Texas' cost of living is more myth than reality, to say any city in Texas is even close to NYC or SF is complete fucking idiocy.

This. I’m in DC and guarantee my cost of living is higher than Houston. Does the original link not consider suburbs at all? Bc I’m certain there are 3 bedroom homes within 45 min-1 hr of downtown that are 400,000 or less in Houston. An hour out of downtown NY and you’re still in fucking Queens where 400,000 can’t get you a 1 BR in Sunnyside. Suburbs in Jersey and Connecticut aren’t cheap either. Hoboken is probably 3x more expensive than Woodlands or Katy. Just absolutely dumb conversation. Next article: “Is Orlando really cheaper than SF?”

[Pig Bellmont 8,738]

Oh and not to mention child care costs are significantly cheaper for my friends in TX than anywhere on the East Coast

[TwiceHorn 31,536]

4 minutes ago, Pig Bellmont said:

Oh and not to mention child care costs are significantly cheaper for my friends in TX than anywhere on the East Coast

Do you have to get a loan for that? 🤬🤬

Edited January 22, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,821]

28 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Do you have to get a loan for that? 🤬🤬

You do for the Porsche to drop them at the daycare!

[elfenix 34,332]

basically it says that what people save on their housing they spend on cars here.  i figured that out a long time ago when people in shoddy tract houses in katy had big mercedes and ferraris in their garages. 

[GHOSTUSER 361]

You can easily find a 2,500 SF new construction or 5 years or newer construction 3 story townhomes in Montrose and even bordering River Oaks off W Gray in the 500K range. I used to live in Manhattan and the assertion that NYC is cheaper is the dumbest shit I have read. Are they factoring cab rides and black car service when necessary or just a monthly MetroCard? State and city income taxes that fuck you over. Hell I felt the pinch when they jacked up cab fares during my time there. There is nothing cheaper about living in New York. 

[Pig Bellmont 8,738]

The premise angers me. I legit needed to calm down 

[ChickenSandwich 9,852]

2 hours ago, UTPhil2006 said:

I get what it's trying to do/say but it's comparing apples to not even oranges, but like a mailbox.  Selective data and such.  Houston may be higher than where it was 5 years ago (most of the state is) but we are nowhere near NYC levels of housing even factoring in car payments, gas, etc.

Lambos bitches. It’s the only explanation 

[crash_davis 23,115]

1 hour ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Dammit, fellas, stop arguing against the article!   It's clearly a plant written to keep people from moving to Houston.  Don't ruin it!

People "want" to move to Houston? Since when?

[52-80 19,246]

2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

People "want" to move to Houston? Since when?

since Mexico

[crash_davis 23,115]

2 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

since Mexico

well, since you put it that way...

[BabaYaga 15,320]

2 hours ago, StruggleBus said:

I know it's still before noon, but this is the dumbest thing I've read today. 

[Neonmoon 38,130]

In my personal experience, that article is fucking laughable. 

[BabaYaga 15,320]

11 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

People "want" to move to Houston? Since when?

Since their little fat girlfriends told them if they bought them a shiny new ring they'd let them kiss her where it's hot, moist, and smells a little funny...

[crash_davis 23,115]

All I know is that the Asian food in Queens is fucking amazing and cheap.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,523]

13 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

People "want" to move to Houston? Since when?

How dare you. Our city was named after our founding father.  The George Washington of George Washingtons.

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

2 hours ago, Native Horn said:

I don't believe this for a second, either.  Metro pass for NYC ain't cheap y'all.  (Kid in school in Manhattan)

Yeah it is. It's 121 a month all in. Car payment, maintenance, insurance, and gas is 4 to 5 times more than that for most people. Your place in Houston would need to be 400 to 500 cheaper to make up the difference. The metro cards do start to add up when your kids get old enough to need them though. 

A lot of people in Long Island and NJ overvalue the housing cost when deciding where to live too. They get triple dinged on transit.  MetroCard, expensive commuter rail pass, and all the expenses of car ownership. 

Middle class non-hip neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx probably provide the best overall combined value.  Middle class neighborhoods inside the loop in Houston aren't all that much cheaper on a per room basis. 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,142]

1 minute ago, FondrenRoad said:

Yeah it is. It's 121 a month all in. Car payment, maintenance, insurance, and gas is 4 to 5 times more than that for most people. Your place in Houston would need to be 400 to 500 cheaper to make up the difference. The metro cards do start to add up when your kids get old enough to need them though. 

A lot of people in Long Island and NJ overvalue the housing cost when deciding where to live too. They get triple dinged on transit.  MetroCard, expensive commuter rail pass, and all the expenses of car ownership. 

Middle class non-hip neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx probably provide the best overall combined value.  Middle class neighborhoods inside the loop in Houston aren't all that much cheaper on a per room basis. 

 

Metro pass is 127.

My cost of living in Manhattan is probably 1.5 times what my Houston living cost (Heights) was (just comparing housing and transport).  That does not take into account ANY other costs, such as taxes, cost of food, cost of entertainment, cost of gym memberships, etc...

Bullshit article is bullshit.  

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

47 minutes ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

You can easily find a 2,500 SF new construction or 5 years or newer construction 3 story townhomes in Montrose and even bordering River Oaks off W Gray in the 500K range. I used to live in Manhattan and the assertion that NYC is cheaper is the dumbest shit I have read. Are they factoring cab rides and black car service when necessary or just a monthly MetroCard? State and city income taxes that fuck you over. Hell I felt the pinch when they jacked up cab fares during my time there. There is nothing cheaper about living in New York. 

Manhattan has 1.5 million people. NYC has 8.6 million. Metro has nearly 20 million people. Most people who live in NYC don't live in Manhattan. Manhattan is pretty much the equivalent of River Oaks and West U. Not a place where the generic NYer lives.

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

1 minute ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Metro pass is 127.

My cost of living in Manhattan is probably 1.5 times what my Houston living cost (Heights) was (just comparing housing and transport).  That does not take into account ANY other costs, such as taxes, cost of food, cost of entertainment, cost of gym memberships, etc...

Bullshit article is bullshit.  

Manhattan isn't comparable to the Heights. It also isn't synonymous with NYC.  The article is about NYC, not Manhattan.  You chose the most expensive area to live in. There are plenty of other options. 

[Zwylde 812]

6 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Metro pass is 127.

My cost of living in Manhattan is probably 1.5 times what my Houston living cost (Heights) was (just comparing housing and transport).  That does not take into account ANY other costs, such as taxes, cost of food, cost of entertainment, cost of gym memberships, etc...

Bullshit article is bullshit.  

The article from Reason that I posted points this out.  The reason that the metro pass in NYC is so cheap is cause its subsidized by resident taxes that the TM article fails to address. 

 

 

[GHOSTUSER 361]

9 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

Manhattan has 1.5 million people. NYC has 8.6 million. Metro has nearly 20 million people. Most people who live in NYC don't live in Manhattan. Manhattan is pretty much the equivalent of River Oaks and West U. Not a place where the generic NYer lives.

So if the methodology is going to include shithole neighborhoods like Gulfton and Greenspoint that would only lessen the cost of living for Houston. The equivalent shithole in NYC would be like the South Bronx which is still significantly more expensive that the Houston shitholes. But the comparison they're trying to make is a home in a nice suburb or neighborhood in Houston with an equivalent in NYC which would be Manhattan, Westchester, Hoboken, and parts of Long Island. There is no way this makes sense.

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

10 minutes ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

So if the methodology is going to include shithole neighborhoods like Gulfton and Greenspoint that would only lessen the cost of living for Houston. The equivalent shithole in NYC would be like the South Bronx which is still significantly more expensive that the Houston shitholes. But the comparison they're trying to make is a home in a nice suburb or neighborhood in Houston with an equivalent in NYC which would be Manhattan, Westchester, Hoboken, and parts of Long Island. There is no way this makes sense.

It always included good and bad neighborhoods.  Also, I can tell you never left Manhattan much. Hoboken is a small dense expensive party town with only 55,000 people in it. North Jersey has 5 million people. The places you picked are the most expensive places in the area.  Woodbridge and Edison are the middle class comparisons you are looking for. Plenty of middle class neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens too. As well as all of Staten Island. 

Yes, NYC is more expensive than Houston at the high end. But the article isn't comparing luxury rentals alone. 

Edited January 22, 2020 by FondrenRoad

[Pig Bellmont 8,738]

12 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

Yes, NYC is more expensive than Houston at the high end. But the article isn't comparing luxury rentals alone. 

It’s more expensive at every end you ignorant boob

[DCA_HORN 725]

It always included good and bad neighborhoods.  Also, I can tell you never left Manhattan much. Hoboken is a small dense expensive party town with only 55,000 people in it. North Jersey has 5 million people. The places you picked are the most expensive places in the area.  Woodbridge and Edison are the middle class comparisons you are looking for. Plenty of middle class neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens too. As well as all of Staten Island. 
Yes, NYC is more expensive than Houston at the high end. But the article isn't comparing luxury rentals alone. 

I grew up in the Woodbridge Edison area. If you are comparing that to katy sugarland clear lake or whatever it's not even close especially considering what you get for your money in Houston.

[DaysOff 7,974]

Manhattan isn't comparable to the Heights. It also isn't synonymous with NYC.  The article is about NYC, not Manhattan.  You chose the most expensive area to live in. There are plenty of other options. 

If you're poor

[Mez2 4,025]

3 hours ago, UTPhil2006 said:

I get what it's trying to do/say but it's comparing apples to not even oranges, but like a mailbox.  Selective data and such.  Houston may be higher than where it was 5 years ago (most of the state is) but we are nowhere near NYC levels of housing even factoring in car payments, gas, etc.

shut up phil

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

51 minutes ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

42 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

It always included good and bad neighborhoods.  Also, I can tell you never left Manhattan much. Hoboken is a small dense expensive party town with only 55,000 people in it. North Jersey has 5 million people. The places you picked are the most expensive places in the area.  Woodbridge and Edison are the middle class comparisons you are looking for. Plenty of middle class neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens too. As well as all of Staten Island. 
Yes, NYC is more expensive than Houston at the high end. But the article isn't comparing luxury rentals alone. 

Read more  

I grew up in the Woodbridge Edison area. If you are comparing that to katy sugarland clear lake or whatever it's not even close especially considering what you get for your money in Houston.

Well again, there is a matter of scale. Katy Sugar Land is comparable to Woodbridge, Edison, New Brunswick, and the surrounding areas altogether. 

Also, I prefer what you get in Woodbridge Edison. I'm no fan of Fort Bend architecture. It's mostly all the same and has a walk score of near zero.

Edited January 22, 2020 by FondrenRoad

[GHOSTUSER 361]

30 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

47 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

It always included good and bad neighborhoods.  Also, I can tell you never left Manhattan much. Hoboken is a small dense expensive party town with only 55,000 people in it. North Jersey has 5 million people. The places you picked are the most expensive places in the area.  Woodbridge and Edison are the middle class comparisons you are looking for. Plenty of middle class neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens too. As well as all of Staten Island. 
Yes, NYC is more expensive than Houston at the high end. But the article isn't comparing luxury rentals alone. 

I grew up in the Woodbridge Edison area. If you are comparing that to katy sugarland clear lake or whatever it's not even close especially considering what you get for your money in Houston.

Yeah I pretty much stayed in Manhattan but had family in central Jersey (Lawrenceville and Tinton Falls) that I'd visit but those aren't real NYC suburbs. Edison fucking sucks man. That's like living off Harwin or some shit. That's not a nice area. It's like you're wanting to include the shitty stops on the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor line to compare to Sugar Land.

Edited January 22, 2020 by Iconoclast Texan

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

30 minutes ago, Pig Bellmont said:

It’s more expensive at every end you ignorant boob

Ok Boomer. 

[Blotto 23,575]

45 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

It always included good and bad neighborhoods.  Also, I can tell you never left Manhattan much. Hoboken is a small dense expensive party town with only 55,000 people in it. North Jersey has 5 million people. The places you picked are the most expensive places in the area.  Woodbridge and Edison are the middle class comparisons you are looking for. Plenty of middle class neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens too. As well as all of Staten Island. 

Yes, NYC is more expensive than Houston at the high end. But the article isn't comparing luxury rentals alone. 

What exactly are you arguing here? Is it your contention that if you live on the periphery of the NYC metro area, it's just as cheap as the periphery of the Houston metro area? I seriously doubt that. 

[UTPhil2006 3,812]

26 minutes ago, Mez2 said:

shut up phil

I’m gonna knock over your chili on Friday 

[UTPhil2006 3,812]

1 hour ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

You can easily find a 2,500 SF new construction or 5 years or newer construction 3 story townhomes in Montrose and even bordering River Oaks off W Gray in the 500K range. 

This 

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

22 minutes ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

Yeah I pretty much stayed in Manhattan but had family in central Jersey (Lawrenceville and Tinton Falls) that I'd visit but those aren't real NYC suburbs. Edison fucking sucks man. That's like living off Harwin or some shit. That's not a nice area.

It's a middle class town. And has older housing stock. And yeah, it has brown people in it.  If you want new mcmansions, then you have to go all the way out to Orange County.

 

Edited January 22, 2020 by FondrenRoad

[BabaYaga 15,320]

1 minute ago, FondrenRoad said:

And yeah, it has brown people in it

There it is.  You can set your fucking watch to it.