$84,000 a year now qualifies as low income in high-cost Orange County

[rangerrebew]

$84,000 a year now qualifies as low income in high-cost Orange County

By Jeff Collins | JeffCollins@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: May 3, 2017 at 5:23 pm | UPDATED: May 5, 2017 at 12:41 am


A family of four with an annual income of $84,450 or less now qualifies as low income in Orange County.

A single person living alone qualifies as low income if he or she earns $58,450 or less a year.

Orange County has the fifth-highest income threshold in the nation, according to new income limits released last month by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/05/03/84000-a-year-now-qualifies-as-low-income-in-high-cost-orange-county/

[mirraflake]

I live in a semi rural area and $84k today for  a family of four will  not exactly have you living like the Kardashians.

After taxes you have $800-1k for mortgage, $1k+ for health insurance pr month or more, $4-5k HI deductibles to contend with each year, property tax, 1 new car and 1 used car payment, reasonable yearly vacation for the kiddies, saving up for retirement in 401k and kiddies college fund, house and car repairs, food utilities clothes, kids activities

Not much left over. A needed new roof at $10k or $4000 new transmission will put many in the red for some years.

It can be done and many do it (in some areas) but it is tough.

[geronl]

$84k is like being royalty around here.

[mirraflake]

$84k is like being royalty around here.

Where is that?

@geronl

[Oceander]

I live in a semi rural area and $84k today for  a family of four will  not exactly have you living like the Kardashians.

After taxes you have $800-1k for mortgage, $1k+ for health insurance pr month or more, $4-5k HI deductibles to contend with each year, property tax, 1 new car and 1 used car payment, reasonable yearly vacation for the kiddies, saving up for retirement in 401k and kiddies college fund, house and car repairs, food utilities clothes, kids activities

Not much left over. A needed new roof at $10k or $4000 new transmission will put many in the red for some years.

It can be done and many do it (in some areas) but it is tough.

That's cheap compared to where I live.

[ABX]

$84k is like being royalty around here.

It is comfortable middle class here.

[XenaLee]

Well don't look now.... but.... apparently, if you make up to $75,000 a year, the GOPers think you should (and will, under their recent legislation....HR1628) qualify for a "tax credit" (subsidy) of up to $4,000 a year, depending upon your age.... to help pay for your health insurance.  Can we afford it?  Hell no.  Make sense?  Of course not.  But then... it's the DC crowd.  Must be something in the water.

4 ‘‘(E) $4,000 in the case of an individual
5 who has attained age 60 as of such time.

17 ‘‘(ii) $75,000 (twice such amount in
18 the case of a joint return).

[Gefn]

It is comfortable middle class here.

It's about that too where I live slightly more. I don't know how people live. Honestly

[UnwashedPeasant]

I guess my taxes should go up to help subsidize them. /s

[Smokin Joe]

It is comfortable middle class here.

Same here. Solidly comfortable.

[Smokin Joe]

Well don't look now.... but.... apparently, if you make up to $75,000 a year, the GOPers think you should (and will, under their recent legislation....HR1628) qualify for a "tax credit" (subsidy) of up to $4,000 a year, depending upon your age.... to help pay for your health insurance.  Can we afford it?  Hell no.  Make sense?  Of course not.  But then... it's the DC crowd.  Must be something in the water.

What do you expect in a town where the per diem allowance is close to $250.00?
At the height of the oil boom here, it went up to a whopping fifty six dollars a day.

[Hondo69]

It is common for politicians to pass legislation triggered by a dollar amount.  Yet $100 does not have the same purchasing power coast to coast.  In California you can get a decent double espresso for that money but in Dime Box, Texas you can buy a good used car for $100.  OK, I'm slightly exaggerating, but only slightly.

[Smokin Joe]

It is common for politicians to pass legislation triggered by a dollar amount.  Yet $100 does not have the same purchasing power coast to coast.  In California you can get a decent double espresso for that money but in Dime Box, Texas you can buy a good used car for $100.  OK, I'm slightly exaggerating, but only slightly.

I'm not sure about 'decent', but I bought an ugly beater once that I had back on the road for less than $100. It was only 25 years ago. I drove that thing for two years.