Just thought this was cool to look over. Everyone always talks on here about how expensive it is to live in some areas vs others. It got me thinking about the value of the dollar compared to the Euro, or the British pound, etc... Then I started thinking about it based on state to state. I found this on the US Tax Foundation Website. It's good to be a West Virginian. It is also interesting to see that most of the red states on the map area actually "RED" states.
Value of the dollar $$$
- Thread starter HISSMAN
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Pretty cool to see. A little misleading though, it appears to show the value of $100 in relative consumption but doesn't take into account the wage gap state to state. For instance the minimum wage in NY is $2.25 more than WV (yes minimum wage probably isn't the best example). My $100 doesn't buy as much here but it's easier to earn.
Looks like I'm retiring to Mississippi
Looks like I'm retiring to Mississippi
Goods not housing. NY and CA would be way lower...
But how much of that $100 does the gov take after you earn it?
You can also argue higher minimum wages increases the cost of goods, so its indirectly included.
Nice to be here in flyover country. 
As has been mentioned, housing costs could really skew the graph. Also, I think it's a little deceiving to include the entire state. For instance, Virginia has less buying power than average but you can't tell me that the coastal area doesn't have higher costs for goods than western Virginia.
Also, the areas of the country that have lower buying power generally have higher salaries. I know that when I look at salaries across the country for jobs similar to mine the salary range on either coast is notably higher than what is paid here in the Midwest.
Also, the areas of the country that have lower buying power generally have higher salaries. I know that when I look at salaries across the country for jobs similar to mine the salary range on either coast is notably higher than what is paid here in the Midwest.
The trick is to steal as many hundreds
as possible and never break it. Once a
$100 is broken. It's gone.
as possible and never break it. Once a
$100 is broken. It's gone.
Makes sense. Ny is ****ing terrible. If I made what I make in a conservative state I'd be living much better and retiring earlier. Nearly 7% state income tax, $9k in property and school tax, 8%sales tax, and some of the highest fuel taxes in the US. put that together with all the federal taxes and my wife and I are paying over 40% of our income back to the government. It's sickening..... I see why people would rather suck off the system.
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Not surprised to see the District at the top (or bottom?). The entire D.C. region is absurdly expensive.
+++++
Was thinking the same about NY lol.
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