N Va cost of living

[aa73]

Hey all you SA/RP/AWAC/Mesa IAD pilots,

How is the cost of living around Dulles these days? From what I've heard it's high but not as high as NY/California. Looking at a possible relocation in the works.

Thanks,
73

 

[the turtle]

I believe the DC region is the second most expensive place in the nation, behind BOS. A recient article in the Wash Post stated a family of four needed 64K to meet basic needs.

 

[aa73]

Dang, does that include Northern VA, specifically the Dulles area, as well? I am looking at Loudon county in particular. Sounds pretty high!

 

[Palmtree Pilot]

Loudon County is the highest.


N VA is too crowded, very expensive and insufficient infastructure!(SP?)

PtP

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Hey all you SA/RP/AWAC/Mesa IAD pilots,

How is the cost of living around Dulles these days? From what I've heard it's high but not as high as NY/California. Looking at a possible relocation in the works.

Thanks,
73

aa73,

better to ask the old ACA now Indy Air pilots.....

If you bought real estate in NOVA in the past three or more years, you've won the lottery. Now just keep up with the taxes....

 

[fly2002]

Lewshun is right on that point. People who bought houses a few years ago are reaping the benefits.

Most townhouses around Dulles are between $300,000 and $400,000. Two bedroom apartments run at $1400-2000 a month. Compared to say Raleigh NC, which is about $600 a month.

Moving in closer to DC, like fairfax, arlington, you can find houses/apartments for the same price but you will see quality decrease in order to stay at the same price. Anything within walking distance to a metro station is about $56 Billion dollars. They are trying to extend the metro out towards dulles...kind of like O'Hare but no one wants to pay for it. I've found most people moving in....buying or building homes are going west and north of Dulles, leesburg etc.
Well just thought i would throw in a few cents to help.

fly2002

 

[aa73]

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD that's expensive. Awright, I think I'll just stay down here in wallet-friendly TX...


Thanks for the replies.

 

[WhiteCloud]

If you are considering living near Dulles the best place to look is around Winchester and Harper's Ferry WVA. Not as congested and significantly less expensive than suburban DC/Northern VA.

 

[Prop2Jet]

I live near Dulles but a bit more east. My rent, which is average for the whole area is $1410 for a 1 bedroom 820sqft apartment. I wish I lived in Cleveland!!!!! Cost of living SUCKS even if you make 50K or more you will still scrape by.

P2J

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

If you are considering living near Dulles the best place to look is around Winchester and Harper's Ferry WVA. Not as congested and significantly less expensive than suburban DC/Northern VA.

At one hour from IAD...that is alot of road time... but many do it... Not bad if your work week is a four day trip....

Watch the 9 to 5 commute times.... it will blow your doors off....

Want to go faster...sometimes... take the Dulles Greenway... at $2.90 each way it will make gas seem cheap...

 

[Stealthh21]

Loudon County is the highest.


N VA is too crowded, very expensive and insufficient infastructure!(SP?)

PtP

Not to mention just a horrible place to live. 64k is still hurtin'!!!

stealthh21

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Not to mention just a horrible place to live. 64k is still hurtin'!!!

stealthh21

Everything is relative. 160K in equity.

 

[WhiteCloud]

At one hour from IAD...that is alot of road time... but many do it... Not bad if your work week is a four day trip....

Watch the 9 to 5 commute times.... it will blow your doors off....

Want to go faster...sometimes... take the Dulles Greenway... at $2.90 each way it will make gas seem cheap...

I agree with all this. There really is no good way to get to Dulles from any direction at certain times of the day. The Greenway never really impressed me as much of a time saver. I guess it works for some.......Why not just take Route 7 to 28 South?

 

[pwesterb2000]

There are plenty of good places to live in the area, but you can't expect to pay the same that you would to live in the midwest, for example. I live in Arlington and to me, it's worth it to pay the extra money to live in a spot that has a lot going on. Gotta compare apples to apples. Yes, in some ways the cost of living is high but cmon, so is Boston, NYC, or any other cosmopolitan place offering alot of things to take advantage of. I also can guarantee that I come out on top, financially, by living IN-base and picking up extra flying (time-and-a-half) vs. commuting and saving on rent.

Also, while traffic IS bad in the DC area, I take the Airport Access road from Dulles out towards the beltway and then hop in route 66 for a few short miles...even in the worst rushour traffic the longest its EVER taken me to get home is an 50 mins (normally 20 mins).

You have to decide what your priorities are...paying a little bit more to live in a nice area or saving money and living in a @($*# area of the country.

 

[aa73]

Thanks for all the tips guys, this was for a possible corporate job opportunity at IAD should things head south here at my current gig. Guess I'll have to wait and see... but I'd love to live in Arlington or Alexandria, rather than out towards IAD. More to do, I just don't know how I can swing the cost of living. I think it's easier if you already are living there and have some equity to trade.

 

[great cornholio]

The IAD area is ok. I grew up there and my parents bought a townhouse in Jan of 86 I don't know how many sq feet it is or anything like that but its 3 bed 1.5 bath and its in the Yorkshire area of Manassas and they bought it for 68k and its worth more than 250k now. And we have never really added anything to it just kept the house up with basic mx. The traffic sucks get ready for rush hour. Morning rush between 6-9 lunch rush 11-2 and then the afternoon rush 330-6. But theres lots to do there with stuff being open late all the time so I dont think its a horrible place to live. You just need to do some research and see where the bad places of town are cause there are definatly some bad places. And another thing to consider is there are a lot of hispanics up there that don't bother me too much except for they always drink out side and turn their car radios up and listen to music all the time....which gets kind of annoying but the party usually wraps up around 9pm or so.