what does hcola exactly entail?

**momof1in150** · 02-13-2009, 03:09 AM

We are in RI and considered a HCOLA area. DH works for the govt and we get an adjustment in his base pay because we live here. Our housing prices are high and we live on an island so we drive to just about everywhere.

We aren't in a city so not all areas that are considered High COLA are cities.

**Caoineag** · 02-13-2009, 05:40 AM

High Cost of Living locations tend to have more jobs, more cultural events and locations and more people period. Doesn't mean that is always true, its just a generalization. Also Hcola's tend to pay higher because the cost of living is higher. There are plenty of low cost areas that are great but may not have the best unemployment rate or may not have a very diverse job market.

I lived in Michigan most of my life and most (but not all) of the state is lcola, but unemployment and the job market are the reason I moved away. Of course I moved to a Hcola (low unemployment and diverse job market) but its not as expensive as most of California or New York.

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 02-13-2009, 06:14 AM

Boston HCOLA in what way? Childcare starts around $2k/month. 1 bd rent start around $1k/month. Utilities last month I heated 300 therms of gas for $500! Car insurance $1200/year for 2 cars/2 drivers liability ONLY.

And as to Momof1, I know many people who commute from Providence because it's cheaper than boston. Crazy! 1 hr each way on the train. That's so they can afford a home, because in Boston, or nearby suburbs, it's not going to happen. Condos and townhouses. People also live in New Hampshire because it's so expensive to buy a home in Boston. I'd say the average home price is $500k in a not-so great neighborhood.

Look at prime suburbs for school districts? Homes start at $750k+ for something crappy.

Now this is still not bad. We moved here from San Diego, another ridiculous area. There you also drove one hour to get a reasonably priced home or more.

**MonkeyMama** · 02-13-2009, 06:16 AM

One word - JOBS.

The thing about HCOLA is EVERYTHING is more expensive. Everyone has the same bills to pay, so they charge more for services than they would in LCOLAs, etc.

We moved 2 hours away from "insane HCOLA" to "LCOLA in the state, but HCOLA compared to most the country." Anyway, we find life much simpler here. BUT I think the thing about us is our jobs translate to anywhere. Actually, it was easy for me to find a job and I didn't even take a pay cut moving somewhere significantly cheaper. So for us, obviously we don't understand the whole HCOLA thing. There was no advantage for us. But most of our relatives and friends could not find jobs anywhere else. The area we live in now is NOT known for an abundance of jobs.

When you grow up in a HCOLA you do get spoiled by the diversity and cultural events, etc. It is hard to move to rural America from a big city. IT can feel like moving to a foreign country.

Plus where we live, the weather is a HUGE factor. People move to Cali for the mild weather, for sure.

**zetta** · 02-13-2009, 12:50 PM

In San Diego we call it the "sunshine tax".

In addition to consistently beautiful weather, where else can you be within an hour of the ocean, mountains, and desert?

I've lived in a small Kentucky city, the capital of South Carolina, St. Louis, and San Diego so I have some basis for comparison. While all had museums, theaters, and sports, the variety and quality gets better the larger you go.

In Kentucky, it was one tiny train museum, an amateur community theater, and high school sports. In South Carolina, there were a couple of theaters, the state ballet, college sports, and minor-league baseball. In St. Louis, more museums and theaters, and professional football and baseball. In San Diego there are two world-class zoos plus Sea World, more than a dozen museums, theaters that send original productions to Broadway, and of course professional sports (although we may lose our football team to Los Angeles). Of course the museums here are nothing compared to Washington DC or New York.

Also access to higher education -- in Kentucky there was only the local community college, in St. Louis maybe 3 universities plus half a small 4-year colleges, in San Diego 4-5 major universities.

Another thing you get that wasn't in the Midwest when I was growing up (although I've heard it's changing) is more ethnic diversity. My son is likely to go to school with kids whose families are from China, India, the Phillipines, Vietnam, Europe, South America, and of course Mexico. I have neighbors from South Africa, Denmark, Canada, Australia, England, and France, and coworkers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Lebanon, and China. This also means we have lots more ethnic restaurants and grocery stores to choose from. Where I grew up, we only had one African-American kid in my school (due housing patterns, most of the minority kids were in a different school), and I never even met someone who was Jewish until I was seventeen.

These things are not necessarily worth the extra cost of living -- after all you'll visit them more often by taking vacations to the big cities -- but it's a nice bonus when you combine it with the job prospects. In South Carolina there was really only one or two companies where my skills were applicable, here there are probably 50 or 100 places I can work.

**Phenomenal Woman** · 02-14-2009, 08:40 AM

For me it is the weather! I live in Silicon Valley and can go either to San Francisco or Santa Cruz within an hour to an hour and half drive! Multi culture, ethnic foods, social events, deaf cultures, more job opportunities, shopping, beaches, skiing (Lake Tahoe)... I pretty much have it all in one state.

I was raised in Montana as a country girl and have deep roots there. After being in California and been exposed to so much, I could not go back to Montana as much as I love it there, I do not think I would fit in anymore.

**Goldy1** · 02-14-2009, 09:31 AM

There is a ton of ethnic diversity here in my suburb of MI, but ironiclly there was none where I grew up an hour away. My high school was literally 100% white and a couple MExican kids.

Now I live among Indian, Polish, ALbanian etc. I like it. There is a grocery store near me that is 100% Polish for instance.

The thing I find ironic is in some of the hcola, the jobs do not actually pay a higher salary and in some cases I have heard pay even less!

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 02-16-2009, 05:30 AM

Ask someone whose a minority how ethinically diverse your area is. What you consider diverse might not be to them. Some would say where I live is "ethinically" diverse. Personally? I don't think so.

Not all HCOLAs are diverse. It depends where it is.

**cicy33** · 02-16-2009, 10:38 AM

How do you know if you live somewhere like that? I moved to Durham, NC and I personally think it is very expensive to live here. The rents, groceries, everything is higher than back home in the midwest. course some jobs pay better too.

**DC Metro Crab** · 02-16-2009, 10:44 PM

It's a personal preference. Some people hate the city. I say more power to those who can afford to live where they want. Generally I don't think one is better than the other, both have their pros and cons.

I enjoy city living, have no desire for a SFH or a yard, and love being able to walk everywhere. The sound of traffic bouncing off of tall buildings soothes me at night. DC is not big city enough for me!

**Goldy1** · 02-17-2009, 06:05 AM

I couldn't live "in the country" IT is peaceful, but not for me. I would not like a big major city year round either.
I think I'd move to Cali tomororw id I had a billion dolars. lol

But I like the small hip trendy little suburban type cites that are walkable. WE have a few nice ones in Michigan where you can buy a loft or nearby house and walk to a bar or shop.

**GREENBACK** · 02-17-2009, 12:09 PM

I've lived in city and country. I grew up in a urban enviorment but had rural roots. I now live in a rural enviorment with 100 acres of woods right out my backdoor and a zillion stars in the sky on a clear night. I personally love it and don't miss the bumper to bumper traffic and the crime and all the other wonderful aspects of the big city. Of course, I'm in a real LCOLA and thoughly enjoy that. I'd pay more to live here.

what does hcola exactly entail?