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When I say discussing the issue, I don't mean just chatting about it on a city-data thread. Nothing is done in the public eye to even begin addressing the problem.
Politicians don't do anything about it because they're busy giving jobs to friends and family and contracts to companies that gave them a donation.
That's where the money goes.
Politicians can't do anything about it because there's huge salaries and benefits built into public sector contracts that go back decades. LI supports a growing army of rich pension geezers living in cheaper states. NY state law protects them and keeps cash flowing down to Dixie.
That's where the money goes.
Politicians are afraid to do anything about it because there's big scary debt. In Nassau, there's a $3B debt and the county borrows tens of millions every year to keep the lights on. All that debt comes with millions in interest payments. Suffolk's debt is not as high but not far behind.
That's where the money goes.
Politicians don't need to do anything about it because people keep paying the taxes. Why should they? What we call a "government" is little better than a crime syndicate, and it exists to serve them, not you. We pay protection money to prevent homelessness.
That's where the money goes.
I get it your parents paid the bills, but this is old news. I suggest you read other C-D threads and Newsday for more details.
A better question would be, why are you choosing Queens and NYC to represent Long Island? I could just as easily use any other town around Ronkonkoma and end up with the same result.
If the majority of the LI workforce works in NYC like you claim, that would mean the majority of people in Ronkonkoma work in NYC. By this logic it shouldn't matter if I choose Ronkonkoma, or surrounding areas. Let's take Bohemia, which is not far away, $88,586 (basically the same). Let's take Holbrook, $91,517 (slightly higher). Let's take Selden, $83,774, again, about the same. How many middle class towns do we need to include here to represent the area WE live in? This is not Queens.
When did I ever pick out Queens? It goes without saying that there are more NYC jobs out there and higher paying ones than all of LI. It's a ridiculous analysis to choose 1 town in town in LI and argue that that is the average salary a LIer makes. When I move out to Nassau, I will still be working in NYC, not in any LI town. I also found the census 2014 stat online stating median Nassau LI household income is $98k and 88k in Suffolk... which are higher than your low 80s figure. What industry and companies do you have in Ronkonkoma and Selden? A drop in the bucket relative to all the jobs and companies in the city.
GoodByeLI....I am positive the residents of Apex will ask you to please refrain from posting these numbers on this site. Just having one former LIer there is enough.
And they're already being overrun with the Ronkonkoma crowd. Kindly delete your post, thanks.
When I say discussing the issue, I don't mean just chatting about it on a city-data thread. Nothing is done in the public eye to even begin addressing the problem.
I'm surprised so many people here quickly condemn my post, yet they have nothing to say about some of the examples I presented. You don't see a problem with $15,000 per year in taxes on an old dilapidated home in Centereach that costs $150,000???
The argument that higher salaries here will boost your social security isn't exactly true anymore, is it? Recent stats show that we're pretty much even with the national average for salaries. True, some salaries in NYC are higher, but all of us don't work in NYC, nor do all of us want to. Let's do a comparison with real numbers...
I'm comparing my hometown here on LI to an area in NC.
Cost of living comparison: Apex NC vs. Ronkonkoma NY
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Apex, NC
Estimated median household income in 2013: $88,328
Estimated median house or condo value in 2013: $252,969
Wake County current property tax = .6005
Apex Town current property tax = .38
Total property tax = .6005 + .38 = .9805
Purchase price: $252,969
Down payment: 20% ($50,594)
Mortgage term: 30 years
Interest rate: 3.8%
Property tax: $2,480.36 per year
Property insurance: $1,000 per year
Monthly payment = $1,233.01
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Ronkonkoma, NY
Estimated median household income in 2013: $88,425
Estimated median house or condo value in 2013: $337,844
Suffolk County current average property tax $9,988
Purchase price: $337,844
Down payment: 20% ($67,569)
Mortgage term: 30 years
Interest rate: 3.8%
Property tax: $9,988 per year
Property insurance: $1,000 per year
Monthly payment = $2,175.03
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Difference in median salary: $88,425(NY) - $88,328(NC) = $97
That is only $8.08 per month (or $2.02 per week) less in median salary in Apex NC
Difference in estimated monthly payment:
$2,175.03 - $1,233.01 = $942.02
That is $235.51 more PER WEEK in Ronkonkoma NY
$235.51 - $2.02 = $233.49 (cancelling out the insignificant salary difference per week)
With median salaries the same, it costs approximately $233.49 more per week, $933.96 more per month, $11,207.52 more per year to live in Ronkonkoma NY vs. Apex NC.
This is how much extra it would cost to live in Ronkonkoma NY/Long Island over time while earning practically the same salary as someone in Apex NC using the numbers above...
$11,207.52 x 10 years = $112,075.20
$11,207.52 x 20 years = $224,150.40
$11,207.52 x 30 years = $336,225.60
If you take that same $11,207.52 per year and invest it in a 401k yielding 4% interest, in 30 years the future value would be approximately $642,138 and that's without any employer contributions.
Obviously there are a lot of other factors... but I think the higher salary argument isn't really true anymore.
As someone who grew up in Apex, NC....Long Islanders moving there in droves has made it significantly less affordable in the past decade. It's not your geography or even really your government that makes your area more expensive.... its....all of you. And you spread it wherever you go
Last edited by TarHeelNick; 09-10-2016 at 08:29 PM..
When did I ever pick out Queens? It goes without saying that there are more NYC jobs out there and higher paying ones than all of LI. It's a ridiculous analysis to choose 1 town in town in LI and argue that that is the average salary a LIer makes. When I move out to Nassau, I will still be working in NYC, not in any LI town. I also found the census 2014 stat online stating median Nassau LI household income is $98k and 88k in Suffolk... which are higher than your low 80s figure. What industry and companies do you have in Ronkonkoma and Selden? A drop in the bucket relative to all the jobs and companies in the city.
You're really not making any sense and you're not very good at reading. You just said you found the 2014 census stats online which puts household incomes in Suffolk at 88k... which is the EXACT same number I posted for Ronkonkoma. Go back and look. So, you just proved that all of Suffolk is pretty much the same as Ronkonkoma when it comes to income. Thanks.
How ridiculous is my analysis now when the entire county has the same income stats as the towns I pointed out?
I also said in my last post, if most people on LI work in NYC then that would mean most of the people in Ronkonkoma (which is on LONG ISLAND) work in the city. Which many people here do. So, if the income for Ronkonkoma is virtually the same for the entire county of Suffolk, which is a pretty large county, NYC salaries really aren't doing squat for the people of Suffolk (no matter which town you pick). Are they? Especially when some people are commuting 4 hours a day just to get to the city, and paying exorbitant travel expenses to do so. I know people who do this commute daily, and it's hell. And their salaries are nothing amazing, not even close. They just do it to survive.
What industry companies do we have in Ronkonkoma and Selden? None. Mostly small businesses. If you're familiar with ALL of Long Island and not just the small part close to the city you'd know this. The biggest employer east of the industrial park in Hauppauge is probably Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Hospital. East of that is probably Brookhaven Lab. The biggest private sector job hub on LI is on the Nassau/Suffolk border in the Melville area. There are actually a good amount of finance, tech, and other corporate jobs there. Henry Schein headquarters is also located there, which is the largest company on LI based on revenue. Not as many jobs as NYC, which is obvious to anyone, but there are a large number of people who do NOT work in NYC... if you can believe that.
Anyway, having jobs in NYC, which is an hour and a half train ride away, doesn't justify the oppressive taxes out here. Especially when stats show household incomes are nothing spectacular. The numbers don't lie.
And they're already being overrun with the Ronkonkoma crowd. Kindly delete your post, thanks.
twingles... i've already been down to NC to price out houses in Apex, Holly Springs, and Cary. I work in the tech field and will be transferring my job to RTP.
As someone who grew up in Apex, NC....Long Islanders moving there in droves has made it significantly less affordable in the past decade. It's not your geography or even really your government that makes your area more expensive.... its....all of you. And you spread it wherever you go
I've been to Apex a few times to visit. Long Islanders moving there isn't your problem. You have people from everywhere moving in to be close to RTP, all the jobs, and the low tax rates. I took my kids to a playground in Apex while visiting. Most of the people weren't even from this country. However, we did meet people from the Washington DC area, New Jersey, Connecticut, and a lot of places in the northeast.
You're really not making any sense and you're not very good at reading. You just said you found the 2014 census stats online which puts household incomes in Suffolk at 88k... which is the EXACT same number I posted for Ronkonkoma. Go back and look. So, you just proved that all of Suffolk is pretty much the same as Ronkonkoma when it comes to income. Thanks.
How ridiculous is my analysis now when the entire county has the same income stats as the towns I pointed out?
I also said in my last post, if most people on LI work in NYC then that would mean most of the people in Ronkonkoma (which is on LONG ISLAND) work in the city. Which many people here do. So, if the income for Ronkonkoma is virtually the same for the entire county of Suffolk, which is a pretty large county, NYC salaries really aren't doing squat for the people of Suffolk (no matter which town you pick). Are they? Especially when some people are commuting 4 hours a day just to get to the city, and paying exorbitant travel expenses to do so. I know people who do this commute daily, and it's hell. And their salaries are nothing amazing, not even close. They just do it to survive.
What industry companies do we have in Ronkonkoma and Selden? None. Mostly small businesses. If you're familiar with ALL of Long Island and not just the small part close to the city you'd know this. The biggest employer east of the industrial park in Hauppauge is probably Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Hospital. East of that is probably Brookhaven Lab. The biggest private sector job hub on LI is on the Nassau/Suffolk border in the Melville area. There are actually a good amount of finance, tech, and other corporate jobs there. Henry Schein headquarters is also located there, which is the largest company on LI based on revenue. Not as many jobs as NYC, which is obvious to anyone, but there are a large number of people who do NOT work in NYC... if you can believe that.
Anyway, having jobs in NYC, which is an hour and a half train ride away, doesn't justify the oppressive taxes out here. Especially when stats show household incomes are nothing spectacular. The numbers don't lie.
Good points, enjoy NC. My career and family are in NYC, so it's LI for me. My job would not be there in Apex, NC. I'm curious as to what fields do the residents work there for such a high median income (the median US household annual income is $52k). Upon a quick google search, the top employer in Apex is their school system and is a small town. Perhaps they are commuting to nearby Raleigh? I was posting earlier on my phone while I was out, so wasn't paying full attention to your posts. When my kids are college age, I may sell the LI house and buy a NYC condo or a house out of state when the nest is empty. To give you a bit of where I'm coming from...the taxes are not that bad relative to NYC taxes for me as I have kids and want them to be away from NYC public schools. I'm paying a bit over $7k a year on my 1 bedroom Queens co-op right now in maintenance/HOA fees. And that is considered low since many co-ops have much higher monthly maintenance fees of $607 a month. I've seen some 1 bedroom co-ops with maintenance of $1k a month, that's $12k a year. The apt is 700 sq feet....I wish I had the extra space for a backyard and rooms for my kids that a house would offer. I have to hustle for street parking everyday and the schools in the city pale in comparison to most LI districts. I couldn't afford a NYC house in the desirable areas. My point is that you won't get away from property taxes if you must live in the area...it's high in NJ, high in Westchester. You'll get a break in NYC, but houses are expensive and if you have school age kids, you would want to pay for private school anyway....that already eats up the NYC tax savings. If you have school age kids, it's not a tough pill to swallow in terms of property taxes (most of it goes to the school system). If you don't have school age kids, yes it is a lot and time to consider moving elsewhere.
twingles... i've already been down to NC to price out houses in Apex, Holly Springs, and Cary. I work in the tech field and will be transferring my job to RTP.
see you soon twingles. can't wait to meet you.
NYC salaries make it worth it, My town has a median income of 148k a 400k house has 10k taxes. The commute is 40 min on train. I work in the tech industry also and know tons of people in the filed. Every one is making near 6 figures and above. As crazy as it sounds, towns with lower priced housing many times have higher taxes since they don't have the 800k-1.3mm houses paying 25-30k a year in taxes to help keep the budget balanced. You are moderately correct not every works in NYC. In your are it's less frequent since it's out there and the commute is miserable. Majority of people West of the Huntington area are working in NYC. NYC jobs just pay more, I looked and was offered jobs. All the LI jobs where paying 22-30k less than NYC.
I've been to Apex a few times to visit. Long Islanders moving there isn't your problem. You have people from everywhere moving in to be close to RTP, all the jobs, and the low tax rates. I took my kids to a playground in Apex while visiting. Most of the people weren't even from this country. However, we did meet people from the Washington DC area, New Jersey, Connecticut, and a lot of places in the northeast.
Yes; Western Wake County is fast-growing with significant migrations of people from India/East Asia and from the Boston-Washington corridor, as well as Florida. They come here for the same reason I suspect prior generations of people came to LI 50 years ago; proximity to high-paying jobs and a suburban lifestyle.
Our property taxes might not be as high (yet) but it's all relative. It may seem "affordable" to you coming form an expensive area of the country; but the COL has gone up pretty significantly for those of us who grew up here or have been here for a long time.. It's just something to be mindful of to keep things in perspective.
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