[RunD1987]

Originally Posted by JayCT

What? Come on now, Connecticut’s effective income tax rate is not that high. To save that much your income would have to be making $148,000 to $185,000 per year. Check the tables linked below.

The median household income in Connecticut is about $70,000. The state income tax on that is about $2,800. Jay

http://www.ct.gov/drs/lib/drs/forms/...es_to_500k.pdf

About $12K a year I lose on average to income, property, and other taxes. About $5,000 to $6,000 is loss due to State and Federal income tax. $1,000 to property tax. Rest loss to gas, utility cost, groceries, sales tax, and so forth in CT.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Wrong, on the bonus rooms, they are a Southern staple, usually on 1st, not 2nd floor. Most I saw were extremely large, in my town, 400 plus sq feet for that room was typical.

Basements were uncommon, due to clay soil base.

But total average home size of livable space was , mostly, far larger.

Lower middle class neighborhoods would have smaller homes (1100-1600 sq ft) w/o a bonus room.

The bonus rooms I see are usually over the garage which is why they are 400 square feet (20 by 20). I havent seen any on the first floor because that would require a big foundation which costs more. The point is they are cheap extra space like rooms added in basements here. Plus most lots down south are tiny (4,000 to 9,000 square feet) so there rarely is enough space to add a 400 square foot addition to the base plan. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

About $12K a year I lose on average to income, property, and other taxes. About $5,000 to $6,000 is loss due to State and Federal income tax. $1,000 to property tax. Rest loss to gas, utility cost, groceries, sales tax, and so forth in CT.

You would still be paying a Federal tax that does not change. And as I have repeatedly noted to you you will be paying higher sales tax and taxes on your groceries. As I suggested, do the math. It’s not as much as you keep saying. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

The bonus rooms I see are usually over the garage which is why they are 400 square feet (20 by 20). I havent seen any on the first floor because that would require a big foundation which costs more. The point is they are cheap extra space like rooms added in basements here. Plus most lots down south are tiny (4,000 to 9,000 square feet) so there rarely is enough space to add a 400 square foot addition to the base plan. Jay

Again, no in Southeast. Most I saw came originally built much as a large living room would be, thick carpet, woodwork looked great, generally 15-18 wide by 25-30 feet long, essentially 2x length of normal rooms. This would be in addition to a living room. Most folks used bonus rooms for many things, business room, area for kids to watch tv, some put a pool table in it, .Bonus rooms were not add ons-exist from day 1 through most Middle Tn, in most towns. Living rooms tend to stay formal in Southeast, btw.

I cannot say I have seen many comparable rooms in Ct.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

About $12K a year I lose on average to income, property, and other taxes. About $5,000 to $6,000 is loss due to State and Federal income tax. $1,000 to property tax. Rest loss to gas, utility cost, groceries, sales tax, and so forth in CT.

What is Federal Income Tax for you? SS and Medicare?

Equation: All taxes less Federal Inc Tax and SS = RunD1987's outrageously high Ct state extortion fee

[RunD1987]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

What is Federal Income Tax for you? SS and Medicare?

Equation: All taxes less Federal Inc Tax and SS = RunD1987's outrageously high Ct state extortion fee

I don't lnow rarely pay attention. I just look at the numbers. About $150 to $200 is taken out a week from my paycheck.

Also noticed health insurance is less expensive down South as well. Pay $300 for 2 people down there looking at a few jobs was half of that.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

I don't lnow rarely pay attention. I just look at the numbers. About $150 to $200 is taken out a week from my paycheck.

Also noticed health insurance is less expensive down South as well. Pay $300 for 2 people down there looking at a few jobs was half of that.

start paying attention. Look at your last State Income Tax, add property tax of your portion of building (renters pay it indirectly), gas tax, sales tax, etc.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Yes, I do. Trumbull’s SAT score is 1602 BUT as has been noted here before, you can’t go by strictly comparing these scores. SAT tests are compulsory which means not everyone has to take them. In Connecticut Students are expected to go to college so a high percentage takes the SAT. According to the linked article, all of the students at Trumbull take either the SAT or ACT tests. According to the same site only 66% of the Alpharetta students take them. That means only their top students take the tests so of course the scores would be lower in Trumbull.

As to which private school my family friend’s kids goes, I will have to check. I did not pay attention to school names since they mean nothing to me. Would be happy to let you know if you really that interested. So you know my friend did not go to Trumbull High. He is from Fairfield so that is his comparison. His wife (now ex) is English so she has little to compare to for American education. Jay

Trumbull High School, Trumbull, CT Rating, Test Scores and Rank

Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA Rating, Test Scores and Rank

CT schools are much better than GA. On this site CT is #5 and GA is #32.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ls/1079181001/

Trumbull is always in the top 20-25 for school systems in CT.

Here is a website that adjusts the SAT scores for participation rate.
https://blog.prepscholar.com/average...icipation-rate

SAT Scores
CT is #2
GA is #17 (good but no where near CT)

ACT Scores
CT is #2
Georgia #28


States with the best and worst schools. (Feb. 2018)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ls/1079181001/

CT #5
GA #32


I bet the middle rated schools in CT are as good as the best rated schools in GA.

[RunD1987]

Jp

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

start paying attention. Look at your last State Income Tax, add property tax of your portion of building (renters pay it indirectly), gas tax, sales tax, etc.

Gas tax is about $260 a year
Property tax about $1000 a year ($1400 this year)
Health Insurance $3600 a year
$3600 in income/social security tax a year
Rent is $11,000 a year/$5500 a year technically
Sales tax can't really gauge
Gas is about $1600 a year
Utilities is hard to gauge

About 38% of my pay check goes to taxes, bills, gas, living expenses, and health insurance a year.

Another 15% to food and cable a year.

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

People have been using basements for storing junk pretty much since homes began having them and for bonus rooms for probably more than 75 years. Your friends don’t need an above ground room because they have a basement and because new construction here tends to be more upscale. Jay

The point that was missed is that in New England, basements tend to be cold and humid.

In the south, the bonus room that replaces it would be a much easier space to use as living space OR a junk room.

I'm also not sure why I even bother trying to explain things here.