Gothamist: New Yorkers Spend Less on Living Expenses

WJM minneapolis

Thu, 31 May 2007 22:23:24 -0500

I left NY because I can't find an apartment, I am not leaving Minneapolis for the same reason. rhoda morgenstern

matty

Thu, 31 May 2007 20:16:36 -0500

eh...people say nyc is more expensive than chicago but really it isn't as far as consumer goods and transit is concerned. sometimes i wonder why i just don't get up and move to nyc...maybe it's the rent that does it. or the fc that i can't breathe in manhattan.

chrhr

Thu, 31 May 2007 18:06:35 -0500

These figures can be used to say anyting about spending habits. They don't tell you anything concrete. Actually, what you mean is that New Yorkers spend less as a percentage of their overall income. As you write "It's important to keep in mind that New Yorkers also had a higher average household income for the metropolitan area at $74,851." They very well may (and probably do) spend more money than people in LA and Chicago. Saying New Yorkers spend less is like saying someone making a million anually, and spending only 400,000, spends "less" than someone who makes only 20,000 but spends 15,000. Such an absurd skewering of statistics makes overconsumption look like thrift.

Not Sure

Thu, 31 May 2007 18:00:59 -0500

perhaps lower taxes (no state / municipal) and also the always handy credit account for that 80% pretax income spending stat...

Craig

Thu, 31 May 2007 17:20:29 -0500

How can one spend 80% of their pretax income when ~30% of one's income is taxed? Did you mean 80% of income after taxes?

Tim

Thu, 31 May 2007 16:53:14 -0500

That's because we have nothing left over after rent.

JT

Thu, 31 May 2007 15:43:39 -0500

My living expenses went up when Grays Papaya stopped serving their "recession special" and replaced it with their new "inflation special"

Josh

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:48:40 -0500

The Times also reports that ... Chicago residents average $3,000 of charitable contributions each year (double the national average). Good for Chicagoans. I give them a thumbs-up.