Sean K. Reynolds talks RPG salaries, puts his on record.

[Jd Smith1]

?
Pay has gone up significantly less than cost of living since the early 80s. It isn't even close, actually.

Also, 83% of the US lives in urban areas.

Depends on the region. Just because the media claims something, doesn't make it a fact. Sure, in major urban sprawls, the cost of housing has severely diminished purchasing power. But that isn't the entire USA, or even a majority of the USA. It's a big country.

I would strongly challenge that 83% number. But I spent my working life in urban areas. In my area, you can get a tract home for $50,000 or less.

 

[Zaukrie]

Depends on the region. Just because the media claims something, doesn't make it a fact. Sure, in major urban sprawls, the cost of housing has severely diminished purchasing power. But that isn't the entire USA, or even a majority of the USA. It's a big country.

I would strongly challenge that 83% number. But I spent my working life in urban areas. In my area, you can get a tract home for $50,000 or less.

data.

United States - Urbanization 2020 | Statista

In 2020, about 82.66 percent of the total population in the United States lived in cities and urban areas.

www.statista.com

 

[Marc Radle]

Depends on the region. Just because the media claims something, doesn't make it a fact. Sure, in major urban sprawls, the cost of housing has severely diminished purchasing power. But that isn't the entire USA, or even a majority of the USA. It's a big country.

I would strongly challenge that 83% number. But I spent my working life in urban areas. In my area, you can get a tract home for $50,000 or less.

Good LORD!!! Where do you live???

 

[Zaukrie]

Good LORD!!! Where do you live???

Ya, you can't even get a vacant lot for that in any city.

 

[J.Quondam]

Good LORD!!! Where do you live???

1979 maybe?

 

[Deset Gled]

Ya, you can't even get a vacant lot for that in any city.

You'd be surprised. You can find row homes in Philly for that price. There are also a number of really good reasons why you don't want to actually live there (crime rates, food deserts, etc) , but they do exist.

In the American west, there are areas that are just empty. Not realistically farmable, too far away from anywhere to commute, no reliable utilities. Just land. You can get it really cheap if you're willing/able to build your own infrastructure.

 

[payn]

Im ok working until 60 if I can spare myself the living in Dust Cough South Dakota or Frog Fart Mississippi.

 

[Jd Smith1]

data.

United States - Urbanization 2020 | Statista

In 2020, about 82.66 percent of the total population in the United States lived in cities and urban areas.

www.statista.com

No: just a website.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Ya, you can't even get a vacant lot for that in any city.

Are you kidding? There are thousands of cities across the USA where housing are very reasonable. Its just the big sprawls where you have to fork over insanely inflated prices.

My lakefront house is 14 minutes' drive from the city where I worked before I retired. In that city, you can buy a 2-1.5-1 starter home on a quarter acre lot in a nice neighborhood for around $45,000.

This is why Cost of living indexes are more important than actual salaries. I worked in the Austin area before I moved to my current location, and housing there was already soaring. My baby brother stayed, but he was in the tech field, so his salary increased faster than housing costs. Had I stayed in Austin, I would still be working. And paying off a mortgage.

It's a big country. Trying to apply statistics to it as a whole is unwise.

But it is more interesting to say 'salaries are shrinking' rather than, 'jamming ever more people into the same restricted space artificially drives up the value of property, and huge numbers of people are being suckered into paying far more for housing than they would need to'.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

No: just a website.

True. But this one is from the University of Michigan, Center for Sustainable Systems and includes references of where it got its data.

U.S. Cities Factsheet

Large, densely populated, and bustling with activity, cities are cultural and economic centers, providing employment, leisure, and educational opportunities. Energy and resources flow in and out of cities to support their population and infrastructure. However, there is increasing attention on...

css.umich.edu