you're getting a little more down-modded than you should, in my opinion (though it would help to make this more than a one-liner).
250K out here in SF still buys you a nice life, especially if it is a one-income family. If it's a dual-income, full time family with two kids?
The median price of a 3br house in SF is around 1mil, maybe a little higher. Full time daycare is about 25k a year per kid, really, this isn't an exaggeration. So a 5k per month mortgage and about 4k a month in childcare - and because the two-income family is "high income", they lose out on most tax breaks for the childcare expenses. Reality is, you're a lot better off financially with one huge wage earner and one stay at home parent.
250k a year is still a nice salary, and many people who have it 1) don't have kids, and 2) got into the housing market a while ago, and carry a much smaller mortgage (their property taxes are much, much lower, too).
But for a two income family new to the housing market, with two small kids? 250k keeps you safely in the middle class, but you'll be limited in where you can live (outer-ish sunset or south of 280 are probably your best housing options).
250K out here in SF still buys you a nice life, especially if it is a one-income family. If it's a dual-income, full time family with two kids?
The median price of a 3br house in SF is around 1mil, maybe a little higher. Full time daycare is about 25k a year per kid, really, this isn't an exaggeration. So a 5k per month mortgage and about 4k a month in childcare - and because the two-income family is "high income", they lose out on most tax breaks for the childcare expenses. Reality is, you're a lot better off financially with one huge wage earner and one stay at home parent.
250k a year is still a nice salary, and many people who have it 1) don't have kids, and 2) got into the housing market a while ago, and carry a much smaller mortgage (their property taxes are much, much lower, too).
But for a two income family new to the housing market, with two small kids? 250k keeps you safely in the middle class, but you'll be limited in where you can live (outer-ish sunset or south of 280 are probably your best housing options).