Poll:Is your ZIP in the Super ZIP's?

[FIREd]

I wonder if there's an inverse relationship between the ranking and the livability of an area

It's often the case, it seems, but not necessarily. My retirement location has a high score (91), yet it is located in an area with little traffic congestion, low taxes, low RE prices, and low cost of living in general. This is basically a high-tech enclave in a generally rural area. Excellent wealth-building location.

 

[Walt34]

We were thinking of going towards the Washington D.C. area for a vacation last summer but after looking at the congestion and pricing, decided to fly off elsewhere.

A wise decision. Traffic there was the reason we moved to WV.

 

[brewer12345]

I'm stunned: 87. Heck, some of my neighbors don't even have all their teeth...

I am starting to suspect buggy data. Place I grew up came in at 5X. No freaking way. Average house these days is close to a million.

 

[LOL!]

Last 4 places I've lived in the US: 93, 99, 98, 97.

When housing is expensive, cars are Hondas, Toyotas, Volkswagons
When housing is cheap, cars are Lexus, Acura, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche.

 

[gerntz]

76. Higher than I would have expected, like maybe 60-65.

 

[audreyh1]

22

Am I the lowest one here?

Moved from 75

 

[NW-Bound]

It occurred to me that as the ranking is based on median income, retirement communities would have a low ranking. So I looked up Sun City, AZ, one of the first retirement communities. ZIP 85351 scores a 26. There are also fewer college graduates among older people. This is not at all surprising, as nowadays college graduates are a dime a dozen.

Come to think of it, most of us when fully retired will pull down the score of our area. What I am spending now is less than 1/3 of our former full-time income, though my expense is still quite higher than the nation median gross income. And as I am spending after-tax savings and have not touched before-tax savings, my official income (meaning taxable) is significantly lower than my expenses.

 

[ABQ2015]

Current area is a 58. Grew up primarily in a 38 and am sure that my other childhood homes scored even lower (the deep south, a Texas border town, etc.). Plan to retire in a 63. There were only three zip codes in my state that were in the 90's.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Count me among the downsized. Grew up in a 98 (though it wasn't back then) and live in a 55 now.

 

[panacea]

currently a 77. Surprised to see our potential retirement spot is an 85. Interesting- thanks for the link!

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I am driving back to my pre-2004 "better" zip code today to go to the dentist. I am packing a cooler for some grocery shopping as the same big chain stocks different things there than the one close to my home. I guess the artisan breads and such don't sell here.

 

[nphx]

in 53 - moving to 96

 

[Revlefty]

Oh, my!

Right now, we live in a 63. I'm hoping to FIRE to a 41. The town where my secretary grew up is a 1! She calls it the crack capital of the world.

 

[prototype]

In a 95 (NOVA just outside of DC), FIRE'ed in 2011...hope to be outta here in a year or two when GF can "retire" after a bit more portfolio building on her part. Planning on heading South....Maybe SC or rural VA, we both agree that we just want to get out of the "craziness" of the DC area after living here all our lives.

 

[Lsbcal]

It occurred to me that as the ranking is based on median income, retirement communities would have a low ranking. So I looked up Sun City, AZ, one of the first retirement communities. ZIP 85351 scores a 26. There are also fewer college graduates among older people. This is not at all surprising, as nowadays college graduates are a dime a dozen.

Come to think of it, most of us when fully retired will pull down the score of our area. What I am spending now is less than 1/3 of our former full-time income, though my expense is still quite higher than the nation median gross income. And as I am spending after-tax savings and have not touched before-tax savings, my official income (meaning taxable) is significantly lower than my expenses.

Yep, our adjusted gross income is really pretty low by design. This year will be shockingly low as we pull from Roth IRA's for much spending. But our spending should be really up there with the higher ZIP code crowd (maybe). This sort of thing just goes to show the ZIP code is not a clear indicator of all that much.

Also in childhood I lived in a 36 (ranked now) but I'd venture to guess that it was higher back then. Has gone down hill a lot in recent decades after the shipyard was closed during the Clinton administration.

 

[NW-Bound]

It was only recently that I shared our expenses with my young adult children. I waited until they were on their own so they could better appreciate financial matters. They were surprised that our non-ostentatious but comfortable lifestyle would cost that much. In fact, it was more than their current gross income, and they were employed in the profession of their college education, though of course their income will rise with time.

I tried to give them the message that to get to where we are now took a lifetime of savings. I also told them that they can be a millionaire in their 40s if they want to.

 

[Lsbcal]

NW-Bound that's a good thing to discuss with young adults. DS is still absorbing this sort of thing. Finding out that money doesn't stretch as far as he would have thought. Nothing like him paying the bills to appreciate the lesson.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I'm in a 64, but my next-door neighbor's is 24.

 

[RetiredAndFree]

Interesting site, and we came in pretty much where I would have expected - 83. We are literally across the street from where the 93 zip code area begins, which is perfect. We can enjoy the taxes and retail preferences the 93's bring into the community, without the pressure of having to keep up with them.

 

[rodi]

DS is higher then us at 89 even though he lives in a very modest apartment in San Diego and we live a nice section of town in a large house. So I guess ZIP isn't everything.

I suspect your son and I live in the same zip. 92122... It's a bifurcated area - lots of apartments and condos (some are pretty pricey) in the north part of the zip - very dense... then the older, single family homes on the south part of the zip. But lots of college educated because it's adjacent to UCSD - so lots of grad students and post-docs.

I work in a 97 - but it's mostly commercial - very little residential... so that's weird.
I've lived in a 46 (Bellingham, WA) and an 87 (Glenside PA) along the way.

My college was a 15 - but I commuted from a 64.

I'm adjacent to a 96 (La Jolla.)

 

[aja8888]

95 - The woodlands, TX