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homeostasis3434 t1_j9n6xuq wrote

I left Mass for southern Maine recently.

It was driven almost exclusively by the cost of housing.

Other costs (groceries, utilities, insurance etc), are pretty similar, so thats not breaking the bank. I pay higher state taxes here in Maine (also when I lived in virginia) so that's not it either.

The real difference in cost of living is rent and the price to purchase a home. In greater Boston, rent is tens of thousands more per year. And when you can't save because you're spending your money on rent, it's much harder to purchase a property that costs 4 times what you can find elsewhere.

It's really shitty actually, the locals up here blame the rise in housing prices mostly on massholes who move up here and can afford more expensive housing. This issue is pricing people out of their own communities, hours away.

Who knows, maybe I'll move back eventually, but it won't be anywhere within an hour of Boston if prices don't become more reasonable.

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Technical_Hair_4383 t1_j9qc541 wrote

Your motivation to leave is pretty common. So when people point to states like Massachusetts and draw the wrong conclusions ("it's high taxes! etc) it's wise to consider that housing costs are the real driver. It's why a higher minimum wage can be a game-changer for so many people -- they can stay at their jobs and in their homes.

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[deleted] t1_j9qh7ix wrote

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Technical_Hair_4383 t1_j9r183c wrote

I agree that a rise in the minimum wage would not solve the housing shortage in MA, and I agree that much of the shortage is due to zoning restrictions that make more affordable housing difficult to develop in most parts of the state. Lots of NIMBYism.

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elysium311 t1_j9rrmog wrote

But then this means knocking down forests and trees to built more housing. Some people enjoy nature. I've noticed that every time a woodsy area is knocked down (and it's been happening a lot lately) no trees are planted. It's so ugly !! Do we want to be a treeless state ? There are plenty of other places people can move to.

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[deleted] t1_j9tifqk wrote

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elysium311 t1_j9uovbh wrote

Yes I'm actually in Florida now and am shocked by how close together the homes are. I like space

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