Minimum salary for apartment reasonably near D.C.

[hellokeith]

How much $ do I need to make to have an ok single occupant apartment in reasonable proximity to Washington D.C. ?

My car is paid off, and I would be taking it with me to use as a daily driver.

 

[buck]

Depends on the area...

In any event, ALOT of money is your answer.

 

[Mermaidman]

I guess you're basically asking how much it costs to rent a nice place near DC?

Monthly rent should be 1/3 or less of monthly income.

 

[Wapp]

I just saw a report on this, I think it was something like $20 per hour.

 

[laketrout]

Are you looking to rent or buy, and how long of a commute are you willing to make?

 

[Ladiesnhan]

My ex coworker whom I'm still friends with has a 1 bedroom apartment right near K st and he's paying $1200 a month. Now there are new apartments that were just built in the last year or 2 around there that are going for $8-$10 million. Al depends on what you can comfortable afford. Also you know you can save even more money if you sell your car. If you are in DC you can walk to most places or Taxi unless you work outside of DC but live in DC.

 

[Jeeebus]

ya, this largely depends on where you're working, what you consider a reasonable commute, and whether you want to live in a "hip" neighborhood like Adam's Morgan or prefer the quieter suburbs like Falls Church etc.

 

[Wapp]

Originally posted by: Ladiesnhan
My ex coworker whom I'm still friends with has a 1 bedroom apartment right near K st and he's paying $1200 a month. Now there are new apartments that were just built in the last year or 2 around there that are going for $8-$10 million. Al depends on what you can comfortable afford. Also you know you can save even more money if you sell your car. If you are in DC you can walk to most places or Taxi unless you work outside of DC but live in DC.

Even if you don't live in DC but work there you can get around pretty easily without a car.

 

[GTaudiophile]

The "rule" is that your rent should be no more than 33% of your monthly after-tax take-home pay.

I live in the NW section of DC, nice area near the Cathedral/Cleveland Park. I found a nice, cozy studio for $910/month, and I feel like I got a really good deal. Most studio apartments along Connecticut run for $1100-$1800/month. Deals of course can be found in the NE and SE (Capitol area, not across the river) corners of DC.

Edit: I sold my car when I moved here and do fine without it.

Edit: My combined gas+electric bill is around $25/month. Add another $35 for Verizon DSL. I don't have cable TV. I ride the Metro to and from work everyday and spend about $75/month for that.

 

[purbeast0]

You can find 1Br apartments less than 1 mile north of DC for around $1K/mo in Silver Spring.

 

[homercles337]

If you get rid of your car you wont have to deal with paying parking fees. An open air parking spot in Beacon Hill (boston, sorry not meaning to hijack) recently sold for $250k! I suspect similar things happen in DC.

 

[hellokeith]

Keeping the car, that is non-negotiable. She's been the only female in my life that has been trouble free and is still with me.

But I'm not opposed to taking the Metro to work, if daily driving is prohibitive. I would be renting, and I would live by myself. Let's say no more than 15 miles outside the Capitol area.

 

[ebaycj]

50,000


Now that I think about it, $60,000.


How much do you make?

 

[SmackD]

Take a look at the silver spring area... you're right on the metro (red line) and the rents are cheaper.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: SmackD
Take a look at the silver spring area... you're right on the metro (red line) and the rents are cheaper.

Not at the Georgian Towers on Georgia Ave. I know studios there start at $1100 and don't include utils.

 

[xrax]

if you go a little north on US29 near New Hampshire there are a lot of apartments that are cheaper. They aren't near the subway but they are on the busline. There are also quite a few apartments off of Briggs Chaney and US 29.