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Living in the US

Anecdotally I thought USA property tax to be higher than council tax (eg I know people in California paying simple astronomical amounts). But no need to guess: average USA property tax about $3500 (approx £2800) per home https://www.cbsnews.com/news/property-tax-which-homeowners-around-the-u-s-pay-the-highest/
UK council tax averages about £1300 per dwelling in England (Page 11 of https://assets.publishing.service.g...al_authorities_in_England_2019-20_Revised.pdf

[edit to update reference]
I guess I was using Marky’s reference to $100 a month (which may not include refuse collection) compared to my £200 a month CT.

There are rather a lot of variables to make any overall assessment I suppose.

On buying property in the US though, my friend bought a lovely spacious house in a gated and wooded community for around $240,000. It would be more than double that anywhere in the U.K. Property tax around $1500 but with age relief, is less, I think?
 
Building regs look very different in some parts of USA. Your friend's $240k house might be totally illegal in UK.

Look at the aftermath of hurricanes. A lot of that uninsurable as they know it'll blow down in a decent wind.
 
Funny you should say that. One thing that the house does not have is guttering. Not legally required according to the surveyor.

Mind you, when it rains there, it rains good and proper. I could see the deluge would flow straight over the top of it and to the ground.

I agree with your observation, dweezil. Deregulation in the states applies not only to guns and Aspirins but to residences. A good evaluation of the risks of living in the US should be taken before moving there.

Balance that with the benefits. Living by the beautiful lakes and forested mountains of Virginia, for example, is a reward in itself.
 
Do yourself and go to Canada instead. I lived in BC for 5 years and its the best place in the world to live.
Socially its a half-way house between Europe and the US i.e. most of the good bits of the US with none of the guns, stupidity and bullshit.
When they say have nice day there they mean it.
 
My uncle lived in Vancouver . I was always envious.

I spent some time in Vermont US and loved the laid back remoteness and mountain streams etc.

The US gun fetish does seem ridiculous but according to my research you are 3 times more likely to die in a road crash in the States.
 
On buying property in the US though, my friend bought a lovely spacious house in a gated and wooded community for around $240,000. It would be more than double that anywhere in the U.K. Property tax around $1500 but with age relief, is less, I think?

It really depends where in Virginia. You can certainly get cheap housing in the US relative to the (very bubbly) south of the UK. However, the lovely gated wooded community may come with a 10+ mile drive to the nearest shops with zero public transit, and 20+ mile drive to the nearest city for restaurants, theatre, live music etc. Each to their own, but I find the concept of rural living to be very isolating and lonely, and being completely dependent on being able to drive for every need is not something I'm comfortable with. A few years ago I had a bad concussion and didn't drive for a couple of weeks. I'd have been stuck if I were in a remote gated community.
 
Texas looks like fun. Fried butter - what’s not to like?

The State Fair of Texas: Burgers, dogs and deep-fried everything https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-49985677

There is presently a State Fair arms race going on w.r.t. fried foods, with everyone vying for the most excessive cholesterol rush.

A few years ago a group from work went to the State Fair over lunch hour. The new fad at the time was deep fried sandwiches on a stick. Take, say, a bologna sandwich or a reuben, roll it up like a jelly roll, jab it with a skewer, dip it in batter and deep fry. I did not try.
 
It really depends where in Virginia [...] However, the lovely gated wooded community may come with a 10+ mile drive to the nearest shops with zero public transit, and 20+ mile drive to the nearest city for restaurants, theatre, live music etc.

Which is why the gentrification of areas adjacent to college towns and cities is so popular. And in many cases, those outlying areas (10 miles +/-) are unincorporated, which means city councils already in the pockets of developers ravenous to destroy orchids and wildlife sanctuary and plant 4-500K stick frame mausoleums in their place.
 
It really depends where in Virginia. You can certainly get cheap housing in the US relative to the (very bubbly) south of the UK. However, the lovely gated wooded community may come with a 10+ mile drive to the nearest shops with zero public transit, and 20+ mile drive to the nearest city for restaurants, theatre, live music etc.
Yes. Spot on. Lake Monticielo. 40 minute drive to Charlottesville. Nearest Food Lion (shop) about 4 miles.

There was a community feel to the place and I didn't feel much sense of isolation. Swimming pool, pub, nice evening walks and so on. Lots of trees.

Loved Downtown Charlottesville. So much nicer than a retail park, despite the recent one off racial incident that wasn't characteristic of C'ville, I'm told.

I could feel at home there if I wasn't at home in East Anglia with my UK passport.
 
Texas looks like fun. Fried butter - what’s not to like?

The State Fair of Texas: Burgers, dogs and deep-fried everything https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-49985677


Or how about a quadruple bypass burger at this place?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Attack_Grill

‘The Quadruple Bypass Burger with 9,982 calories (41,760 kJ) has been identified as one of the "world's worst junk foods."[20] It consists of four half-pound beef patties, twenty strips of bacon, eight slices of American cheese, a whole tomato and half an onion served in a bun coated with lard.’
 
I'm currently in Portland, Oregon for a year, I did the same thing twelve years ago.

I remember seeing a documentary on insurance/healthcare in the hotel last time I arrived. Something like 75% of bankruptcies here are due to medical bills and most of them are middle class workers with health insurance.

My employer pays for my medical insurance but there's a 25% co-pay so if I end up in intensive care for more than a few days I'll be ruined. Like they say though, it sure beats socialism

I find groceries quite expensive, very expensive if you go to one of the upmarket supermarkets. Rent is expensive also.

The price of a cheap meal out has almost doubled since last time I was here, but beer prices have held pretty steady.

There are now homeless people all around Portland, setting up camps anywhere they can. It's pretty sad.

All in all, I'd say it's a good place if you're rich, not so good if you're poor.
 
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USA would be one of the last first world countries I'd be aspiring to live in my retirement years. There is no publicly funded healthcare system to speak of, and no one has mentioned the cost of sale tax adds and gratuities on top of advertised prices. It's a lovely country to visit, but I'd sooner spend my twilight years in New Zealand. At least I know the public health system is mostly free and I'll get a small pension to put food on the table after I turn 65 years of age.
 
USA would be one of the last first world countries I'd be aspiring to live in my retirement years. There is no publicly funded healthcare system to speak of, and no one has mentioned the cost of sale tax adds and gratuities on top of advertised prices. It's a lovely country to visit, but I'd sooner spend my twilight years in New Zealand. At least I know the public health system is mostly free and I'll get a small pension to put food on the table after I turn 65 years of age.

There are many inaccuracies here. At age 65 Americans are covered by medicare which is a universal, government funded program that greatly reduces healthcare costs. Healthcare is not free, but medicare means the days of outrageous bills and medical bankruptcy are largely behind you. Worst case you pay 20% of a heavily government negotiated cost - and many seniors have supplementary insurance to pay that 20%. That $10k a night hospital stay - medicare will only allow the hospital to charge maybe $600 for that, and will pay the first 80%. (Many doctors complain about medicare payment rates, but it's their bread and butter).

Regarding the sales tax - worst case this adds 10% - in most locations it's between 5% and 20%. Compare with 20% VAT in much of Europe (sales / VAT is regressive).

Finally the US "public pension" system, social security, is actually far more generous than the UK state pension, provided you have enough quarters of work in your life (10 years of employment). There is a question over its long term solvency, but I'd far rather get US social security than UK state pension (and not want to rely on either).

Just like the UK long term care costs in the US can eat up your house and life savings - it's a problem in both countries with no easy solution (except it pays to have good relations with your friends and family).

So growing old in the US is not the horror story that some portray, but you have to make it to age 65 without any serious health problems, and remaining employed. Long term unemployment in your 50s and early 60s coupled with health problems is a recipe for bankruptcy.
 
The vast majority do. There will be some that don't, but I'm pretty certain emergency coverage will be universal so you'd be stabilized and transported to a participating hospital, and for elective procedures it's easy to find out which facilities are covered.
 
USA would be one of the last first world countries I'd be aspiring to live in my retirement years. There is no publicly funded healthcare system to speak of, and no one has mentioned the cost of sale tax adds and gratuities on top of advertised prices. It's a lovely country to visit, but I'd sooner spend my twilight years in New Zealand. At least I know the public health system is mostly free and I'll get a small pension to put food on the table after I turn 65 years of age.

No sales tax here in Oregon vs 17.5% in NZ. That said I pay a lot more income tax here, plus whatever my ineffective health insurance costs which could otherwise be paid to me.

Tipping is a complex issue for me. An average dinner costs $20-30 without drinks, then as a good person I'm expected to as 20% because the staff font get paid well.

Once I convert that to $NZD I DON'T want to think about how much I'm spending on fairly ordinary food.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25 and Oregon is $10.75 so I can sort of understand it, but what about all the people on minimum wage who don't get tips? Who's going to do this work once the wall goes up? Rent here starts at about $1000/month for an old small studio apartment.

On the plus side, public transport is much cheaper and friendlier here than in Wellington. It's my first time without a car since I learned to drive and I'm quite enjoying it.
 


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