Should I Move To Tempe, Az?
I am considering taking a new job in AZ that pays $66K. I currently live in Fort Worth, TX (near Dallas) w/my mother & make $50K. However i have researched that the cost of living was considerberaly higher in Tempe.
In addition, I heard it was also unbearably hot in AZ, but it can get hot in TX too. I love the outdoors though, so i dont know if it would be a problem. All you people out there, that have lived in AZ (specifically, Tempe), can you let me know if you love your city or would want to move in the near future?
So do you think I (25 yr. old) can afford to live there if i have an 8 month old I would have to enroll in a good daycare, pay rent for a decent apartment in a good neighborhood (seeing that i’m a single mother), pay car payment and insurance pymt of 650, & all other household bills & living expenses?
And for all you wondering why i live with my mother making 50K, its because my husband recently left me with all the bills & cost associated with raising my baby.
Kate G
January 27, 2010
I think 66K is plenty to live on, but you may want to rethink living in Tempe. I agree with the above answerer, that Gilbert would be a good choice. Chandler is nice too, and Ahwatukee, but I think probably more expensive. And Gilbert School District is excellent, so no, not ALL Arizona schools are bad, as the other answerer said. Yes, it get really hot, but nearly everything is air-conditioned here, and it’s probably not a whole lot hotter that TX. You probably won’t want to spend much time outdoors in the summer months.
Good Luck!
Hmm
January 27, 2010
I moved from northern VA to Tempe about 10 years ago. The first apartment I rented in Tempe was horrible. Keep in mind, Tempe is a college town. ASU is smack dab in the middle. Where you live really depends on how long of a commute you are willing to have. Stay away from downtown Phoenix & Glendale. After living in Tempe I found a nice apartment in Gilbert. I would suggest living in Chandler or Gilbert. Usually the farther south you go from Main St/Apache Trail the better the area. I would suggest staying south of Guadalupe. My husband and I bought a house in Queen Creek (east of Gilbert), but the commute is now about an hour long. On your salary, you should be able to afford a nice two bedroom apartment. Cost of insurance may be higher, lots of stolen vehicles. The summer starts mid April and lasts until mid October. The worst months are usually July through September where the temps stay around 105-110. Even at night it only goes down in the 90′s. With low humidity though, it’s tolerable. The winters are worth the summer months. It is gorgeous from November to the end of May. Hope this helps! Good luck!
a heart so big
January 28, 2010
No, you should not move there. AZ schools are not very good. Ranking very near the end of the list every year. 66K is not enough to buy much in Tempe. I say no.