[sepositus]

Have you spent much time in non-urban areas? I live in a <10k town and it's very much possible to achieve that here. I mean, not working at McDonald's, but our industry zone has plenty of good-paying opportunities in the mechanical, electrical, engineering, and even aerospace fields (drones, mostly). I have plenty of blue-collar friends working in these areas, and they all have homes with families.

We also have a huge green energy sector due to the natural geography. Our local community college even has a full program you can go through and come out making $35-40/hr.

[macNchz]

My rural American hometown has surprisingly expensive homes because of highly restrictive building codes, many of the houses are owned by retired people or wealthy people from out of town, there's little industry to speak of, and multiple people from my 30-student 8th grade graduating class who stayed in town and did not leave for college have now died of heroin overdoses.

[sepositus]

Yeah, there will always be counter-examples to everything, especially given the size of the U.S. However, that same sort of town would have existed 60 years ago, anyway (minus the Herion problem, likely). Perhaps they are more common now, but my point is that cities like mine _do_ still exist. It's not entirely lost yet.

[CtrlAltmanDel]

How common is your un-named city? <10k pop, combination of economic opportunity and still affordable (after wfh tech crowd moved in) for someone starting out earning $40/hr to afford a house and family.

[sepositus]

Well this is the internet, so I'm not going to voluntarily dox myself :) As to your question, I'm not sure how common it is. There's another city about 30 minutes from me that has _almost_ the same scenario, it's just housing is more expensive because it's closer to a major city.

[nobodyandproud]

That sounds magical. Is it subject to just one or two large companies or industries?

[behringer]

Don't bank on it unless you're well skilled and/or have an in. Also let's hope you're OK working in factory/industrial jobs. A desk job in rural areas pays half what they do in the urban areas.

I'm guessing industrial jobs pay just as poorly compared to those in the cities.

[viccis]

I live somewhere like that. Houses have doubled in cost over the past 5 years.

[KerrAvon]

Houses have doubled in cost everywhere in the US over the past 5 years, rich and poor areas alike.

[viccis]

Yep, that was my point.

[dyauspitr]

Seems like an anomaly. Most <10k towns have jobs at Walmart, auto repair, landscaping, construction, electricians, plumbers and barbers/hairdressers.