A six-figure salary is considered 'low income' in San Francisco, and the threshold is rising

#BayArea #MarinCounty #SanFrancisco #SanMateo #HighcostofLiving #LowIncome

The Bay Area is so expensive, earning $117,400 a year qualifies you as "low income" in some counties.

Every year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development releases "income limits," the minimum income level required to qualify for some affordable housing programs.

To be considered "low income" in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties, a family of four must earn $117,400 a year. "Very low income" is considered $73,300.

The Bay Area figures are the highest in the country and continue to increase year over year. Income limits in some Bay Area cities increased by 10 percent just in the last year.

Most residents will roll their eyes at such figures — they're used to seeing the cost of rent and homeownership increase with the years. In May, the median home price in the Bay Area hit a record high at $935,000.

The high cost of living likely accounts for what some perceive to be a "Bay Area exodus." It's hard to quantify such a trend with limited census data, but multiple reports imply Bay Area residents are at least thinking about leaving. Real estate site Redfin determined the Bay Area as the top region for "outward migration" in the nation by analyzing where people were searching for homes.

"Jobs and housing are really the primary criteria driving people's decisions," Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, told The Chronicle in March. "It's kind of a balancing act between the two. If jobs predominate, people are moving in. If housing predominates, you have less people moving in."

Here's the list of counties and the annual salaries that qualify as low income for a four-person family:

Alameda County: $89,600

Contra Costa County: $89,600

Marin County: $117,400

Napa County: $73,450

San Francisco County: $117,400

San Mateo County: $117,400

Santa Clara County: $94,450

Solano County: $66,950

Sonoma County: $78,550

By Michelle Robertson, SFGATE Updated 10:53 am PDT, Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.

Comments

Ronan Farrow describes how his Harvey Weinstein reporting unfolded | Nightline

#Nightline #RonanFarrow #MeTooMovement #HarveyWeinstein #MattLauer Farrow talks about obtaining a recording from alleged Weinstein victim Ambra Gutierrez. His NBC producer Rich McHugh predicted the tape would be “the beginning of the end” for Weinstein. WATCH NIGHTLINE EPISODES: https://abc.go.com/shows/nightline ALSO AVAILABLE ON HULU: https://hulu.tv/2wSmSrZ

Brené Brown: The Call to Courage

#BrenéBrown #TheCalltoCourage #Vulnerability #Shame #Empathy #Netflix I've relied pretty heavily on Brené Brown's TEDx Houston Talk "The Power of Vulnerability" to get me through the day-to-day. Her video psyched me up before job interviews, reassured me when I failed, and calmed me when I felt overwhelmed with anxiety. I don't think I'm alone in my respect for Brown — her address is one of the top five most viewed TED Talks ever, with 38 million. She has become a go-to source on the study of shame, empathy, vulnerability, and (of course) courage, the focus of her Netflix special. The special, filmed in front of a live audience, is a recording of an hour-long speech she gave in Royce Hall at UCLA. She discusses the relationship between courage and vulnerability, plus the journey she's taken since the overwhelming success of her 2010 TED Talk. Of course, viewers familiar with Brown's public speaking and bestselling books can ex...

How to deal with holiday stress: The psychology behind why family time can turn adults into moody teens again

#holidaystress #family #copingmechanism #conflict #Psychology #Triple5LightTherapy #Couplestherapy #BlackMaleTherapist No matter how far away from home we travel, most of us can’t escape our familial history — and the memories that come with it. Along with shopping, gift-wrapping, and cookie baking, I’m prepping for the holidays by accepting that family stress may get the best of me. While I haven’t lived at home for over 20 years, conflict around heated topics like politics can make me feel like a misunderstood teen again. Listening calmly and objectively to my parents becomes harder and harder, and I interrupt more. Once, I even rolled my eyes at my mom like a pouty adolescent. My behavior, however, isn’t meant to be disrespectful or cruel, even though it might look that way. It’s actually a normal coping mechanism known as regression. As a psychologist, I’ve heard hundreds of family tales similar to mine. For many of us, reuniting with loved ones during t...

Prepare to Quit : Explore Your Quit Smoking Options

#Cravings #HealthNews #Nicotine #NicotineWithdrawal #QuitSmoking #Smokefree Quitting is hard. But quitting can be a bit easier if you have a plan. When you think you’re ready to quit, here are a few simple steps you can take to put your plan into action. Know Why You’re Quitting Before you actually quit, it’s important to know why you’re doing it. Do you want to be healthier? Save money? Keep your family safe? If you’re not sure, ask yourself these questions: What do I dislike about smoking? What do I miss out on when I smoke? How is smoking affecting my health? What will happen to me and my family if I keep smoking? How will my life get better when I quit? Still not sure? Different people have different reasons for quitting smoking. Learn How to Handle Your Triggers and Cravings Triggers are specific persons, places, or activities that make you feel like smoking. Knowing your smoking triggers can help you learn to deal with them. Cravings are short but intense...

Triple5Light Therapy

Search This Blog