Santa Fe on $95k for growing family?

[billyripken]

Is this doable and is it smart?   This would be in a federal government position.  One newborn.  Wife has service industry experience, currently taking care of the kid.  We are coming from the coast where I earn double that salary, have no time outside work, and feel like we are bottom of the pack in the rat race.

Not homeowners but have substantial cash saved for a purchase.  Just sitting on the cash while I seek a lower COL area.

It seems to me this would be a no brainer in most other mountain-west areas, however Santa Fe COL strikes me as higher than some, with questionable public schooling options.  I've only visited twice as a tourist.   

[iris lily]

Santa Fe is expensive.

It is one of the places I check Realtor.com for. A couple of years ago there was a super cute  condo for sale in the downtown area in an historic building. It was small but charming, justt really adorable! The price was (something like). $140, 000. I thought to myself wow that’s incredible low price and I was even thinking about just buying it sight unseen, just calling in to buy it for cash,

Then I read the listing carefully and Found out it was a quarter timeshare for that property. I was only. buying 3 months per year there.

Haha.

[Syonyk]

My wife was able to live there on $30k/yr, if a bit spartan in terms of food, but it's possible - $95k in New Mexico gets you an awful lot, and as long as you're not in the high cost "Arts District" of Santa Fe, should be fine.

Be aware that it's a bit weird up there - there's no middle class to speak of.  It's either poverty or very well off people.

[iris lily]

My wife was able to live there on $30k/yr, if a bit spartan in terms of food, but it's possible - $95k in New Mexico gets you an awful lot, and as long as you're not in the high cost "Arts District" of Santa Fe, should be fine.

Be aware that it's a bit weird up there - there's no middle class to speak of.  It's either poverty or very well off people.

The government workers are the middle class.

But yeah there is a significant presence of big big money and also extreme poverty.

[Syonyk]

The government workers are the middle class.

"No middle class to speak of."  They just aren't a major factor in Santa Fe dynamics.

But yeah there is a significant presence of big big money and also extreme poverty.

The schools my wife taught at were in the 97-99% low income student range - it was the sort of place where they it wasn't worth the effort to check who was or wasn't allowed to have the subsidized lunch options, because you were looking at "a student or two per grade level, maybe, who barely didn't qualify" income levels.

[jodelino]

Any chance your federal job is in Los Alamos an not in SF proper? I think the schools are better there, and housing more affordable.

[meandmyfamily]

Santa Fe is a great place to visit but not sure I would want to raise a family there especially without a higher salary.  Is the job in Los Alamos or Santa Fe?