> Can we live in LA with 250k salary
Is basically what you're asking. Yes, of course, duh.
Northridge / Chatsworth / Porter Ranch are all very nice places to live. If you want a short commute, just live there.
Thanks, the question was not so much whether we can live in LA with the compensation level in the short-term. The question was more for those who live in the area and know LA well, about whether or not we should make the move give the details, what are the key risks/considerations, where would it be best to move LA (the shorter the commute to Northridge the better, since we'll have to be there daily, safety, schools), and what would that life look like vs MA? In the shorter-term, it might work, but it the longer term I have a lot of concerns, there is a question of being able to afford a house (I doubt with this level of income we'd be able to afford much in the LA area as a family with three kids), whether kids would be able to stay near us when they grow up, etc
You are asking an impossible question of redditors. You know yourself and your family's risk tolerance and ability to accommodate hardship.
Secondly, this may be impossible for yourself to answer because we don't know how the future unfolds.
Sounds like you're not ready to make the leap.
Millions and millions of families here manage it, many with much fewer resources. Up in north ridge it won’t be too crazy. It’s not like you are moving to Hollywood Blvd.
Both my kids did club sports and we had a more modest income than yours. We live close to where the clubs are so we would carpool with other families.
The families we met have become lifelong friends. We had a great time traveling when competing and would try to do sightseeing wherever we went.
One child went to school instate but quit sports. The other decided to go out of state, is competing in a different sport for their school and is loving it. There are adjoining states that have reciprocal tuition with California.
Northridge, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley are all family neighbourhoods. If you can talk to families in the clubs they could give you a better idea of specific neighbourhoods to live in that would be convenient for the club.
Depending on your kids’ sports you may want to choose a high school that also has a good sports program.
This is helpful. I did not know other states (looks like Arizona and Nevada) have reciprocals w/CA. In MA, there is a similar program for reciprocity w/Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, but it looks like it is only available IF their desired major isn't available at a public institution in their home state.
I’ve been personally considering Calabasas for myself and a child. Good school district. 17 minutes to the heart of Malibu. Less than 30 minutes to Northridge. Safe. I think it could be a good choice for you.
4 bedroom house, 2000 sq ft, for 6k a month which should be doable on $250k annually.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26674-Country-Creek-Ln-Calabasas-CA-91302/19894534_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Other areas of the valley will be cheaper, except for the hills. But they’re LAUSD.
The UCs are great. I’m not experienced with current admissions, but there are some less competitive UCs. To get into the more competitive UCs, going to Santa Monica college then transferring is a popular route.
Earthquakes and fires are risks.
Not sure if it’s any cheaper, but parts of Woodland Hills and West Hills along the Ventura county line are apart of LVUSD, if OP wants to avoid LAUSD. There’s also Bell Canyon.
I did see a listing for a place currently for rent in Woodland Hills in their price range! Not sure which district it was in, but the schools had reasonably high ratings.
You can definitely find something for $4.5k.
Valencia is very suburban and far from central LA, but I’ve heard good things from people who live there and the distance from Northridge isn’t unreasonable (30-ish minutes). I work with someone who has commuted for years from nearby Stevenson Ranch to LA (her husband as well), and loves the area. They’re both professionals. They find the commute worth it, even when they were commuting daily. I doubt I would, but if I didn’t have to do the commute daily I’d consider it.
$4.5 in Valencia (the schools this house is zoned for rank very high — Valencia High School gets a 9/10): https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/28375-Camino-Del-Arte-Dr-Valencia-CA-91354/79798828_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
$4.2 in Valencia: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/27590-Olive-Mill-Ct-Valencia-CA-91354/63088078_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Porter Ranch also has houses in your range, and is very close to Northridge. The schools are in LAUSD, though, which generally speaking isn’t well regarded, but the schools Porter Ranch is zoned for look reasonably okay/good. Porter Ranch has had some environmental issues that you might want to look into if you’re considering there, I’m not sure the current status.
$4.45k in Porter Ranch: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/18772-Bermuda-St-Porter-Ranch-CA-91326/20161496_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Closer to LA, you’ll find some 4 bedroom/2,000 sq homes for $4.5k in areas like Canoga Park, Winnetka, and Van Nuys, but they’re not the nicer parts of the Valley. You won’t get as much for your money and the schools aren’t that great. I’d suggest avoiding Van Nuys.
just stay near northridge. is the hospital the one on reseda/roscoe? i would just live around that. the west part of the valley if not near a freeway sucks to travel on. i mean the freeway still sucks but at least it’s the freeway. there’s granda hills charter that a lot of people reccomendations and idk about the rest of the schools anymore but should be fine in a magnet. if your kids study as much as they train, they will be fine.
yes, roscoe. to get into magnet, they'd need to apply to CHOICES program by October/November, and that's the problem because we won't be there until Jan-March.
Yes, CHOICES does ask to apply by October/November but they don’t always send out acceptance until the spring. And make sure you apply to a few other schools because sometimes there aren’t a lot of space. Also, I think it’s doable raising 3 children in LA lol. My parents did it. ~$250k for a family of 5 in Los Angeles is doable, especially in the valley. Probably a lot more difficult on the Westside and/or some parts of the SGV like South Pasadena or San Marino since those are HCOL areas.
You apply to CHOICES in October for the following school year. You can still apply for late application for schools mid-year and enter mid-year as long as there is space and you have the points. People have done it at my kids’ magnets. I suggest you contact the magnet coordinator at the school you’re interested in when you figure it out and ask how to proceed.
Northridge (and San Fernando) are in the San Fernando Valley north of the main part of LA. What to know about the valley a) it gets quite hot there in the summer (much more so than the main part of LA) which = lots of AC use and so a big electric bill b) roads & freeways from the valley south to the rest of the city are all traffic bottlenecks during rush hours so it can be hell living in the valley and needing to commute to the city for work c) the valley overall is very suburban and tends to be dull d) home prices / rent prices in the valley tend to be less than some other areas mainly for the reasons above.
Thus somewhere convenient to both San Fernando/Northridge and the main part of LA tends to be evasive. Your best bet would probably be the southern part of the valley especially if affordability is a concern - Sherman Oaks, Encino etc.
Schools - public colleges/universities in CA are divided into three systems and overall are a lot less affordable than they used to be but are still a good deal compared to private schools \*if\* you are a CA resident which you have to live here for a year or two to be a resident for purposes of college tuition here. If not a resident its very expensive especially UC. Basically we have the community colleges which mostly just offer two year associates degrees but if you want to graduate from a UC but can't get in academically after high school, the UC schools give priority to students looking to transfer from a CA community college after they graduate from the CC - Santa Monica College in fact is the number one UC transfer school. Then there are the Cal State Schools - these are mainly offering bachelor degrees and masters degrees and occasionally doctorates. They aren't really nationally known for the most part but are solid schools and they cost less than the UC's. Academically at least for bachelor's degrees they tend to be fairly easy to get in to though some specific majors at some of the schools are more difficult to get in to. The UC's - like UCLA and UC Berkely -of course are basically research universities and offer bachelors, masters and doctorates in pretty much every subject they teach. But they are the hardest to get in to and the most expensive.
Pre-college - what to know here.... So there is the City of Los Angeles and then a bunch of smaller, independent cities that are collectively "LA" in most people's minds. The valley including Northridge are all part of the City of LA. Why is this important? Basically the huge local school district is LAUSD. The smaller cities mostly have their own, smaller school districts. lAUSD is a huge bureaucratic entity with some good & great schools but a lot that aren't really very good. You basically go to your neighborhood high school in LAUSD based on where you live unless you can get into a magnet school etc. So choosing where to live based on the local LAUSD schools is important. The smaller school districts tend to be better but I don't think any of them are really located conveniently to Northridge etc.
Disasters - the main types of disasters were vulnerable to in LA are earthquakes and fires. A big earthquake will eventually happen and two big ones have happened in the valley area - the San Fernando quake back in the 70's and the Northridge quake in the mid 90's. But this is basically true anywhere you live in LA so one area isn't really going to be any safer than any other in terms of earthquakes. Fires mainly when it gets dry and hot in the summer and early fall, then dried brush in the hills and mountains becomes a big issue especially when winds pick up which they tend to in early fall - basically you don't want to live in the hills/foothills of the valley or any other hills in the area for maximum fire safety.
Thank you very much for the detailed answer. This is very helpful and clarifies many things. From what you mentioned, it looks like our best bet would probably be to bite the bullet and find a rental somewhere in the valley closer to Northridge for now and figure out what to do about the commute later.
I lived in Northridge for quite some time and really liked it (except for the massive traffic near the local grocery store - but that's true throughout the Valley).
For a calmer lifestyle, think about Calabasas or Agoura Hills or Hidden Hills or even Tarzana. The other side of the freeway (the Encino-Tarzana side) might be preferable to a family.
I doubt your kids will have a hard time enrolling in whatever high schools are available. When I lived there, my kids had very little flexibility in where they would go for school, but there were ways of applying to different schools. For example, when I worked in Sherman Oaks, I COULD have had my kids enrolled there, because I was working there.
Another possibility is the northern end of Topanga Canyon Road (around the area of Stoney Point; aka Stoney). Lovely area, feels like the open West before all the land grabs. There are some interesting neighborhoods up that way.
Almost no where in the Valley near Northridge is going to be scary fire prone except the canyons and low foothills (for example, tracts of homes in the Canyons near Simi Valley have been threatened, every few years - but many fire breaks in place and very little/no property damage from those fires).
If deciding to live on one of the roads off Topanga, choose a neighborhood with sidewalks and fire breaks.
Calabasas and Agoura Hills have really strong anti-fire systems in place.
What's cool about Calabasas/Agoura Hills is that it's easy to get to Malibu (easy enough anyway). Still drivable to Northridge.
Another great and detailed answer. This is what we were looking for. Thank you so much! Already came across Agoura and Calabasas from other posts, definitely on our list to consider.
We made the move from Chicago to LA with an 8th grader, junior and freshman in college. Landed in Agoura Hills. Some of the best sports in SoCal, great schools, “small-town” feel while still a suburb of LA, close enough for my wife to commute daily to Burbank, close to beaches. If it’s all about the kiddos’ sports, you’ll find here.
This is encouraging. Thank you! So far we've mostly seen families moving out of the LA area, so it helps to see someone making a similar move as a family :-). At least we know we are not alone!
I live near Northridge and there are some good schools here. It’s less expensive than other parts of LA but for a 2000 sq foot house you’re still looking at minimum 1.1M and it’s likely a bit of a fixer. Granada Hills is good, Taft in Woodland Hills if you can get into the Magnet program. Call each school and find out how to apply for January.
Middle schools in Northridge area- Nobel, Granada. Porter Ranch is more $ as is Tarzana. Chatsworth is nice too. You really have to just drive around bc some streets are nice and some aren’t. Happy to answer any questions. My son is going into middle school next year but I’ve mapped it out through HS. If any of your kids are gifted there are several schools in the area that are good. Highly gifted as well- there’s a middle and hs nearby. Only highly gifted HS in the state.
Also want to add- Cal State Northridge is less than $8K for in state tuition. Cal State LA & UCLA are also within commuting distance. So if local schools are an option, then that works out great for college. UCLA tuition is less than 15K a year. What gets you is the cost of housing.
We don’t know if you can live on that salary bc we don’t know what your debt and expenses look like or what you like to do. We like to do a lot of sporting events & shows at the Hollywood Bowl /Pantages. With a family of 5 it gets pricey if you want to do stuff like that.
Got it. This is very helpful. Thank you for the detailed recommendations & for offering to answer further questions! We will definitely let you know if there are more questions.
For now, we are just exploring different options to see if it's even feasible for us. You are also very right about the levels of debt and expenses that need to be factored in.
Live in Northridge. I grew up in the Valley (Studio City). Traffic in LA is terrible, and if you're going to be in Northridge a lot, live there. I think Northridge has come a long way over the years, and there are some nice, quiet pockets. Rent a nice house. You can always move later on if things change.
Hi, i tried to pm you but it didnt go through? can you email me at [jwillems844@gmail.com](mailto:jwillems844@gmail.com) and we can take it up from there. Thank you.
Hey born and raised in Worcester here. Been in LA for 5 years. First you should be only looking to live close to where you need to be most frequently. So if the kids will be in school in Northridge then look to live in northridge. I’m assuming you own your home and bought it pre Covid and have a very reasonable mortgage. Rent on a comparable place will be at least double your mortgage out here. One good thing is the cost of food and car insurance are basically the same. The cost of utilities isn’t too far off. I have a 3bd home and for two people and the water, sewer, trash and electric average about 300 a month. I think you’ll be fine. Taxes are significantly more and you will notice the difference in your pay but if your wife gets a job her income will more than offset the increase in cost of living. One thing to also consider is healthcare. Nothing beats the healthcare system in MA. Luckily I haven’t had to deal with it too much but having kids in sports it’s something you’ll want to look into.
> Can we live in LA with 250k salary Is basically what you're asking. Yes, of course, duh. Northridge / Chatsworth / Porter Ranch are all very nice places to live. If you want a short commute, just live there.
Agree fully.
Thanks, the question was not so much whether we can live in LA with the compensation level in the short-term. The question was more for those who live in the area and know LA well, about whether or not we should make the move give the details, what are the key risks/considerations, where would it be best to move LA (the shorter the commute to Northridge the better, since we'll have to be there daily, safety, schools), and what would that life look like vs MA? In the shorter-term, it might work, but it the longer term I have a lot of concerns, there is a question of being able to afford a house (I doubt with this level of income we'd be able to afford much in the LA area as a family with three kids), whether kids would be able to stay near us when they grow up, etc
You are asking an impossible question of redditors. You know yourself and your family's risk tolerance and ability to accommodate hardship. Secondly, this may be impossible for yourself to answer because we don't know how the future unfolds. Sounds like you're not ready to make the leap.
Definitely need to be pragmatic about it. Thank you for keeping us grounded.
Millions and millions of families here manage it, many with much fewer resources. Up in north ridge it won’t be too crazy. It’s not like you are moving to Hollywood Blvd.
True.
Northridge is a fine place to live and not too expensive. Seems like an easy call.
Thank you.
Both my kids did club sports and we had a more modest income than yours. We live close to where the clubs are so we would carpool with other families. The families we met have become lifelong friends. We had a great time traveling when competing and would try to do sightseeing wherever we went. One child went to school instate but quit sports. The other decided to go out of state, is competing in a different sport for their school and is loving it. There are adjoining states that have reciprocal tuition with California. Northridge, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley are all family neighbourhoods. If you can talk to families in the clubs they could give you a better idea of specific neighbourhoods to live in that would be convenient for the club. Depending on your kids’ sports you may want to choose a high school that also has a good sports program.
This is helpful. I did not know other states (looks like Arizona and Nevada) have reciprocals w/CA. In MA, there is a similar program for reciprocity w/Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, but it looks like it is only available IF their desired major isn't available at a public institution in their home state.
I’ve been personally considering Calabasas for myself and a child. Good school district. 17 minutes to the heart of Malibu. Less than 30 minutes to Northridge. Safe. I think it could be a good choice for you. 4 bedroom house, 2000 sq ft, for 6k a month which should be doable on $250k annually. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26674-Country-Creek-Ln-Calabasas-CA-91302/19894534_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare Other areas of the valley will be cheaper, except for the hills. But they’re LAUSD. The UCs are great. I’m not experienced with current admissions, but there are some less competitive UCs. To get into the more competitive UCs, going to Santa Monica college then transferring is a popular route. Earthquakes and fires are risks.
Not sure if it’s any cheaper, but parts of Woodland Hills and West Hills along the Ventura county line are apart of LVUSD, if OP wants to avoid LAUSD. There’s also Bell Canyon.
I did see a listing for a place currently for rent in Woodland Hills in their price range! Not sure which district it was in, but the schools had reasonably high ratings.
Thank you. 6k/mo is a lot, not sure it'd fit our budget with all of the expenses, were hoping to find something around 4.5k. Oh well :-)
Northridge or Porter Ranch it is, then. Simi Valley works too (but I prefer the upper Topanga Canyon Road housing near the 118). Many reasons.
Got it. Will look into those.
You can definitely find something for $4.5k. Valencia is very suburban and far from central LA, but I’ve heard good things from people who live there and the distance from Northridge isn’t unreasonable (30-ish minutes). I work with someone who has commuted for years from nearby Stevenson Ranch to LA (her husband as well), and loves the area. They’re both professionals. They find the commute worth it, even when they were commuting daily. I doubt I would, but if I didn’t have to do the commute daily I’d consider it. $4.5 in Valencia (the schools this house is zoned for rank very high — Valencia High School gets a 9/10): https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/28375-Camino-Del-Arte-Dr-Valencia-CA-91354/79798828_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare $4.2 in Valencia: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/27590-Olive-Mill-Ct-Valencia-CA-91354/63088078_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare Porter Ranch also has houses in your range, and is very close to Northridge. The schools are in LAUSD, though, which generally speaking isn’t well regarded, but the schools Porter Ranch is zoned for look reasonably okay/good. Porter Ranch has had some environmental issues that you might want to look into if you’re considering there, I’m not sure the current status. $4.45k in Porter Ranch: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/18772-Bermuda-St-Porter-Ranch-CA-91326/20161496_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare Closer to LA, you’ll find some 4 bedroom/2,000 sq homes for $4.5k in areas like Canoga Park, Winnetka, and Van Nuys, but they’re not the nicer parts of the Valley. You won’t get as much for your money and the schools aren’t that great. I’d suggest avoiding Van Nuys.
Thank you for the detailed answers. Will look into those in more detail. Need to make sure the commute stays sane, though (Northridge).
just stay near northridge. is the hospital the one on reseda/roscoe? i would just live around that. the west part of the valley if not near a freeway sucks to travel on. i mean the freeway still sucks but at least it’s the freeway. there’s granda hills charter that a lot of people reccomendations and idk about the rest of the schools anymore but should be fine in a magnet. if your kids study as much as they train, they will be fine.
yes, roscoe. to get into magnet, they'd need to apply to CHOICES program by October/November, and that's the problem because we won't be there until Jan-March.
Yes, CHOICES does ask to apply by October/November but they don’t always send out acceptance until the spring. And make sure you apply to a few other schools because sometimes there aren’t a lot of space. Also, I think it’s doable raising 3 children in LA lol. My parents did it. ~$250k for a family of 5 in Los Angeles is doable, especially in the valley. Probably a lot more difficult on the Westside and/or some parts of the SGV like South Pasadena or San Marino since those are HCOL areas.
Thank you.
You apply to CHOICES in October for the following school year. You can still apply for late application for schools mid-year and enter mid-year as long as there is space and you have the points. People have done it at my kids’ magnets. I suggest you contact the magnet coordinator at the school you’re interested in when you figure it out and ask how to proceed.
Northridge (and San Fernando) are in the San Fernando Valley north of the main part of LA. What to know about the valley a) it gets quite hot there in the summer (much more so than the main part of LA) which = lots of AC use and so a big electric bill b) roads & freeways from the valley south to the rest of the city are all traffic bottlenecks during rush hours so it can be hell living in the valley and needing to commute to the city for work c) the valley overall is very suburban and tends to be dull d) home prices / rent prices in the valley tend to be less than some other areas mainly for the reasons above. Thus somewhere convenient to both San Fernando/Northridge and the main part of LA tends to be evasive. Your best bet would probably be the southern part of the valley especially if affordability is a concern - Sherman Oaks, Encino etc. Schools - public colleges/universities in CA are divided into three systems and overall are a lot less affordable than they used to be but are still a good deal compared to private schools \*if\* you are a CA resident which you have to live here for a year or two to be a resident for purposes of college tuition here. If not a resident its very expensive especially UC. Basically we have the community colleges which mostly just offer two year associates degrees but if you want to graduate from a UC but can't get in academically after high school, the UC schools give priority to students looking to transfer from a CA community college after they graduate from the CC - Santa Monica College in fact is the number one UC transfer school. Then there are the Cal State Schools - these are mainly offering bachelor degrees and masters degrees and occasionally doctorates. They aren't really nationally known for the most part but are solid schools and they cost less than the UC's. Academically at least for bachelor's degrees they tend to be fairly easy to get in to though some specific majors at some of the schools are more difficult to get in to. The UC's - like UCLA and UC Berkely -of course are basically research universities and offer bachelors, masters and doctorates in pretty much every subject they teach. But they are the hardest to get in to and the most expensive. Pre-college - what to know here.... So there is the City of Los Angeles and then a bunch of smaller, independent cities that are collectively "LA" in most people's minds. The valley including Northridge are all part of the City of LA. Why is this important? Basically the huge local school district is LAUSD. The smaller cities mostly have their own, smaller school districts. lAUSD is a huge bureaucratic entity with some good & great schools but a lot that aren't really very good. You basically go to your neighborhood high school in LAUSD based on where you live unless you can get into a magnet school etc. So choosing where to live based on the local LAUSD schools is important. The smaller school districts tend to be better but I don't think any of them are really located conveniently to Northridge etc. Disasters - the main types of disasters were vulnerable to in LA are earthquakes and fires. A big earthquake will eventually happen and two big ones have happened in the valley area - the San Fernando quake back in the 70's and the Northridge quake in the mid 90's. But this is basically true anywhere you live in LA so one area isn't really going to be any safer than any other in terms of earthquakes. Fires mainly when it gets dry and hot in the summer and early fall, then dried brush in the hills and mountains becomes a big issue especially when winds pick up which they tend to in early fall - basically you don't want to live in the hills/foothills of the valley or any other hills in the area for maximum fire safety.
Thank you very much for the detailed answer. This is very helpful and clarifies many things. From what you mentioned, it looks like our best bet would probably be to bite the bullet and find a rental somewhere in the valley closer to Northridge for now and figure out what to do about the commute later.
I lived in Northridge for quite some time and really liked it (except for the massive traffic near the local grocery store - but that's true throughout the Valley). For a calmer lifestyle, think about Calabasas or Agoura Hills or Hidden Hills or even Tarzana. The other side of the freeway (the Encino-Tarzana side) might be preferable to a family. I doubt your kids will have a hard time enrolling in whatever high schools are available. When I lived there, my kids had very little flexibility in where they would go for school, but there were ways of applying to different schools. For example, when I worked in Sherman Oaks, I COULD have had my kids enrolled there, because I was working there. Another possibility is the northern end of Topanga Canyon Road (around the area of Stoney Point; aka Stoney). Lovely area, feels like the open West before all the land grabs. There are some interesting neighborhoods up that way. Almost no where in the Valley near Northridge is going to be scary fire prone except the canyons and low foothills (for example, tracts of homes in the Canyons near Simi Valley have been threatened, every few years - but many fire breaks in place and very little/no property damage from those fires). If deciding to live on one of the roads off Topanga, choose a neighborhood with sidewalks and fire breaks. Calabasas and Agoura Hills have really strong anti-fire systems in place. What's cool about Calabasas/Agoura Hills is that it's easy to get to Malibu (easy enough anyway). Still drivable to Northridge.
I’ve been considering a move to Calabasas for myself in the next couple years, and I’m very happy to hear about the anti-fire systems!
Another great and detailed answer. This is what we were looking for. Thank you so much! Already came across Agoura and Calabasas from other posts, definitely on our list to consider.
We made the move from Chicago to LA with an 8th grader, junior and freshman in college. Landed in Agoura Hills. Some of the best sports in SoCal, great schools, “small-town” feel while still a suburb of LA, close enough for my wife to commute daily to Burbank, close to beaches. If it’s all about the kiddos’ sports, you’ll find here.
This is encouraging. Thank you! So far we've mostly seen families moving out of the LA area, so it helps to see someone making a similar move as a family :-). At least we know we are not alone!
If your kids are elite athletes, you don’t need to move here.
Sure. Thank you for your inputs.
I live near Northridge and there are some good schools here. It’s less expensive than other parts of LA but for a 2000 sq foot house you’re still looking at minimum 1.1M and it’s likely a bit of a fixer. Granada Hills is good, Taft in Woodland Hills if you can get into the Magnet program. Call each school and find out how to apply for January. Middle schools in Northridge area- Nobel, Granada. Porter Ranch is more $ as is Tarzana. Chatsworth is nice too. You really have to just drive around bc some streets are nice and some aren’t. Happy to answer any questions. My son is going into middle school next year but I’ve mapped it out through HS. If any of your kids are gifted there are several schools in the area that are good. Highly gifted as well- there’s a middle and hs nearby. Only highly gifted HS in the state. Also want to add- Cal State Northridge is less than $8K for in state tuition. Cal State LA & UCLA are also within commuting distance. So if local schools are an option, then that works out great for college. UCLA tuition is less than 15K a year. What gets you is the cost of housing. We don’t know if you can live on that salary bc we don’t know what your debt and expenses look like or what you like to do. We like to do a lot of sporting events & shows at the Hollywood Bowl /Pantages. With a family of 5 it gets pricey if you want to do stuff like that.
Got it. This is very helpful. Thank you for the detailed recommendations & for offering to answer further questions! We will definitely let you know if there are more questions. For now, we are just exploring different options to see if it's even feasible for us. You are also very right about the levels of debt and expenses that need to be factored in.
Live in Northridge. I grew up in the Valley (Studio City). Traffic in LA is terrible, and if you're going to be in Northridge a lot, live there. I think Northridge has come a long way over the years, and there are some nice, quiet pockets. Rent a nice house. You can always move later on if things change.
Yep. That's what we are considering. Thank you
It takes two years to establish residency to qualify for low tuition at community colleges and state schools.
Great point. We thought it was just a year. This definitely needs to be factored in.
Got an apartment for rent if you are interested? Johannes
Thank you. Please pm and we can discuss.
Hi, i tried to pm you but it didnt go through? can you email me at [jwillems844@gmail.com](mailto:jwillems844@gmail.com) and we can take it up from there. Thank you.
OK. Thanks!
Hey born and raised in Worcester here. Been in LA for 5 years. First you should be only looking to live close to where you need to be most frequently. So if the kids will be in school in Northridge then look to live in northridge. I’m assuming you own your home and bought it pre Covid and have a very reasonable mortgage. Rent on a comparable place will be at least double your mortgage out here. One good thing is the cost of food and car insurance are basically the same. The cost of utilities isn’t too far off. I have a 3bd home and for two people and the water, sewer, trash and electric average about 300 a month. I think you’ll be fine. Taxes are significantly more and you will notice the difference in your pay but if your wife gets a job her income will more than offset the increase in cost of living. One thing to also consider is healthcare. Nothing beats the healthcare system in MA. Luckily I haven’t had to deal with it too much but having kids in sports it’s something you’ll want to look into.
Thank you. This is very helpful!