Thursday, November 8, 2018

Evelyn Vega

Cost of Living in Los Angeles


Los Angeles, in California, is one of the largest cities in the United States. The city consists of a
large number of immigrants from different parts of the world. For that reason, tourists consider
Los Angeles as one of the most diverse cities in America. However, the cost of living in such a city is
quite high as compared to some of the rural areas in the United States. For example, over the last
decade, the cost of rent and mortgage increased by 78.5 percent. The increased cost of living has
forced tenants to pay higher rent prices if they choose to live in a fancy neighborhood around the
city (Aron, 2015). Additionally, the high cost of living has made it difficult for the residents to own a
house in Los Angeles. Over the years, the number of people relocating to other areas such as Mexico
has been rising steadily. Arguably, the high cost of living affects people from the low socioeconomic class
disproportionately than the rich.

In Los Angeles, the housing cost is quite high as compared to other regions in the United States.
In fact, some of the residents in Los Angeles’ have chosen to relocate to other cities with the intent of
finding find affordable housing facilities. The extreme rise in the costs of housing has posed a threat to
the economy. It is apparent that the housing cost has a major impact on the overall standards of living.
Most of the residents use half of their income to pay for rent, thus making it difficult for laborers to live in
the city (Aron, 2015). Despite the high cost of living, the number of people settling in the state has been
increasing gradually.

Additionally, high transportation costs have exacerbated the high cost of living in Los Angeles. Because
driving is an integral aspect of life in Los Angeles, only a few people who live a lavish life can afford to
drive. However, the cost of gas is quite high as compared to other areas in the United States. Besides,
the high cost of insurance policies makes it exorbitant for people living in the lower economic class to
own a car (Josephson, 2018). The high costs of insurance policies have an influence on the cost of
transportation and high standards of living. For that reason, residents pay high bus fares when moving
from destination to the other. Unlike other places such as Manhattan, the bus lines are quite erratic, thus
making it impractical to stand on the sidewalk to wait for a bus.

The rate of unemployment in Los Angeles is quite high. For that reason, most of the job seekers find it
difficult to survive in the city. Statistics indicate that the overall number of jobless people is quite high in
Los Angeles than the less developed cities in the United States. To combat unemployment, most youths
living in Los Angeles end up becoming drug peddlers with the intent of earning a living (Josephson, 2018)
. Apparently, people from low economic areas are at a higher risk of losing their earnings in some of the
casinos located in Los Angeles.

In conclusion, it is apparent that Los Angeles is one of the major cities in the United States. However,
the cost of living makes it difficult for low-income earners to live in such a city. In fact, most Americans
consider Los Angeles as the ideal destination for celebrities, who love living a lavish life. Accordingly,
living in Los Angeles is quite higher as compared to other areas such as Ohio. Moreover, the high cost
of rental fees makes it difficult for people living in America to consider moving to Los Angeles. Based on
the above-mentioned information, it is apparent that the cost of living in Los Angeles is high.



Los Angeles rent be like . . .

Statistics 




Why this is important to me? 

This issue has impacted me in a very powerful way, because I am one of the many affected people. I live in a low socio economic class where we live check by check and sometimes it
just doesn't add up. I am lucky enough to have my family to support me or else I would probably be homeless, or working full time to maintain. My family and I have struggle for 
years to pay these high rent prices even if it means pitching in all our money. Lets not forget we have to pay water, light, gas, car insurance, transportation, food, etc. There's people in my community struggling worse than I am because they probably don't have support. When I was approximately 12 we had to move homes and at the time rent wasn't very high but over time we have been paying $2,500 for a very small home. Now that I am older I contribute because I know its very difficult to come up with the money for rent. Especially since my parents are immigrants who are not legally here they only get paid minimum wage. With prices in Los Angeles this high it doesn't give people much room to save for tough situations or for when they retire.   


Community Members
"El alquiler en Los Ángeles me afecta porque no gano lo suficiente y me estresa a menudo. Me hace estresarme por la vida y afecta mi salud. Debo trabajar otro trabajo y horas extras para mantener." -Ramon

"As a cook its not easy being next to the grill/oven all day to make minimum way and pay over a thousand dollars in rent. It doesn't give me much room to save up for my son. Not just rent but utilities are expensive like diapers, clothes, baby formula, etc." -Cris 

"El alquiler en LoS angeles me afecta porque tengo que trabajar más y estresarme más. Tampoco tengo la oportunidad de pasar tanto tiempo con mi familia. No solo eso, sino que el transporte para tomar el autobús al trabajo es realmente caro."- Mirna 

"Im concerned about the rent being very pricy because we have other needs to pay. Most of the time my parents don't have extra money for utilities and other expenses. 

References
Aron, H. (2015). Why People Really Leave Los Angeles (Or Any Other Big City). Retrieved from
https://www.laweekly.com/news/why-people-really-leave-los-angeles-or-any-other-big-city-5785769

Josephson, A. (2018). The Cost of Living in Los Angeles - SmartAsset.
Retrieved from https://smartasset.com/mortgage/what-is-the-true-cost-of-living-in-la

PayScale. https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/California-Los-Angeles

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