This 54-year-old lives with his wife and son and roommates
At work, this 54-year-old creates high-resolution body imaging using an MRI machine. His family’s combined household income—he lives in East Cobb with his wife and son—is $150,000.
For additional income, the family has rented an in-law suite downstairs to a couple from their church. An unexpected perk? A few new pets, says the technologist: “Before purchasing the goldfish and koi fish I hadn’t owned any fish. The renter from downstairs convinced me to buy a few and maintains the system for me.” Now the family owns five koi and 10 goldfish.
While they’re glad to own a home, the high cost of living has prevented his family from building savings and retirement accounts: “I haven’t been able to save any money. We’ve had a few life crises that wiped out our savings. It’s a good thing we already own a home because otherwise I can’t see being able to buy a good home at these ridiculous prices.”
Job title
MRI technologist
Age
54
Neighborhood
East Cobb
Lives with
Wife, son, five koi fish, 10 goldfish, and a couple who rent his in-law suite
Annual gross income
$85,000
Household income
$150,000
Mortgage payment
$2,300
Original purchase date and price of home
$300,000 in 2005
Student loans and credit card debt
$0
Health insurance cost per month + cost of any prescriptions
$1,400
Phone plan and monthly subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, food delivery services, apps, etc.)
$600
Utilities per month
$400
Transportation (car payment, car insurance, gas, public transportation, Uber)
$1,200
Groceries
$600
Restaurants, fast food, drinks at bars, coffees
$250
Vacations
$4,000 per year
Fun (concerts, books, movies, recreational drugs, etc.)
$100
Clothes/beauty (new shoes, laundromat services, makeup)
$300
How much money would you need to live comfortably in Atlanta? What hourly rate or annual salary would you be happy with?
$250,000 a year
Nonessential item that he treats himself to
Perfume
What he’d like to have but lives without
A new 2023 truck
His take on what can be done to improve the cost of living in Atlanta
Expand MARTA. Most people associate MARTA with increased crime. I associate it with increased mobility and sustainability. I don’t mind a short bus ride to the train station or more express buses straight to downtown. We need to reduce our carbon footprint. I think MARTA would seriously help.
Most challenging thing about living in Atlanta
Gentrification of old neighborhoods. I was 17 when I graduated and moved to Atlanta. I lived in some of the areas that are now gentrified, like Kirkwood. The original families have been displaced because they can’t afford the higher taxes. Those families are then forced to try and relocate to an area that they can afford. Those areas tend to be farther from the city with less access to resources. This hasn’t happened to my family, but I know a few families that have been affected.
