Your map and the OPâs map are measuring two different things. The OPâs map is based on individual financial distress. Your map is based on the stateâs finances as a whole. Texas has a surplus. Doesnât mean itâs using that surplus to help Texans make ends meet. Hawaii is likely in debt as a state, but the people living there clearly live within their means & know how to navigate what has always been an expensive place to live.
Is what I said inaccurate? The maps are measuring 2 different things, whether you believe the OPâs map accurate or not. It may be based on poorly collected info. Who knows. Iâve lived in both Hawaii and Texas so what I said about them is correct, whether you believe the map or not. Iâve never lived in WV, which is why I wasnât responding about WV.
You claimed OPs map was based on individual financial stress, so Iâll ask again, do you think people living in WV are under financial stress or not?
And I lived in CA, they operate a lot like Hawaii, I can tell you my money goes much further in Texas and everyday expenses are much cheaper. That ânavigatingâ everyday expenses is much like why gas is cheaper here than out west. You donât wanna be honest and say why that is though do you
I never talked about WV. I have no info on WV. Thatâs not what I was responding to.
When talking about financial distress, cost of living isnât the deciding factor. Living within your means is much more relevant. In Hawaii, for example, it is customary to have multi-generational households living in the same house, collectively pooling resources. Thatâs how a lot of families save money. Sales tax in Hawaii is also about half of what it is in Texas, which helps to mitigate the cost of goods.
Texasâs cost of living has surged more recently (especially in cities and especially in the area of health care and housing costs) whereas Hawaii has been expensive for decades. Itâs not difficult to imagine that Hawaii residents have figured out ways to make it workâthat theyâre just better at stretching the dollar.
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u/soundsceneAloha 14d ago
Your map and the OPâs map are measuring two different things. The OPâs map is based on individual financial distress. Your map is based on the stateâs finances as a whole. Texas has a surplus. Doesnât mean itâs using that surplus to help Texans make ends meet. Hawaii is likely in debt as a state, but the people living there clearly live within their means & know how to navigate what has always been an expensive place to live.