Duluth can now add another Number One Status to it's long list of accolades from different surveys done across the county through the years. The latest win is the Best City in the country to stretch your paycheck, according to Indeed.com.

Well I guess this could be the case depending on just how big your paycheck is. I have friends in the area who own business, work retail, are in the medical field, police officers bartenders and more and I do not know anybody who seems to feel that they are totally satisfied with how far their paycheck goes in Duluth.

For myself my biggest focus on this issue is housing which they (Indeed) adjusted for with the average salary listed as  $75,910. I am not sure if that is combined income or individual, but I can promise you that a majority of people in Duluth do not make that much money.

I have seen a huge boom in businesses and major job growth in the area since I have moved here, but realistically it is tough out there to find an affordable place to live. Groceries, clothing, medical care, household items, Insurance,  will all vary in price in different parts of the country, but housing is a huge expense and one that is limited for the average worker in Duluth.

Then on top of that if you have kids you are even more limited with needing extra space and affordability, When a 1 bedroom apartment in Duluth runs around $800 or $900 a month, for some  that is at or over 50% of there total income for the month. How are they supposed to pay other bills, have a car  etc.?

The housing crisis in this area has gone on for years, and with the colleges in the area, that gobbles up a lot of housing for the average Duluthian. When I first moved to Duluth from the Twin Cities I had major sticker shock with the cost of rent. We currently own our home, but I ded rent in Duluth for many years and know lots of people that still do. We have had a number of new buildings constructed promising affordable housing, but again that might be to someone making over $75,000 per year.

If we want younger people to stay in the area after school or entice people to want to move here or  continue to stay here, we have to improve  affordable housing for the average Duluthian. This truly is a great place to live, work and raise a family, Wages are on the rise for some jobs, but hopefully the rental crunch will subside at some point making it easier to plant some roots.

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