Someone graciously sent me an excel document of the county wages. Interesting. I'll try to sum it up.
The lowest wage is $7.21, there are 5 people who earn under $8.
35 workers make under $10.
61 worker make under $11.
114 workers make under $12.
150 workers make under $13.
209 workers make under $14.
263 workers make under $15.
There are 192 workers who earn between $15 and $30.60.
51 workers make between $34,574 and under $50,000.
36 Workers earn in the $50,000 range.
15 Workers earn in the $60,000 range.
14 Workers earn in the $70,000 range.
14 workers make between $80,000 and $90,000.
6 workers earn in the $100,000 range.
Of the 263 workers that earn under $15, 190 are male, and 118 are female.
The highest paid worker earns $127,509, Pat Blackshear.
These findings are of my own and may have error.
Replies
69
Beach Fanatic
Heck, virtually everybody knows where we live anyway. That's what happens when you live at the end of a road named for your daddy. 
Except Google maps will take you to my three-houses-over neighbor. I hope he doesn't SoWal, because I don't think he is aware of that.
On a somber note, when Jackson County Sheriff Johnny McDaniel's wife was murdered, it drove the potential danger home to me so much that I almost put up a For Sale sign.
Except Google maps will take you to my three-houses-over neighbor. I hope he doesn't SoWal, because I don't think he is aware of that. On a somber note, when Jackson County Sheriff Johnny McDaniel's wife was murdered, it drove the potential danger home to me so much that I almost put up a For Sale sign.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
http://www.walton.k12.fl.us/3Employees/Information.htm
This is the link for the instructional and non-instructional pay scales. They appear to be last years. This year is about 7% higher if I remember correctly.
The link to the actual pdf files is at the bottom. The first year of any employee is considered year 0.
This is the link for the instructional and non-instructional pay scales. They appear to be last years. This year is about 7% higher if I remember correctly.
The link to the actual pdf files is at the bottom. The first year of any employee is considered year 0.
Beach Lover
Thanks Florida Girl. I think what you did was great. Citizens should be allowed to know the salaries of county and city employees.
On a somewhat related note....if the economy is so terrible and people are so far in debt....how are police officers and other "regular" working class affording to live in Hammock Bay? The way people in this community are talking, foreclosures should be all around.
On a somewhat related note....if the economy is so terrible and people are so far in debt....how are police officers and other "regular" working class affording to live in Hammock Bay? The way people in this community are talking, foreclosures should be all around.
Beach Fanatic
You can get a smaller home there for right around $200K. Figure a husband and wife each earning $30K, and a 10% down payment, and you'd be talking borrowing 3x gross family income to get a 1400-1500sf McHouse there, which is doable with the current interest rates and lending practices if you don't have too much other installment debt.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Affordable housing should be in range of what people can actually afford, not necessarily the "mean" price range. Just how much does one need to earn to afford a $200,000 home? Either lower housing costs, or raise the standard for wages. How about employers offering some kind of bonuses or perks?
SoWal Insider
Affordable housing should be in range of what people can actually afford, not necessarily the "mean" price range. Just how much does one need to earn to afford a $200,000 home? Either lower housing costs, or raise the standard for wages. How about employers offering some kind of bonuses or perks?
The financial rule of thumb is that your house shouldn't cost more than two-and-a half times gross income and include a 20% down payment. So for a $200,000 house to be deemed "affordable," the buyers should have an $80,000 income with a $40,000 down payment.
....or their income can be lower if they enjoy eating Top Ramen off their granite countertop.
Fiiiivvveee Different Flavors..
Beach Fanatic
now H.B. has an entry level home for $157K...if that is not affordable enough don't forget that your BCC has Wolf Creek planned for county employee types that will range from 85K to 127K or so...so in effect once you get on with the local gov. you'll be set from the cradle to the grave...
Beach FanaticAuthor
There once was a gauge of 1/4 of your monthly income spent for housing, really not a bad idea. However, if someone makes $15 per hour, that's $2600 per month, $650 would be 1/4, less tax and ss. What kind of house can they actually afford? And where do they find that kind of a house? If the guage of "mean" housing is used, and high is multi-million, and low is about poverty level, who actually can afford the mean housing? Are there such people here?
Beach FanaticAuthor
By the way, I visited Niceville the other day, hadn't been there is quite a while, wow! That city is bustling! Businesses everywhere, didn't see many closed/out of business signs, highway construction, lots of people. Bay county is similar, that town has grown incredibly since I was a kid, now I can find most any kind of store I might want to find, plus some. And where are we? We really got to do something to stimulate growth here. It's a matter of our citizens who live and work here, and depend on our economy to survive. We need to insert the human element to our plan, and consider what is best for our people!
Beach Fanatic
And Guiseppe's on the Bayou is supposed to finally reopen Real Soon Now. (Hurrah!) The flip side of the bustling business climate in Niceville is that it's more about Eglin, Boeing and Raytheon, and less about good food. Guiseppe's opening up is going to help on the food front that seems kind of limited at times.
So you work there during the week, and then hit the fun stuff and good chow in SoWal on weekends.
And go Lady Eagles soccer!
So you work there during the week, and then hit the fun stuff and good chow in SoWal on weekends.
And go Lady Eagles soccer!
SoWal Expert
I really don't want this area to turn into Niceville or Bay County. That is why I moved to SoWal! We have plenty of stores within easy driving distance!
SoWal Guide
By the way, I visited Niceville the other day, hadn't been there is quite a while, wow! That city is bustling! Businesses everywhere, didn't see many closed/out of business signs, highway construction, lots of people. Bay county is similar, that town has grown incredibly since I was a kid, now I can find most any kind of store I might want to find, plus some. And where are we? We really got to do something to stimulate growth here. It's a matter of our citizens who live and work here, and depend on our economy to survive. We need to insert the human element to our plan, and consider what is best for our people!
no thank you.
sowal is far more unique than niceville or any other panhandle town/community. we've had tremendous growth in the last several years. and any kind of shopping you need within 20-30 minutes, grocery stores and specialty stores all around.
when we moved here over 12 years ago, things were perfect then. even without all of the above. glad to have a grocery or 2 now. everything else is nice to have but not necessary.
move to atlanta if you want it all.
Skunky
I wonder if the people in Niceville look around HWY 20 and declare how great it would be to live someplace that was spared the 'geography of nowhere' sprawl look.
Beach Comber
i agree with you florida girl....there is no easy way to make any money here...i wish there was
sowal is mostly transplants who have made money elsewhere (or still making money elsewhere)
us little people truly do eat ramen off our granite kitchen tops!:funn:
sowal is mostly transplants who have made money elsewhere (or still making money elsewhere)
us little people truly do eat ramen off our granite kitchen tops!:funn:
Skunky
i agree with you florida girl....there is no easy way to make any money here...i wish there was
sowal is mostly transplants who have made money elsewhere (or still making money elsewhere)
us little people truly do eat ramen off our granite kitchen tops!:funn:
Florida Lottery Jackpot drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday, proceeds go to educate our young'uns so they can work in Niceville fast food eateries.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
I wonder if the people in Niceville look around HWY 20 and declare how great it would be to live someplace that was spared the 'geography of nowhere' sprawl look.
I'd rather live here than on 30-A. From my house, I can walk or bike to the grocery store, bank, medical complex, gym, four different pools, a couple different restaurants, and elementary school. I could even bike to work if I wanted to commute that way. The quiet office complexes tucked behind the grocery store hold high wage-high tech jobs where an engineer makes $75K+ a year.
SoWal, everything's so spread out you've got to drive for so many daily activities.
Skunky
I'd rather live here than on 30-A. From my house, I can walk or bike to the grocery store, bank, medical complex, gym, four different pools, a couple different restaurants, and elementary school. I could even bike to work if I wanted to commute that way. The quiet office complexes tucked behind the grocery store hold high wage-high tech jobs where an engineer makes $75K+ a year.
SoWal, everything's so spread out you've got to drive for so many daily activities.
Any place has pros and cons. I like living so close to the ocean that I can hear it roaring when I take the dogs out at night. I do wish things were a bit closer, but there is a certain beauty of living in seclusion much of the year
SoWal Expert
There once was a gauge of 1/4 of your monthly income spent for housing, really not a bad idea. However, if someone makes $15 per hour, that's $2600 per month, $650 would be 1/4, less tax and ss. What kind of house can they actually afford? And where do they find that kind of a house? If the guage of "mean" housing is used, and high is multi-million, and low is about poverty level, who actually can afford the mean housing? Are there such people here?
I don't think you can get a house & utilities for $650 a month pre tax in most places in the US.
Beach Fanatic
And the places you can get that $650/month house generally are places where the $15/hour jobs are far and between.
Beach FanaticAuthor
I don't think you can get a house & utilities for $650 a month pre tax in most places in the US.
So, as the common consensus among the locals I know, that $15 an hour is doing really good, yet they can't afford most housing costs, how exactly do we fix this?
Beach FanaticAuthor
I really don't want this area to turn into Niceville or Bay County. That is why I moved to SoWal! We have plenty of stores within easy driving distance!
Guess it depends on what you want to buy, and for how much. Of course, there is also the question of earning the money where to pay for the how much?! I made a comment years ago, YOU CAN'T EAT PRESTIGE!
Beach Fanatic
Guess it depends on what you want to buy, and for how much. Of course, there is also the question of earning the money where to pay for the how much?! I made a comment years ago, YOU CAN'T EAT PRESTIGE!Move to N'ville or Bay county. It isn't so far that you can't still visit and care for your people.
SoWal Expert
I think part of it is that people need to adjust their expectations/how they figure what is affordable. Owning a home is a big achievement and not something everyone can afford, especially on just one salary.
The national average salary for someone 25 years or older who works full time and only has a high school education is $31,500 a year - basically $15 an hour.
IMO we shouldn't be basing our analysis of the affordability of local housing costs on a single income with only a high school diploma.
This is where I was getting my stats:
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States[/ame]
The national average salary for someone 25 years or older who works full time and only has a high school education is $31,500 a year - basically $15 an hour.
IMO we shouldn't be basing our analysis of the affordability of local housing costs on a single income with only a high school diploma.
This is where I was getting my stats:
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States[/ame]
Beach FanaticAuthor
Move to N'ville or Bay county. It isn't so far that you can't still visit and care for your people.
And they say nobody listens!!! How about another alternative thrown into the mix? Say, better paying jobs? If people have to move from their homes, where they have lived for generations, just to better their lifestyle, this choice leads often times to depression. Quite a dilemma actually, sometimes leading to the popular pastime, sit in the woods and drink BEER!
SoWal Insider
....then there's the story of this lady in Tampa who thought she "had it all."
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/07/Business/Hire_me__anyone__plea.shtml
.
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/07/Business/Hire_me__anyone__plea.shtml
.
Checking your forum account
Please wait while we verify your forum account.