Personal Narrative: Living In Wilmington

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I have lived in Wilmington, Delaware my whole life. Wilmington is perfectly located on the I-95 corridor. This allows for easy access to many cities with great sports teams and amazing historical venues. I can travel south to Baltimore, Maryland for a Ravens game in 1 hour 30 minutes or to Washington, DC for a Capitals game in 2 hours. Additionally, if I travel north, Philadelphia is 20 minutes from my home. So I can fly out of PHL to another city or attend a Flyers game at the drop of a hat. New York City is another 90 minutes from Philly, so Wilmington is strategically located and a desired place live upon graduation. The only downside to living in Wilmington is the weather. Whenever there is a nor’easter, Wilmington, Delaware is always …show more content…

As I compare my desired starting salary of 60K with the two cities listed above the salary for Myrtle would be approximately 22% lower to $52,712, while the salary in Philly would be approximately 21% higher to $67,571. These numbers do not tell the whole story. Groceries, transportation and utilities are roughly 10% higher in Philadelphia. Additionally groceries and transportation are roughly 2-5% lower in Myrtle. Utilities are slightly higher in Myrtle, but that can be directly tied to the warm weather and the use of air conditioning 10 months out of the year. Health insurance is slightly lower in both cities, but I expect those numbers will adjust with the timing of the new administration and the probable repeal of Obamacare. The major deciding factor with regards to when I will live upon graduation will be invariably being the housing cost. In Philadelphia the cost of housing is 25% higher than Wilmington. Calculating the numbers, the 21% increase in salary will be completely absorbed by groceries, transportation and utilities leaving no room for a 25% increase in housing, thus making Philadelphia an unaffordable option. Conversely, Myrtle Beach only had a 5% increase in utilities, with all other categories including housing as a reduced cost. While the comparable salary is 22% lower the housing in Myrtle Beach is 35% lower than Wilmington, Delaware. Clearly my income will go further in Myrtle and this is something I will consider. Living at the beach is my ultimate life

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