I read recently where Washington DC is now the third most expensive place in the USA to live, directly behind San Francisco and San Jose, CA.
>>>A 1 bedroom in the city of Washington DC averaged $1770 in December, while 2 bedrooms were $2750. This makes Washington DC the 3rd most expensive major US city, with an 2 bedroom price that’s nearly triple the national average. Across the entire Washington DC metro area, rents averaged $1,610 for a 1 bedroom and $1,970 for a 2 bedroom, with renters paying 40% more to live in the city itself.<<<
https://www.google.com/search?q=wash...utf-8&oe=utf-8
I lived there for 20 years (1980-2000) and it was never like that. You could buy a very reasonably priced condo in a decent (not great, but perfectly safe and convenient) neighborhood on a fresh-out-of-college entry level salary. Now they are stacked 4 deep in the same space just to make the rent.
Hmmm....what's changed? Government growth is virtually pacing Silicon Valley now, and by extension created a virtual real estate gold rush.
And you're paying for it with the money you used to save for crazy things like retirement, your children's education, family vacations, etc.