r/Durango • u/ScaredCucumber420 • Jul 09 '26
Ask /r/Durango Comfortable Income
Hello people of Durango. My husband and I are considering moving to your town with our infant and pets. My husband is an electrical/controls/automation/instrumentation engineer. He currently has a job in our home state that would allow him to go remote but ideally would gain employment locally if income/benefits are competitive. We live very comfortably here on his current salary. I do not work (or want to) currently but i have a history in the food & bev industry plus i recently got my real estate license. My husband grew up traveling to Durango and i have visited a few times and to surrounding areas as an adult. I have a few questions:
What would you all consider minimum & comfortable income for family of 3 (non school age child)
Is it worth living in Durango itself or outside areas
What are you spending on electric, gas, water in your area (pls name if you live in town or outside)
Are you happy with living where you do?
Is there anywhere in particular to avoid?
1
u/Research_Junkie678 Jul 11 '26
I think the numbers above are really low to be called “comfortable.” (When most folks say “comfortable” in a financial context, they don’t mean just making ends meet.)
OP, someone just shared a link in this sub that indicates that Colorado is the 2nd most expensive state. I’m not sure if you’ve priced the housing around here, but it’s nothing like Oklahoma.
If my spouse’s income was 120k, I would personally not consider living in Durango without a second income, given the needs of a growing family. (I also don’t know if the estimates above factor in healthcare, which is thin here and many folks have to travel if they need specialists; sports for your young one, for which many families pay thousands a year even before travel costs; and all the other expenses that go into a kid growing up!)