Life in Bartow

According to Wikipedia, the median income for a household in Bartow County is ~$43k (~$49k for families). Taking that into consideration, it bothers me that we consistently have new subdivisions being built that start around $180k+. Just take a look at some of the new subdivisions being built in Cartersville: (Prices, though fairly accurate, are approximations)

• The Retreat at Pumpkinvine – $600k+
• Carter Grove Plantation – $200k+
• The Reserve at Petit Creek – $300k+
• Grove Park – $200k
• Brookstone – $600k+
• Mountainbrook – $300k+
• Ferguson Fields – $160k+
• Shaw Woods – $300k+
• Hamilton Crossing – $160k+
• Lenox Park – $149+
• Cassville Commons – $149+
• The Cottages at Cassville Commons – $120k+
• etc. etc.

My current job puts me around the median and yet I don’t make enough to live in most of those subdivisions listed above. Even the subdivisions that aren’t new construction are quite pricey (Westgate, Foxfire, Misty Forest, Woodvine, etc. etc.). If I were to buy one, I’d be house poor. I wouldn’t be able to afford anything else, all my money would be going towards the house.

More Bartow Rants

For those considering Bartow Co as their place of residence, you’ll pleased to hear of these offerings:

• Cartersville – Home of the Wildcats and massive bumper-to-bumper delays on Highway 113. If you can’t get enough of I75, then you’ll love west Cartersville in the afternoons. Constructions delays, train tracks, and over-crowding make 10mile drives take at least 30mins!
• Kingston – Sure, it’ll take the DOT about 6 months to a year to redo the various ramps on I75, but in Kingston it will take two years to finish the rennovation of Hardin Bridge. Awesome! Go-go government efficiency!
• Stilesboro/Taylorsville – Yeah, you know that backed up traffic on 113 in Cartersville? It doesn’t get any better in S/T. However, while you wait for traffic to move forward in the afternoons, you can enjoy looking at the wide-open fields as the rising temperatures bring your slight unease to a boiling rage.
• Euharlee – although not home to many traffic annoyances, you can expect occasions(read: weeks) when nobody turns off the “25mph” flashers at the Euharlee Middle/Elementary school and thus every moron in front of you will piddle through.
• Cassville – If you love surprises, you’ll love Cassville! It’s one of the few places that will let you drive all the way down a road, just to find out it’s…..dum…dum…dum…CLOSED!
• Emerson – Ah Emerson, there’s nothing like crawling through there at the near speed of light rate of…35mph. It’s just as well though, trains frequently come through and park on the tracks, blocking roads throughout the city. Don’t like it? Go talk to the engineer, he’s probably sitting in Doug’s Place.