"Literally doing nothing. No eating out. No going out with friends. No extras."
That's how one reader in her forties described what she's doing to stay afloat. Her household earns between $100,000 and $150,000 a year, which is right above the median family income for Los Angeles County.
She's one of 192 Valley residents who responded to a survey about money, stress, and housing costs. The results tell a complicated story of “middle-class life” in Los Angeles
View the survey and the results. Contact me: hi@nohonick.com
🔑 Key findings
- 73% of SFV respondents are at least moderately stressed about money.
- 38% of SFV respondents are very or extremely stressed about money.
- 50% of households earning $100,000 to $150,000 aren’t saving for retirement.
- Financial stress jumps when housing eats more than 25% of a household's income.
- Within the $100,000 to $150,000 income bracket, retirement saving drops as housing costs rise.
- The survey collected 192 responses from residents of the San Fernando Valley, including Burbank and Glendale.
😧 73% of Valley residents are stressed about money
Most people are at least moderately stressed about their finances. Only 5% said they weren't stressed at all.
How stressed are Valley residents about money?
- Not stressed: 5% (10 of 192)
- A little stressed: 21% (41 of 192)
- Moderately stressed: 35% (68 of 192)
- Very stressed: 21% (41 of 192)
- Extremely stressed: 17% (32 of 192)
👴 Half of households earning $100K–$150K aren't saving for retirement
$100K–$150K could be considered a “normal” household income in Los Angeles.
Half of the respondents in this income bracket said they're not saving any money for retirement. Retirement savings become the norm only at household incomes of $200,000 or more.
- The median household income in Los Angeles is $100,149/yr.
- The median household income in Los Angeles for married-couple families is $121,653/yr.
Share of each income bracket NOT saving for retirement:
- Under $40K: 92% (23 of 25)
- $40K–$60K: 85% (22 of 26)
- $60K–$80K: 72% (21 of 29)
- $80K–$100K: 48% (10 of 21)
- $100K–$150K: 50% (19 of 38)
- $150K–$200K: 39% (9 of 23)
- $200K–$300K: 21% (4 of 19)
- $300K+: 0% (0 of 11)
🏡 Financial stress starts at 25% of income on housing, not 30%
The federal government defines a household as "cost-burdened" when housing costs exceed 30% of its income.
Share reporting at least "moderate" financial stress, by housing cost:
- Under 25% of income on housing: 42% stressed (17 of 40)
- 25%–35% of income on housing: 74% stressed (46 of 62)
- 35%–50% of income on housing: 87% stressed (52 of 60)
- Over 50% of income on housing: 87% stressed (26 of 30)
⚖️ Housing ratio matters more than income bracket
How much of their income goes to housing changes whether people can save for retirement.
Savings for retirement by housing expenses (within the $100K–$150K bracket)
- Under 25% of income on housing: 67% saving (4 of 6)
- 25%–35% of income on housing: 61% saving (11 of 18)
- 35%–50% of income on housing: 27% saving (3 of 11)
- Over 50% of income on housing: 33% saving (1 of 3)
A Valley household earning $120,000 with a rent-controlled apartment is in a very different financial position than one earning $120,000 and paying market rent.
💸 How people are coping
At the end of the survey was a blank box that asked what was helping readers save money or stay afloat.
These are responses from the $100K–$150K bracket.
"Frugal living but no extreme. Coupon clipping for groceries. Points for gas. Cooking at home five times a week. Canceled gym membership." — Reader, 30 to 34, spending 25% to 35% on housing
"Not leaving my apartment. Literally doing nothing. No eating out. No going out with friends. No extras." — Reader, 40 to 49, spending over 50% on housing
"Going out to dinner less." — Reader, 40 to 49, spending 25% to 35% on housing
"Facebook Marketplace." — Reader, 35 to 39, spending 35% to 50% on housing
ℹ️ About this survey
This was a reader survey distributed through a San Fernando Valley newsletter. It is not a scientific poll, and the findings should be read as directional rather than definitive.
The value of the survey is in showing the texture of patterns that larger datasets have already identified.
Sample and method:
- 192 San Fernando Valley responses (including Burbank and Glendale) collected online through a reader survey on https://nohonick.com and https://sfvlocal.com. An additional 28 responses came from other LA neighborhoods and are excluded from this analysis.
- Household income, financial stress (on a 1 to 5 scale), housing cost as a percentage of income, age, and savings behavior are all self-reported and captured in brackets.
- All percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Sample sizes are shown alongside every bracket-level statistic.
- Sample sizes are small in the highest and lowest income brackets (11 respondents at $300K+, 25 at under $40K). Readers should treat bracket-level findings as directional.