What's the cost-of-living like near/around Andrews AFB?

[mango]

Hello,

Is there anyone who might be able to give me a good idea what the cost-of-living is like near/around Andrews AFB?  Need an idea what the rent would be on a 1 bedroom apartment in a nice area near the base.   Also possibly some idea how bad the traffic and crime is.   Thanks

[Bryan]

The proximity to Washington DC would indicate a concentration of criminals, mostly flim-flam men, scam artists and prostitutes and that's only the elected ones.

[msrichmond]

Try looking on rent.com or craigslist to get an idea of the rental costs. You can also try salary.com; I think they have a cost-of-living calculator.

If you look at the base website, they will probably have a number to the housing office. You can call them and ask for information on the rents in the area, especially if you are going to work on the base.

Redfin and ziprealty are two good real estate websites that give you extra info about neighborhoods, etc. Even if you're not looking for a house, you can search by street name and see what the crime rates, etc. are.

Lastly, google the police website; some are now putting a daily crime sheet online. If not, you can still get their phone number to call and ask them about the crime rates in that area.

[Talbot_ESI]

Did you find out what you needed? I work in the area; however, I reside 45 minutes north.

[mango]

Hello,

I do have a few questions still:

1.   What would be a good base pay for a PMEL tech in DC if you lived within a 1 hour commute or 40 miles maximum?

2.   How hard is it to find PMEL techs to move to the DC area due to the high cost of living?

Thanks,

Mango

[Talbot_ESI]

1.    What would be a good base pay for a PMEL tech in DC if you lived within a 1 hour commute or 40 miles maximum?

Don't know your experience. . . .  $18-$28/hr range

2.    How hard is it to find PMEL techs to move to the DC area due to the high cost of living?

If you include all the Navy bases in the area, probably quite a few.  There is alot of defense contractors in the Baltimore/Washington area; all of which need good technicians and usually pay better than the labs in the area.  Most employers realize the value of a PMEL education and will hire them for non-PMEL jobs