According to google maps, it takes 34 minutes to get from Compton (a cheap area, if rap songs are accurate) to Beverly Hills. There are probably other cheap areas not legendary for breeding hard soldiers, I just don't know the west coast at all.
The problem with that is that commuting distances is it's own expense. It also rules out people like me who don't have a driver's license to drive a car in the first place. I can only work in heavily urban areas (Most of Chicago, or even parts of Toledo) because of it.
Also, note that the argument above had nothing to do with ecological or foreign dependence concerns, which is what most people think of when they pan commuter culture.
The problem timr was describing is that Beverly Hills needs some low skill workers. I'm sure sufficiently many low skill workers have cars/bus passes to meet the needs of Beverly Hills.
I'm not a fan of car culture either. I'm just pointing out that a "living wage" in beverly hills can't be more than a "living wage" in Compton + cost of commuting.
Incidentally, the market adjusts wages in exactly that way: the 50'th st Qdoba in Manhattan pays a couple bucks more/hour than the Hoboken Qdoba. Most likely there is a similar wage premium to work in Beverly Hills.
It's more normal to have people share living spaces. At my last job I worked with an Indian making 45k who was splitting a 2 breadroom 1350$ / month apt with 8 people (they used bunk beds). He had no car and 170$ / month rent is cheep so he was saving a tun of money.
According to google maps, it takes 34 minutes to get from Compton (a cheap area, if rap songs are accurate) to Beverly Hills. There are probably other cheap areas not legendary for breeding hard soldiers, I just don't know the west coast at all.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&s...
On the east coast, Jersey/Brooklyn/LI to Manhattan is equally reasonable.