Is it just me or do these make absolutely no sense. I'm in PUBNAT2 and got my letter today informing me that I will be at Scottsdale Airport. I went and checked the locality rate thinking it had to be pretty high and was amazed to discover that it was actually lower then Phoenix's locality rate. Here are some interesting facts about the two cities.
Phoenix
Median household income
(per year) $44,222
Median home price $164,097
Locality Rate for PHX 14.74
Locality Rate for DVT 13.18 (WTF these are in the same city?)
Scottsdale (rich high class suburb of Phoenix, frequently reffered to as Snottsdale)
Median household income
(per year) $70,575
Median home price $331,674 (Double that of Phoenix)
Locality Rate for SDL 13.18% (Lower then Phoenix)

Not to mention Scottsdale is a smaller Airport then Deer Valley. So seriously WTF, I might have to abandon my ATC ambitions because I'm going to get stuck in the same situation I have always been, working for low pay and having to have a long ass commute because I can't afford to live where I am going to work. Seriously the areas I can afford to live in are an hour+ commute each way. Even when I am at the top of my payband (level 7 facility, $65,400) I won't be able to afford to live close to work.

Who sets these rates? I seriously am going to write a nice long letter full of statistics to whichever agency is in charge of this.

Feel free to move this if I posted in the wrong forum.