on $100k a year, leaving San Francisco
changea dispatch from
phoenix
AZ
33.45°N
112.07°W
Phoenix is sun, saguaros, and a valley so wide you can drive 45 minutes in a straight line and still be in greater Phoenix. The Sonoran Desert blooms wildly in spring, the monsoon storms in late summer are theatrical, and the hiking on Camelback or Piestewa Peak is a sunrise ritual. Pools and shaded patios are basically infrastructure, and the locals have the rhythm of a desert day dialed.
in our guides
the verdict
lighter monthly cost than San Francisco
Phoenix runs on a fraction of San Francisco's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
a quick ledger.
$1,739/mo
45% cheaper than San Francisco(vs $3,146/mo)
2.5%
$567/mo less in state tax than San Francisco
vs 9.3% in San Francisco
$6,386/mo
$1,974 more than San Francisco
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$458k
63% cheaper than San Francisco
vs $1239k in San Francisco
5.1M
vs 4.6M in San Francisco
field notes, weather & such.
181
pleasant days a year, in phoenix.
San Francisco gets 312 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Heat is the cost: 133 days top 95° vs San Francisco's 0.
About as much going on as in San Francisco.
66/100
20% lower than San Francisco
vs 83/100 in San Francisco
Closest outdoor draw: Sierra Estrella Wilderness Area, 20.4 mi.
97/100
2% lower than San Francisco
vs 99/100 in San Francisco
91
18% fewer than San Francisco
vs 111 nonstops in San Francisco
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