$100k salary, packing up from Manchester

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San Diego, CA cityscape

if you left manchester

San Diego

ca · metro 3.3M

photo: Justin Wolff / unsplash

a dispatch from

san diego

CA

32.72°N

117.16°W

San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.

metro3.3M

in our guides

#4

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Most walkable cities in America

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#9

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#3

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#5

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Best cities for parks and green space

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#2

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Best cities for a $100k salary

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#2

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Best cities with mild winters

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$1,573

the monthly cost of moving past Manchester

San Diego doesn't pretend to be affordable. Move here for what San Diego is, not for what it leaves on your monthly ledger.
landable, recorded on the san diego entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,890/mo

38% more expensive than Manchester(vs $2,092/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$775/mo more in state tax than Manchester

vs 0% in Manchester

03after rent

$4,668/mo

$1,573 less than Manchester

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$1010k

84% more expensive than Manchester

vs $548k in Manchester

05metro size

3.3M

vs 427k in Manchester

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

332

pleasant days a year, in san diego.

Manchester barely cracks 154 pleasant ones.

1060% more happening than in Manchester.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

75/100

21% higher than Manchester

vs 62/100 in Manchester

Closest outdoor draw: Silver Strand State Beach, 4.8 mi.

·walk score®

99/100

1% higher than Manchester

vs 98/100 in Manchester

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

55

323% more than Manchester

vs 13 nonstops in Manchester

04 · see also

neighbors of san diego on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

honolulu

more things to do

turn the page

see also

oxnard

better weather

turn the page

see also

san luis obispo

more things to do

turn the page

compare san diego with:

HonoluluOxnardSan Luis Obispo