$100k salary, packing up from Allentown

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

instead of allentown

San Francisco

ca · metro 4.6M

photo: Andrew Whitmore / unsplash

a dispatch from

san francisco

CA

37.77°N

122.42°W

San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.

metro4.6M

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$1,857

the monthly premium over Allentown

A real premium for San Francisco. Worth it only if the city itself is the whole point.
landable, recorded on the san francisco entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

74% more expensive than Allentown(vs $1,809/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$519/mo more in state tax than Allentown

vs 3.07% in Allentown

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$1,857 less than Allentown

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

04a house here

$1239k

245% more expensive than Allentown

vs $359k in Allentown

05metro size

4.6M

vs 874k in Allentown

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Allentown only manages 157 of those.

A month here packs 9.6× the events of Allentown.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

14% higher than Allentown

vs 73/100 in Allentown

Closest outdoor draw: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 1.5 mi.

·walk score®

99/100

15% higher than Allentown

vs 86/100 in Allentown

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

1133% more than Allentown

vs 9 nonstops in Allentown

04 · see also

same energy as san francisco, different zip code:

see also

san diego

$256/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$162/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

los angeles

$247/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san francisco with:

San DiegoHonoluluLos Angeles