$100k salary, packing up from Asheville

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San Francisco, CA cityscape

from asheville

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

$1,808

the monthly premium over Asheville

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

81% more expensive than Asheville(vs $1,738/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$400/mo more in state tax than Asheville

vs 4.5% in Asheville

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$1,808 less than Asheville

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

04a house here

$1239k

188% more expensive than Asheville

vs $430k in Asheville

05metro size

4.6M

vs 417k in Asheville

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Asheville barely cracks 201 pleasant ones.

A real upgrade on things to do: 7.4× Asheville's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

26% higher than Asheville

vs 66/100 in Asheville

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

·walk score®

99/100

57% higher than Asheville

vs 63/100 in Asheville

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

1288% more than Asheville

vs 8 nonstops in Asheville

04 · see also

neighbors of san francisco on the map of tradeoffs:

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