on $100k a year, leaving Des Moines

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

next stop after des moines

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

$2,153

pricier each month than Des Moines

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

148% more expensive than Des Moines(vs $1,268/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$275/mo more in state tax than Des Moines

vs 6% in Des Moines

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$2,153 less than Des Moines

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

04a house here

$1239k

314% more expensive than Des Moines

vs $300k in Des Moines

05metro size

4.6M

vs 737k in Des Moines

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Des Moines barely cracks 151 pleasant ones.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 5.6× more on the calendar than Des Moines.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

51% higher than Des Moines

vs 55/100 in Des Moines

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

·walk score®

99/100

27% higher than Des Moines

vs 78/100 in Des Moines

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

553% more than Des Moines

vs 17 nonstops in Des Moines

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