$100k salary, packing up from Hickory

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San Francisco, CA cityscape

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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

$2,112

the monthly premium over Hickory

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

119% more expensive than Hickory(vs $1,434/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$400/mo more in state tax than Hickory

vs 4.5% in Hickory

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$2,112 less than Hickory

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

04a house here

$1239k

362% more expensive than Hickory

vs $268k in Hickory

05metro size

4.6M

vs 370k in Hickory

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Hickory only logs 189 pleasant days.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 13.6× more on the calendar than Hickory.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

30% higher than Hickory

vs 64/100 in Hickory

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

·walk score®

99/100

41% higher than Hickory

vs 70/100 in Hickory

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

0% fewer than Hickory

vs 0 nonstops in Hickory

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