on $100k a year, leaving Houston

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

next stop after houston

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

$2,311

more each month than Houston ran you

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

95% more expensive than Houston(vs $1,610/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$775/mo more in state tax than Houston

vs 0% in Houston

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$2,311 less than Houston

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

04a house here

$1239k

298% more expensive than Houston

vs $311k in Houston

05metro size

4.6M

vs 7.5M in Houston

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Houston barely cracks 171 pleasant ones.

About as much going on as in Houston.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

51% higher than Houston

vs 55/100 in Houston

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

·walk score®

99/100

29% higher than Houston

vs 77/100 in Houston

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

37% fewer than Houston

vs 176 nonstops in Houston

04 · see also

cities that play in san francisco's register:

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