$100k a year, no longer in Lexington

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

next stop after lexington

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

in our guides

#1

of 10

Most walkable cities in America

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for live music and arts

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for health and wellness

read the guide
#4

of 10

Most livable cities in America

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best places to move in 2026

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for parks and green space

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for work-life balance

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities to escape the heat

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities for a $100k salary

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for outdoor athletes

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities with year-round outdoor weather

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities for cyclists

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities to live in California

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for foodies

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for dog owners

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities with mild winters

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$2,058

more each month than Lexington ran you

San Francisco is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
landable, recorded on the san francisco entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

111% more expensive than Lexington(vs $1,488/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$400/mo more in state tax than Lexington

vs 4.5% in Lexington

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$2,058 less than Lexington

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

04a house here

$1239k

282% more expensive than Lexington

vs $324k in Lexington

05metro size

4.6M

vs 520k in Lexington

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Lexington barely cracks 171 pleasant ones.

6.1× the events of Lexington, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

38% higher than Lexington

vs 60/100 in Lexington

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

·walk score®

99/100

13% higher than Lexington

vs 88/100 in Lexington

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

754% more than Lexington

vs 13 nonstops in Lexington

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