$100k a year, no longer in Sacramento
changea dispatch from
tucson
AZ
32.25°N
110.91°W
Tucson is the first U.S. city named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and the Sonoran hot dogs alone justify the trip. The saguaros stand around like skinny green sentries, the mountains ring the city in every direction, and the sunsets do that thing where the whole sky turns watermelon. The University of Arizona keeps the energy young. The monsoons in July are genuinely thrilling, and the dry desert nights keep the patios full long after dark.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Sacramento
Move to Tucson and the monthly math gets easier. Sacramento's rent is the headline; Tucson's is a footnote.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
35% cheaper than Sacramento(vs $2,226/mo)
2.5%
$567/mo less in state tax than Sacramento
vs 9.3% in Sacramento
$6,681/mo
$1,349 more than Sacramento
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
40% cheaper than Sacramento
vs $589k in Sacramento
1.1M
vs 2.4M in Sacramento
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Sacramento has the edge here, logging 211 pleasant days a year. The trade is summer: 94 days above 95°, vs 56 in Sacramento.
Sacramento hosts 2.5× more events.
66/100
12% lower than Sacramento
vs 75/100 in Sacramento
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
32% lower than Sacramento
vs 98/100 in Sacramento
16
43% fewer than Sacramento
vs 28 nonstops in Sacramento
cities that play in tucson's register:
compare tucson with:
