01 · the cities
San Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
full dispatch→Phoenix
Phoenix is sun, saguaros, and a valley so wide you can drive 45 minutes in a straight line and still be in greater Phoenix. The Sonoran Desert blooms wildly in spring, the monsoon storms in late summer are theatrical, and the hiking on Camelback or Piestewa Peak is a sunrise ritual. Pools and shaded patios are basically infrastructure, and the locals have the rhythm of a desert day dialed.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,739/mo
$1,151/mo less than San Diego (66%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$458k
$552k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
2.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,386/mo
Phoenix has $1,718/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
332 days
181 days
151 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
133 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Phoenix has 133 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
66 / 100
9.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
91 routes
36 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
5.1M metro
San Diego has 1.1x fewer events per month than Phoenix.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
5
Phoenix
categories won
Phoenix wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your San Diego salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works