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→Sacramento
Sacramento is California's capital and California's pantry, sitting at the heart of one of the most productive farm regions on earth. The 'Farm to Fork' food movement isn't marketing here, it's just dinner. Two rivers meet downtown, summer afternoons are dry and hot enough to justify ice cream as a meal, and Tahoe is a two-hour drive when you need elevation. It's quieter than its big-city neighbors and likes it that way.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$2,226/mo
$664/mo less than San Diego (30%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$589k
$421k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$5,332/mo
Sacramento has $664/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
211 days
121 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
56 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Sacramento has 56 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
75 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
28 routes
27 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
2.4M metro
San Diego has 2.1x more events per month than Sacramento.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
3
Sacramento
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Sacramento wins on money. Dead even.
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