01 · the cities
San Jose
San Jose is Silicon Valley's anchor city, much bigger than San Francisco by population, and culturally underrated because everyone drives through it on the way somewhere else. The Vietnamese food scene (especially in Little Saigon) is one of the best in the country. The weather is impossibly mild, the Santa Cruz Mountains rise to the west, and the tech money funds a genuinely excellent restaurant scene.
full dispatch→Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie is the New York Mets' spring training home, with golf courses, gated communities, and the slow Atlantic Coast pace that retirees love. It's one of the fastest-growing cities in the country in recent years. The Treasure Coast beaches are quieter and prettier than the bigger Florida metros. Suburban, sunny, and easy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$2,331/mo
$1,139/mo less than San Jose (49%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$397k
$1.4M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,002/mo
Port St. Lucie has $1,914/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
283 days
246 days
37 fewer than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Jose has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Port St. Lucie.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
50 / 100
20.0 pts behind San Jose
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
23 routes
6 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
537k metro
the verdict
3
San Jose
categories won
5
Port St. Lucie
categories won
Port St. Lucie wins on money. San Jose has the edge on lifestyle.
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