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→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$2,890/mo
$580/mo less than San Jose (20%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$1.0M
$786k less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$4,668/mo
San Diego has $580/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
332 days
49 more than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
0 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 19 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
75 / 100
5.0 pts ahead of San Jose
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
55 routes
26 more direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
3.3M metro
San Jose has 2.8x fewer events per month than San Diego.
the verdict
0
San Jose
categories won
7
San Diego
categories won
San Diego wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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