Austin Metro v. San Jose Metro - Where Would You Live? (living, state)

[manitopiaaa]

With news of Tesla leaving Palo Alto for Austin, that now makes two tech companies having left Silicon Valley for the Lone Star State (Oracle was first, but is a company in decline and Tesla is of a much higher stature).

A lot of Tesla HQ employees will now be having to weigh whether to move to Austin, or find another job in San Jose.

So if you were in this predicament, where would you live?

[mwj119]

Austin itself is a better city, though San Jose suburbs are a step up from Austin comps. Neither are super appealing , aesthetically, especially compared to those near San Francisco.

Considering none of the coast falls in San Jose MSA, and living on the coast is a non-option for daily commute, I don't think I could justify spending 3x in San Jose.

So I'll go Austin. If money is a non issue, i'd rethink that.

[mhays25]

I'd take the center of town vs. SJ, but I'd still take SJ here.

[Charlotte485]

Texas is too conservative for me (though I think Austin is a great city. But I couldn’t deal with the GOP having the state on lock)

[Bluefox]

I really don’t care for San Jose, so Austin for me. Austin is at least fun vs a snooze fest

[ccm123]

I’d pick San Jose. Silicon Valley has plenty of excellent job opportunities. Although I thought highly of Austin during visits there, the Texas heat would be too much for me to handle.

I’ve known of two close former colleagues that left Silicon Valley for Austin. One returned back to California and the other liked it much more than California (primary reasons were affordable housing prices, favorable 2nd amendment policies, and the music scene.)

BTW, I read today that the Tesla HQ in Palo Alto will only be moving, the Tesla factory in Fremont will stay in California.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

If I were working for Tesla or Oracle and already living in the Bay Area... then by definition I'd (probably) be able to afford living in the Bay Area. So I'd pick that over a smaller, hotter, more humid, less interesting, but cheaper metro.

[GeoffD]

Is someone buying me a house in Palo Alto? If so, I pick San Jose easily. It’s not 100F all summer. I have access to salt water. I can ski at Tahoe.

[As Above So Below...]

Austin. SJ is way too expensive.

[elchevere]

Would probably depend if I had a replacement job lined up and/or where I was with respect to tenure (fully vested pension, etc—though how many have been with the firm since 2003 and was one offered at its inception or at all?) and benefits (stock options, profit sharing, vacation time diminution and no 401K participation likely for first year with new job). I would consider a move to Austin with Tesla to retain benefits (and if pay remained the same and I didn’t have enough FU money saved up at the time) though the SJ/Peninsula would be my first preference to live if I found a comparable or better paying (all perks considered) replacement job….a number of variables to consider.