San Jose vs Phoenix

[Valley Native]

Interesting to compare San Jose with Phoenix because the 2 cities have some very noticeable things in common ... such as: suburban styled, decent freeway system, wide streets, car centric, and rather small skylines. I remember some neighborhoods in San Jose had very similar designs to a few older Phoenix neighborhoods. Also, both cities are somewhat decentralized, but San Jose is even more so. Both are thriving in the technology sector, but San Jose is definitely #1 in this aspect. Both are also lacking a thriving central core. Phoenix has the better downtown area, but it's still lacking for its size.

As was mentioned, San Jose & Phoenix have different climates. San Jose has warm summers, but Phoenix is brutally hot from June through September, with July & August usually having the worst heat. San Jose can also get the marine layer in the early mornings. Winters in San Jose are normally cool & wet. Phoenix can also have rainy winters, but it's much more sporadic, and our winter weather is influenced more by southern CA than northern CA.

Living in San Jose also comes with a huge price as far as cost of living. Some reports say that it's the most expensive in the nation, especially in housing costs. Phoenix certainly isn't cheap, but it's much more affordable than the large CA cities. A home valued at over $1M would be about average in San Jose, but it would be on the high end side in much of the Phoenix area. Two things that can be more expensive in Phoenix: summer electric bills, and car repairs. A/C is running constantly during a Phoenix summer, and HVAC units often need repair & replacement more often. Car parts like batteries, tires, and hoses don't last long in the intense heat either. Just something to keep in mind.

[5thgenSF]

Originally Posted by AnythingOutdoors

It's been 18 months since OP started this thread, interested to know what they ended up doing, how they feel about the decision, lessons learned, and so on.

exactly. bay area native here and lived a year and a half in not fit for man nor beast mesa. north bay is the only decent weather around here any more. san jose is/was too hot and cold. i'm picky though.

[spicydreamt]

That's ironic, I know of a San Francisco native who lives in Marin and abhors the humid winter months and dreams to settle in the peninsula for the weather. Even Santa Clara weather is an improvement for him. That said if you're on the wrong side of the wrong hill the weather can vary a lot in just a few blocks in Marin.