Fresno: one of 13 cities where you can live comfortably for < $60/year (San Francisco: 2014, crime rate)

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by janellen

Tucson.............for the scenery. The Santa Catalina mountains are awesome. It's not nearly as hot as Phoenix also.








and in the winter

Originally Posted by Social Democrat

I second Tucson!

Sure, go ahead and move to Tucson AZ

Tucson Ranked Among Worst Cities in America, But Here's the Problem | Phoenix New Times

//www.city-data.com/forum/12631198-post51.html

[Moddedintegra56]

https://venturebeat.com/2018/0519/wh...entral-valley/

Fresno/Clovis is nice if you can get use to the heat during the summer. If you can stand Las Vegas, an AZ then Fresno is much of the same if not possibly better?

It's the closest big city to Yosemite and the other national parks. Snow can be accessed within 1 to and half hours with a ski resort in China Peak
China Peak Mountain Resort | California Ski Resort

Fresno Pacific and Fresno State University for higher education options. A lot of great schools in Clovis Unified and central.

Has pretty much all the usual chain restaurants, fast food, box stores, etc that all other big cities have. There are things to do, local flavor, and stuff like that, but not to the level of SF or LA, but its getting better.

For crying out loud it is the 5th biggest city IN CA. It's not a small town although it feels that way. Next to SF, Fresno is the next biggest in CA. In this order, LA, SD, SJ, SF, Fresno, Sac

The transition would probably be better for those in the South Bay since it is about 2 hours away. And those in the south bay are probably more accustomed to hot weather as it does get hotter in the San Jose area.

The air quality is constantly brought up and Fresno and the central valley has generally been the scapegoat for the entire state. But looking deeper into the situation, lets pull up Lung.org state of the air for 2018:
http://www.lung.org/local-content/ca...t-polluted.pdf
What do you know, Fresno is not even at the top, and in fact desirable cities are on there in some categories such as SoCal and the Bay. The fact is CA has bad air all over. Fresno/central valley air isn't good, but the bay's and socal's aint that much better.

And as for crime:
https://www.gddlaw.com/2016/05/12/ci...nia-dangerous/
Compared to the afforementioned top big cities, a section there shows Fresno isn't all that bad. Sac, Oakland, SF has a lot more violet crime per population. And all these bedroom communities people are moving to around the bay including many eastbay cities are more dangerous.

What you will find little of obviously is the tech sector. But for other jobs, teachers, healthcare, etc. Jobs that would deem you poor in the bay area--you will be living well in Fresno/Clovis, and you'll have most/all amenities because you live in a big city. You won't find yourself having to constantly drive to the next big city just to shop somewhere, or do something like those who moved to bedroom communities/small towns/small cities an hour outside of the bay.

Sacramento median price for a home is already 100K more than Fresno, so those already feeling priced out of even Sac and you have ties in the south bay, Fresno is the last big city in CA that still provides affordability--well theres Bakersfield, but thats 4 hours from the south bay area where Fresno is 2.

[TacoSoup]

None of the above. I’d make $60K work in San Diego. Adjusting for inflation, I did for many years on much less.

If I had to pick I’d go with Fresno, with Vegas followed by Tucson. The latter two you could still be at the beach in 6 hours. I’ve been to a lot of the cities on this list, and you couldn’t pay me enough to live there. Well maybe if I was paid enough with the option to travel at the drop of a hat, 200+ days a year.

The spot I would choose not on this list, but where you could live comfortably on $60k, over the three I mentioned, would be the mountain communities of the San Bernardino mountains. When it’s snowing you can be in the water surfing in Newport Beach in under 2 hours. Not to mention there would never be a case of cabin fever as you’re only a 1/2 hour away from every store imaginable, all in sunshine and 70’s mid winter. Actually a lot of winters can be pretty mild up there, that can be a pro, or con, to some.

[JJonesIII]

Originally Posted by Moddedintegra56

https://venturebeat.com/2018/0519/wh...entral-valley/

Fresno/Clovis is nice if you can get use to the heat during the summer. If you can stand Las Vegas, an AZ then Fresno is much of the same if not possibly better?

It's the closest big city to Yosemite and the other national parks. Snow can be accessed within 1 to and half hours with a ski resort in China Peak
China Peak Mountain Resort | California Ski Resort

Fresno Pacific and Fresno State University for higher education options. A lot of great schools in Clovis Unified and central.

Has pretty much all the usual chain restaurants, fast food, box stores, etc that all other big cities have. There are things to do, local flavor, and stuff like that, but not to the level of SF or LA, but its getting better.

For crying out loud it is the 5th biggest city IN CA. It's not a small town although it feels that way. Next to SF, Fresno is the next biggest in CA. In this order, LA, SD, SJ, SF, Fresno, Sac

The transition would probably be better for those in the South Bay since it is about 2 hours away. And those in the south bay are probably more accustomed to hot weather as it does get hotter in the San Jose area.

The air quality is constantly brought up and Fresno and the central valley has generally been the scapegoat for the entire state. But looking deeper into the situation, lets pull up Lung.org state of the air for 2018:
http://www.lung.org/local-content/ca...t-polluted.pdf
What do you know, Fresno is not even at the top, and in fact desirable cities are on there in some categories such as SoCal and the Bay. The fact is CA has bad air all over. Fresno/central valley air isn't good, but the bay's and socal's aint that much better.

And as for crime:
https://www.gddlaw.com/2016/05/12/ci...nia-dangerous/
Compared to the afforementioned top big cities, a section there shows Fresno isn't all that bad. Sac, Oakland, SF has a lot more violet crime per population. And all these bedroom communities people are moving to around the bay including many eastbay cities are more dangerous.

What you will find little of obviously is the tech sector. But for other jobs, teachers, healthcare, etc. Jobs that would deem you poor in the bay area--you will be living well in Fresno/Clovis, and you'll have most/all amenities because you live in a big city. You won't find yourself having to constantly drive to the next big city just to shop somewhere, or do something like those who moved to bedroom communities/small towns/small cities an hour outside of the bay.

Sacramento median price for a home is already 100K more than Fresno, so those already feeling priced out of even Sac and you have ties in the south bay, Fresno is the last big city in CA that still provides affordability--well theres Bakersfield, but thats 4 hours from the south bay area where Fresno is 2.

Great spin on the air quality

Ranked 4 for high ozone days out of 227 metropolitan areas (grade of an F)
Ranked 3 for 24-hour particle pollution out of 201 metropolitan areas (grade of an F)
Ranked 5 for annual particle pollution out of 187 metropolitan areas

Most Polluted Cities | American Lung Association

The list is a comparison of the cities listed (and it's the worst of all of those). Who cares if it's not the worst in CA?! It's terrible period. What kind of logic is that to compare to 2 or 3 cities that are worst than that and saying it's not that bad? 3rd, 4th, and 5th worse in the entire country is nothing to brag about.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by JJonesIII

Great spin on the air quality

Ranked 4 for high ozone days out of 227 metropolitan areas (grade of an F)
Ranked 3 for 24-hour particle pollution out of 201 metropolitan areas (grade of an F)
Ranked 5 for annual particle pollution out of 187 metropolitan areas

Most Polluted Cities | American Lung Association

The list is a comparison of the cities listed (and it's the worst of all of those). Who cares if it's not the worst in CA?! It's terrible period. What kind of logic is that to compare to 2 or 3 cities that are worst than that and saying it's not that bad? 3rd, 4th, and 5th worse in the entire country is nothing to brag about.

Many can't accept that CA in general still has bad air quality which is bad for children and older adults. Not as bad as in the 60's but still very bad.

[joejerryronnie]

Shoot, for $60K I can live on any park bench in San Francisco I want to!

[49erfan916]

Originally Posted by joejerryronnie

Shoot, for $60K I can live on any park bench in San Francisco I want to!

Nah. That park bench doubled in price.

[Sreysrey]

Originally Posted by BeauCharles

From that list I'd choose Fresno just to stay in California. I lived there for two years in the early 90s and have been around it all my life because of family. Its fine. Yeah, the air quality could be better, but its no worse than the LA basin where millions upon millions live and people rarely say anything about anymore in that regard.

People are nice, commuting is easy, restaurants are cheap and quite varied and its close to a lot of great places for weekend trips.

Me Too! I visited my friend there and I liked it. There were many things for me to do there while she said there was nothing to do. I am a nature person, love the outdoor so I found many things to do while I'm there. It all depend on the person. I can find fun everywhere I go. I visited the underground garden, the casino ( for a small town they have 2 casinos nearby), farmlands, enough diversities for me to feel welcomed, university... I think they have everything.

It is a hybrid of city and farm and I can see farther view upon the horizon unlike in Los Angeles, buildings everywhere. Housing sure is cheap and I'm looking to buy a condo there for 37k- 50k if they are still available by the time I have money. I can rent it out to students or whoever. Can't get that cheap in LA! Many people I know moved to Fresno and start business there for cheap also. Land is big, good to grow crop and sell... so many ideas.

Last year I was in the process of renting an apt in Fresno when I got a good deal here for same price so I ended up staying here instead.

[Social Democrat]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Sure, go ahead and move to Tucson AZ

Tucson Ranked Among Worst Cities in America, But Here's the Problem | Phoenix New Times

//www.city-data.com/forum/12631198-post51.html

Thank you Donnie Downer. I lived in Fresno for 25 years before moving to LA.
The crime rate at that time was high and at one point was the car theft capital of the US.
Property crime would not deter me from the clean air and fantastic scenery of Tucson.
I left Fresno for a better Job, not the crime rate. Always have to be aware of your surroundings no
matter where you are.

[ryanst530]

Albuquerque followed by Tucson for me.

I do think the central valley of California has a lot to offer, and is quite pretty in certain parts, but Fresno would not be my first choice of cities to live in.