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Ok since the last one was deleted for not providing specific criteria here it goes; which offer a better quality of life after considering all things like things to do, cost of living, location, laws, how it operates, crime rate, lifestyle, people etc. Pretty much everything you can think of the city.
Well I live in Phoenix (not by choice it's just where the good Lord allowed me to be born and raised). I do love Phoenix because it's home but I love San Diego for many reasons as well. At the end of the day though I would choose the Phoenix area because although I like to vaca in CA I personally do not like the direction California is going in and wouldn't choose to live there long term.
COL: Phoenix is obviously much more affordable than SD but keep in mind the wages are lower too
Location:San Diego wins this hands down. The beach never gets old especially when the weather in SD is nice year round
Laws: Ehh no matter where you live there will be laws you like and dislike. Toss up....
How it operates: The mindset of the people is basically the same. People in Phoenix have a SoCal mindset and both cities are split politically
Crime Rate: I'm almost positive Phoenix has a slightly higher crime rate. SD is a fairly safe city.
Lifestyle/People: The people in both cities act similar and have that westcoast chill, live and let live attitude.
There's my list. As much as I love SD another thing that keeps me paranoid are earthquakes. If I did live in CA that would be on my mind constantly. Phoenix on the other hand is pretty safe from natural disasters. The summers in Phoenix do suck though and many leave the desert for SD as much as possible (me included). The Phoenix area is nice though and offers everything San Diego does besides the beach, Sea World, and good sea food. It's also not as touristy and it's a gazillion times less crowded than SoCal and there's just more room to breathe. Basically I would rather live in Phoenix and vacation in SD.
I actually like Phoenix, but other than COL, I'm not sure Phoenix compares very well to SD. I personally love SD, one of my favorite cities. Sorry Phoenix.
COL: Phoenix is obviously much more affordable than SD but keep in mind the wages are lower too
Actually I meant cost of living compared to salary. I would think San Deigo is obviously more expensive being next to the coast but I am too lazy to look it up now. But then again Phoenix gives you one of the closest access to the Grand Canyon which is far more of significance then some beaches. But yeah I would think San Deigo is still more expensive.
Actually I meant cost of living compared to salary. I would think San Deigo is obviously more expensive being next to the coast but I am too lazy to look it up now. But then again Phoenix gives you one of the closest access to the Grand Canyon which is far more of significance then some beaches. But yeah I would think San Deigo is still more expensive.
Your dollar will stretch farther in Phoenix (hence all of the ex californians living there).....I guess that's a good way to sum it up.
There's my list. As much as I love SD another thing that keeps me paranoid are earthquakes. If I did live in CA that would be on my mind constantly. Phoenix on the other hand is pretty safe from natural disasters.
I don't think a single person has ever died from an earthquake in San Diego nor has a quake ever caused major damage, at least not in recorded history. It's pretty far from the San Andreas Fault and has a much lower risk compared to LA and SF.
I don't think a single person has ever died from an earthquake in San Diego nor has a quake ever caused major damage, at least not in recorded history. It's pretty far from the San Andreas Fault and has a much lower risk compared to LA and SF.
Yeah it makes no sense at all - people from all over the country talking about how scared they are of earthquakes in California and how they could never move there because of the threat of natural disaster (fire and earthquakes). Meanwhile people within their own state (or even their) homes are destroyed by hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding - all of which happen on an annual basis.
Earthquakes that do major damage are a rare occurrence - maybe once every couple of decades, if that. The wildfires are more common but for the most part only effect hillside neighborhoods or the very edges of suburban sprawl. For example, living in the LA basin (or central San Diego), your risk from wildfires has to be close to 0%. I can't recall anyone dying from our wildfires (other than firefighters), it's just property damage.
However, the poster is correct that Phoenix is probably more protected from natural disasters (you know, unless there is a blackout or major power-outage in the summer). San Diego's biggest risk is probably a tsunami, which would only effect the coastal neighborhoods.
Yeah it makes no sense at all - people from all over the country talking about how scared they are of earthquakes in California and how they could never move there because of the threat of natural disaster (fire and earthquakes). Meanwhile people within their own state (or even their) homes are destroyed by hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding - all of which happen on an annual basis.
Earthquakes that do major damage are a rare occurrence - maybe once every couple of decades, if that. The wildfires are more common but for the most part only effect hillside neighborhoods or the very edges of suburban sprawl. For example, living in the LA basin (or central San Diego), your risk from wildfires has to be close to 0%. I can't recall anyone dying from our wildfires (other than firefighters), it's just property damage.
However, the poster is correct that Phoenix is probably more protected from natural disasters (you know, unless there is a blackout or major power-outage in the summer). San Diego's biggest risk is probably a tsunami, which would only effect the coastal neighborhoods.
People always seem to be afraid of other area's natural disasters. But I do agree Phoenix is probably on the low end for natural disasters.
SD's biggest natural disaster threat I've seen have been wildfires, in 2003 and 2007 were pretty major. People definitely died in both of those. Deaths do occur when people don't heed evacuation warnings and wait until it's too late. That is probably SD's biggest threat and yeah you can for the most part avoid that by living close to the coast but the fires can race through the canyons and actually come within a 5 or so miles of the coast. It's definitely a hazard in inland suburbs in SD like Scripps Ranch, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, etc... In La Malibu has had several major wildfires in the past but it's not like most of the coast of SoCal where people live.
Not that tsunami's aren't a risk but again there's never actually been any deaths or major damage from one in Southern CA. It would have to be a mighty big quake somewhere else to produce one to cause a lot of damage in Southern Ca as the faults off CA generally don't produce tsunamis.
People always seem to be afraid of other area's natural disasters. But I do agree Phoenix is probably on the low end for natural disasters.
SD's biggest natural disaster threat I've seen have been wildfires, in 2003 and 2007 were pretty major. People definitely died in both of those. Deaths do occur when people don't heed evacuation warnings and wait until it's too late. That is probably SD's biggest threat and yeah you can for the most part avoid that by living close to the coast but the fires can race through the canyons and actually come within a 5 or so miles of the coast. It's definitely a hazard in inland suburbs in SD like Scripps Ranch, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, etc... In La Malibu has had several major wildfires in the past but it's not like most of the coast of SoCal where people live.
Not that tsunami's aren't a risk but again there's never actually been any deaths or major damage from one in Southern CA. It would have to be a mighty big quake somewhere else to produce one to cause a lot of damage in Southern Ca as the faults off CA generally don't produce tsunamis.
I will choose San Diego for better weather and being close to the coast.
Last edited by ATUMRE75; 06-13-2013 at 02:09 PM..
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