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I love San Diego. A lot also depends on why you're leaving Seattle and if you are thinking about being in the city or the burbs.
Main reasons to leave would be the following...
- Greater proximity to family whom live out of the area (if not in the same metro, then either a shorter flight/possible to drive within about 5 hours or less).
- Out of area job opportunities in industries/companies of greater interest. Seattle may be a booming tech hub, but in some ways the job market feels a bit limited here (seems very centered around e-commerce, healthcare and consulting, with fewer opportunities outside of these areas - but please correct me if this is wrong!).
- Questioning if Seattle is still worth it COL-wise for me (IMO, I'm not so sure it is for what you get versus the other high-COL US metros).
- Milder winters/more daylight during winter. "Perfect" climate year-round is by no means a requirement, but the short days and constant gray/wet conditions for much of the year start to wear on me at times.
As far as city vs. suburbs, I'm more of a city guy but not necessarily in the heart of downtown - prefer neighborhoods between downtowns and the adjacent suburbs - you get a bit of what both worlds offer this way IMO.
- Greater proximity to family whom live out of the area (if not in the same metro, then either a shorter flight/possible to drive within about 5 hours or less).
- Out of area job opportunities in industries/companies of greater interest. Seattle may be a booming tech hub, but in some ways the job market feels a bit limited here (seems very centered around e-commerce, healthcare and consulting, with fewer opportunities outside of these areas - but please correct me if this is wrong!).
- Questioning if Seattle is still worth it COL-wise for me (IMO, I'm not so sure it is for what you get versus the other high-COL US metros).
- Milder winters/more daylight during winter. "Perfect" climate year-round is by no means a requirement, but the short days and constant gray/wet conditions for much of the year start to wear on me at times.
As far as city vs. suburbs, I'm more of a city guy but not necessarily in the heart of downtown - prefer neighborhoods between downtowns and the adjacent suburbs - you get a bit of what both worlds offer this way IMO.
So… I lived in San Diego for a long time and have close family in SoCal, so I can speak to this.
I actually almost took a promotion to leave Seattle and go back to San Diego. I turned it down. When I did the math, Seattle made more financial sense, and even with the pay raise, I’d have ended up in a worse position.
You need to consider that the tax burden you’ll be shouldering in San Diego is going to be significantly higher than in Seattle. The income tax in California is a hard hit. Also, the COL in San Diego has skyrocketed in terms of rent and housing. While it’s high in Seattle it’s become even higher in San Diego.
I also felt like San Diego as a city doesn’t offer as much as Seattle does, though I appreciated the culture in San Diego more. I’m a bit more comfortable in San Diego and didn’t have trouble making friends there as much as in Seattle.
But, at the end of the day I’m just in love with the Pacific Northwest and its beauty so that was a factor as well.
Phoenix may be a happy, but hotter, medium. It’s cheaper than both Seattle and San Diego and a lower tax burden. If you’re mentally prepared for the summers and all that entails, it could be a good fit. But keep in mind it’s going to be far more red, as a region, than either Seattle or San Diego.
OP, I absolutely love San Diego but CA is just a hot mess. I personally think LA is massively overrated and shallow. Plus the city has a horrible skyline, highway system, and is massively sprawled out. CA politics, taxes, traffic...no thanks. The COL in CA is expensive, for a basic starter home is probably 350-400k. Sounds like you know this. San Diego does have a great ocean city vibe to it, and would be great if you could afford it.
However, Phoenix has become increasingly pricey as well. A lot of CA transplants. Phoenix is also massively sprawled out, but AZ taxes and COL are considerably cheaper in pretty much every aspect. I lived in AZ for many years, if you are looking to be near Phoenix but want cheaper housing and less crowded atmosphere look at Maricopa, San Tan Valley, and Casa Grande.
Phoenix is booming rents go up exponentially every month a really nice one bed Apt is about $1500 right now, from May to November it is hot, forget using mass transit it is too hot, don't go out past 11 am in the hot months, it is too hot, live where there is a large pool, after 9m all the large families usually start to leave, make sure you have a really good car with AC, get used to taking 3 showers a day, get used to long lines at red lights, you will LOVE it! never have a job on the opposite side of town, you will never get there ..
Phoenix is booming rents go up exponentially every month a really nice one bed Apt is about $1500 right now, from May to November it is hot, forget using mass transit it is too hot, don't go out past 11 am in the hot months, it is too hot, live where there is a large pool, after 9m all the large families usually start to leave, make sure you have a really good car with AC, get used to taking 3 showers a day, get used to long lines at red lights, you will LOVE it! never have a job on the opposite side of town, you will never get there ..
This just sounds like a bad personal experience and can't be give credit as an overall experience for the almost 5 million people that live in the Phoenix metro.
Yes, traffic can be bad at times and maybe Phoenix is starting to become L.A. medium, but it's still pretty decent. Great (and growing) infrastructure, lots of growth in general, plenty of jobs, and a strong economy. There are PLENTY of amenities and things to do throughout the enormous metro, but that's IF you can tolerate 4 months of cool air conditioning every year.
If you can't afford good air conditioning in your car and home ... definitely don't move there. To your point though, don't have a job on the opposite side of town .. that's just silly.
Last edited by theTelecommuter; 12-23-2021 at 12:42 PM..
Monsoon season heat is not as dry in PHX and can be gross until one acclimates to it. Hottest season is just before monsoon season. I wouldn't recommend PHX for year-round living.
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