How much more $ would make you move to bay area?
Did well in interview, expecting an offer soon for a position in Bay area. I know CoL difference and taxes, but what other costs should I take into account when deciding how much is enough for me to move there? Time spent in traffic? Schools, daycare? ...? Also, what is better there? Weather, food / restaurants, other? If you moved from Seattle to Bay or vice versa, would appreciate especially your input. I live now 15 minutes drive away from MS campus, 5 minutes walk to restaurants. TC: 🎄fiddy
SF>Seattle
Just be rich and the bay is the best place to live!
Well obviously. Bay area has about 20% higher CoL, including 30% higher cost of housing, not considering about 10% higher taxes. So if I make about 30% more there, I should be ok. But then come all these other life quality impacting factors I would want to put some monetary value on. Maybe impossible, but as an engineer I must at least try to rationalize this.
The problem is living in a place where 10% of the people are millionaires. You gonna feel poor even with 50% more money.
Don't do it unless comp is more than doubling. No piece of mind and shot quality of life
People move OUT of bay area
Wow, double? So not even L8 director roles are worth the move in your view?
I moved for a 350% increase. I wish I'd asked for more.
Good for you! But % don't pay my bills, $ does. My TC is now 350k. I take all these warnings seriously, but can't believe I would need 700k to live comfortably (or to compensate for the discomfort)
What part of the Bay? Seattle has culture. SF, maybe even Oakland could feel like a good place to be (though not as nice as Seattle) but South Bay is awful. I'm glad I took my job here for career growth, but eventually I want to get back to Seattle. The biggest issue here is commute. Imagine driving from Tacoma to Seattle every day. There is no commuter train to many job centers. Bart and CalTrain are a joke compared to ST either light rail or the Sounder. You'll spend 3 times more for rent and be in some 1950's tear down or a 900 sq. ft apartment. Also, this place feels very conservative compared to King County. The kids in schools are cut throat against one another, the parents are worse. Forget environmental awareness. If they turned Bellevue Square mall into a place you could live, that would be the Bay Area. If you come to the Bay, come with a plan for how to leave.
Weather and food is way better. Especially the food if you are into asian food. Commute obviously depends a lot on where you live but it tends to be a little worse than Bellevue Seattle area in my experience. In terms of school there's a lot of good ones, do your research in that. What ethnicity are you? Somewhat relevant question for the schools thing
Another commenter is right in that the schools are more cutthroat. I found that youth that were pnw natives were a lot more benign/nice though not necessarily more sociable. I'd say in terms of transplant population they are roughly the same
I've lived in Sunnyvale and Cupertino for 10 years and also went to public school there. Schools are very good, a bit competitive. It's also extremely safe and clean, nice place to raise a family for sure. Food is decent, we have Cupertino Square with a few restaurants, and downtown Mountain View and Campbell are pretty close. Also there is downtown SJ w/ San Pedro Market. If you work close you should be fine. Don't pay too much attention to the negative reviews lol.
How much money should I make as a family to afford a safe 2 bedroom house , good school district ? Family has - me , wife and 2 year old We don’t eat out , cars are cheap and paid , I don’t shop ever , wife buys around 2k$/year worth of items for herself and kids The only weekly expense are gas and groceries
Are the homeless & violence etc. mentioned above just a SF issue?
My company has an office in San Mateo (is that part of the Bay?) and people there make double what we in Japan HQ are paid. SWEs probably triple or quadruple.
Yes that is part of SFBA, the left peninsula below SFO airport. beautiful part of town. If you can move to San Mateo for 2-4x comp I would. But all million dollar homes...
Bay Area is great. But expensive AF and good bit of traffic. Never been to Seattle.