MissHannigan

I have lived in Austin, and other areas in TX. I have also spent time in SFO due to working for a company that was headquartered there. There are good and bad to both places, of course.

I love Austin. I would love to live in Austin EXCEPT I cannot do the heat. I don't know about the heat where you live now, but the heat in Austin is like walking into an oven. The city is beautiful, lots of outdoor activities, relaxed attitudes, arts and culture, and some of the best food anywhere.

The cost of living and cost of real estate is some of the most affordable in the country, and you get way more space than in other areas as well.

You are within a few hours of DFW, or HOU and even not tooo far from South Padre. You would have a very nice life with the salary you mentioned.
****

SFO has lots of diversity, wonderful food, stunning sunny days and crippling fog many days. I was there for a month in January, and it seemed much colder than the temp because of the moisture in the air. Bone chilling.

I had so much fun there, and people spend more time outside than in Austin. The city is more walkable, unlike anyplace in Texas. And there is public transportation, which I love to use if available.

Sooooo much more expensive for everything. Real estate is expensive and tiny. I would love to live there, but could never afford it. I often wonder how anyone affords to live there.

I'm sure others can give you more info on SFO. Good luck!

Pombat

Interesting stats here, but I think the suggested minimum salary for SF wouldn't go far.

$142,448.33: What You Need to Earn to Buy ‘Median’ Home in Bay Area | News Fix | KQED News

Steve_

The answer to this question if you're a teacher is Austin, because there's a teacher shortage there. That simple really. Plus they don't have all the revenue problems California has got at the moment, so you'll get paid.

MMcD

Revenue problems?
Jerry Brown has been touting a surplus :

California ended the fiscal year with $1.9 billion left over in its state general fund, Controller John Chiang (D) said last week, the first time the general fund ended with a positive cash balance since 2007, the year before the recession began. The state Department of Finance has projected a $4.2 billion surplus for Fiscal Year 2014-2015, which began July 1.

After years of cuts, state budgets show surpluses - The Washington Post

Steve_

You've quoted it yourself right there: "after years of cuts" - they didn't make any cuts in Austin. Hence my point. And they've got a shortage of teachers in Austin. At least according to what they said on NPR the other day.

Although I suppose one could argue if the cuts are now restored in California they might go on a hiring binge.

MMcD

Ships passing in the night

IlAlfie

To be fair, it was a fairly decent one bedroom flat in a nice part of San Francisco! But yes, the costs are outrageous, particularly because San Francisco isn't exactly a major city and it does feel like it's on the arse end of world....And the average one bed flat price has definitely gone up!

N1cky

WHAT?

What would you class as a major city?

IlAlfie

Well I've lived in London, New York, Paris...these are major cities. I suppose I think of world cities. San Francisco has about 800,000 inhabitants so although it's pretty famous, it's has a small town feel about it. That's not always a negative...but it's no New York.

N1cky

Population hardly seems like a good measure for a great city. That would mean you think San Jose is a greater city than San Francisco then?

Steve_

I think the Pacific is slightly larger than Lake Travis though.

IlAlfie

Absolutely. Not the only measure. But it's a fairly important measure of a city because it affects the life/vibrancy of a city. San Francisco has a pretty small city feel. And that's not talking about the very strange San Francisco inhabitants which make you doubt your time here...I've seen too many sights of the citizens here that I've never seen in the many countries that I've lived and worked in. San Francisco is unique (and not necessarily desirable) in that issue. Oh the tales I could tell......

RoadWarriorFromLP

San Francisco's population is low, but the Bay Area ranks fifth in US metro area population.

IlAlfie

Absolutely. But I live in the city. And a city needs to offer more from the inside. It's like when I moved to Sheffield as a PhD student. Everyone told me how great it was because you could leave the city in only 15 minutes. That's not actually a positive moment for the city of Sheffield.

I like cities. I want to enjoy what they have to offer. If the main offering of a city is something outside of it, what's the point of spending money to live in the city? I don't live in Oakland for a reason. Or Marin....So I don't care about the metro area or the number of folks in the metro area. I live in San Francisco. And do you know what? It's pretty small and a bit parochial. Deal with it.

N1cky

What do you want that you think San Francisco is missing?