Are you considering relocating to San Diego or San Fransisco? Perhaps, you’re ever unsure which region is better to live in? The truth is that both destinations are full of many attractions and offer a lot for individuals living there. However, they are distinct in certain areas. In this blog post, our aim is to assist you in understanding what it feels like to live in these two areas.
Population San Diego vs San Francisco
San Diego: has an estimated population of about 1,418,000. An overwhelming majority of the population is between the ages of 25 and 34, with those between the ages of 34 and 44 coming in second.
San Francisco: The population of San Francisco is around 884,000. Young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 make up the majority of the population with people between the ages of 34 and 44 taking second place in the city’s demography.
Weather San Diego vs San Francisco
San Diego:
San Diego’s climate is outstanding. The semi-arid environment of this region makes it the perfect location for people who appreciate warm weather. This is because the summers are warmer and drier, and the winters are rather quite mild.
Let’s talk about the rainfall here. During the months of December to March, the area receives the most rainfall. On the whole, rain precipitation is approximately 9 to 13 inches each year.
Generally speaking, there is a dry season from May through December, although there will be a couple of wet days in each month. When it rains, it might be a lot of rain. Moving to San Diego if you really love snow may not be a good idea. In the last 150 years, it has only snowed on 5 occasions.
San Fransisco:
The mild and damp winters of San Francisco, as well as its dry summers, account for the Mediterranean climate here. Although the weather is mostly determined by the San Francisco Bay and the cool currents of the Pacific Ocean, it is impacted by many other factors as well. Because the climate is warm year-round, the temperature changes very little.
Cost of living San Diego vs San Francisco
It doesn’t cost that much to live in San Diego. For instance, in San Diego’s business district, lunchtime menu prices are $16 on average. A one-liter serving of whole fat milk costs slightly under a dollar. You can have a cheap, fast supper at a fast-food restaurant for $8.
Living in San Francisco is 37.9% more expensive than in San Diego. On the other hand, the average wage paid in San Francisco is only 15.8% higher, so in that respect, your quality of living will decrease once you’ve relocated to San Francisco. Electricity costs in San Francisco are 19.39¢ per kWh, the 5th most expensive in the country. Even public transportation costs more. Your monthly expense will be roughly $91.
Home Price San Diego vs San Francisco
The cost of property ownership in San Diego is relatively high. Regardless of whether you plan to buy or rent, this is the situation. The domestic housing market has improved in value over the last two decades and the prices reflect this. Even when going by Californian standards, a home can be quite expensive. The average cost of buying a home in the region is $626,000. A house in Los Angeles costs $50,000 less than this.
A home in San Francisco is significantly more expensive than in San Diego. The average cost of a home is $1,360,000. While the area has seen a 3% increase in the value of homes in the past few years, it is however anticipated that property values in the area will drop by 0.1 percent during the next few years.
Rent San Diego vs San Francisco
On average, the rent in San Diego is approximately $1,560 for a one-bedroom apartment and $2,393 for a two-bedroom unit. The rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is set at over $3,000. San Diego has significantly higher housing costs than San Francisco.
The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $3,600, while the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $4,690. After weighing the pros and cons, people who are moving to San Francisco tend to rent than purchase a property, because the housing is much more expensive in the city. In fact, it is theoretically possible to rent a three-bedroom unit in San Diego at the same price as a one-bedroom unit in San Francisco.
Jobs San Diego vs San Francisco
San Diego
San Diego is home to many big employers, some of which are:
- Kaiser Permanente
- City of San Diego
- San Diego Community College District
- Scripps Health
- Qualcomm
- San Diego Unified School District
- Sharp Health Care
- San Diego County
- University of California
- Naval Base San Diego
According to the recent rates of unemployment in San Diego, 3% of the inhabitants are out of job. This is not up to the average rate of unemployment in California.
Recently, there has been positive growth in enjoyment in industries such as education, construction, and health services. In the last two years, the overall unemployment has dropped by 0.5%.
San Fransisco
San Fransisco is also home to a lot of giant employers, including:Wells & Fargo
- Pottery Barn
- Pacific Gas and Electric
- McKesson
- Levi Strauss & Co
- Dignity Health
- Bechtel
- Gap
- Bank of the West
- Charles Schwab
According to the recent rates of unemployment, about 2% of the residents are out of jobs in San Fransisco. This number is much lower compared to the Californian average.
Recently, there has been a growth in the enjoyment of private educational services and health services. There has been an improvement in the hospitality and leisure sectors as well.
Education San Diego vs San Francisco
Residents in San Fransisco spend 14.7% more per student than those in San Diego. The student-teacher ratio is 15.5 lower in San Francisco than in San Diego. (Higher = more students in each classroom).
| Education | San Francisco, CA | San Diego, CA | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expend. per student | $12,983 | $11,043 | $12,293 |
| Educ Expend. Per student | $9,957 | $9,400 | $10,600 |
| Instr. Expend. per. Student | $4,980 | $5,600 | $6,430 |
| Pupil/Teacher ratio | 20.6 | 23.7 | 16.7 |
| Students per librarian | 960.1 | 11402.8 | 539.2 |
| Students per counselor | 399.2 | 530.1 | 404.1 |
| Grade school Educ. | 7.6% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| High school Educ. | 86.9% | 87.5% | 86.8% |
| Some high school Educ. | 4.5% | 5.8% | 7.2% |
| Some college Educ. | 14.6% | 21.4% | 20.6% |
| Masters grad. | 14.8% | 11.6% | 8.6% |
| Professional degree | 4.7% | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate degree | 2.5% | 3.1% | 1.8% |
Some of the best schools in San Diego are:
- The Waldorf School of San Diego
- San Diego High School
- Westview High
- Canyon Crest Academy
- Torrey Pines High
While some of the best schools in San Fransisco are:
- Red Bridge
- New School Of San Fransisco
- San Francisco School
- Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School
- Palo Alto Unified School
Safety & Crime Rate San Diego vs San Francisco
When it comes to crime rates in San Diego vs San Fransisco, the number of violent crimes in San Diego is less than the national average. Assault, robbery, murder, and rape are all forms of violent crimes.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, property crimes like theft and burglary are below the national average. According to the statistics, San Diego’s crime rate is only half the average in the country. But in contrast, motor vehicle theft is somewhat above the national average.
San Francisco has a more violent crime rate than the rest of the country. Murder, assault, robbery, and rape are all considered violent crimes. Robbery incidences are almost twice as higher as the average in the country.
There are also more property crimes in San Francisco than the national average. Theft is over twice the national average, and this is particularly true of theft involving motor vehicles.
San Diego is the obvious winner here in regards to the San Francisco vs. San Diego comparison.
Health System San Diego vs San Francisco
The health system in San Diego, California is 12.7% more affordable than in San Fransisco, California. San Diego is home to one of the best hospitals in the country – the UC San Diego Health, which ranks number one in San Diego and 6th in the whole of California as reported by the 2020 – 2021 US News & World Report. The Scripps Green Hospital and the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center are also remarkable healthcare facilities in the region.
San Fransisco, on the other hand, is also home to high-quality healthcare centers including UCSF Medical Center, FibroGen, iRhythm Technologies, Medivation, San Fransisco General Hospital and Dignity Health. San Diego pharmacies typically exist in the form of in-store pharmacies, chain pharmacies that are part of a department store or grocery store, as well as independent chemists.
The table below provides more details about the health system in San Diego vs San Fransisco.
| Index | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | U.S. Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 89 | 100.3 | 100 | 11.30 (12.7% more) |
Note: The US Average is equivalent to 100. So any number lower than 100 means it’s note affordable than the national average. And higher than 100 means it’s more expensive.
San Diego vs San Francisco FAQ’s
Is San Diego or San Francisco more expensive?
The obvious answer is San Fransisco is more expensive to live in than San Diego. The living cost in SF, California is 37.8% higher than in SD, California.
This means that one has to earn an average salary of $83,000 to keep up with one’s current standard of living. Moreover, electricity costs in San Francisco are extremely high, one of the highest in the nation.
Is San Diego hotter than San Francisco?
If we’re to consider just the average temperature on the coast, then we may say San Diego is typically just a few degrees hotter than San Fransisco.
When you move inland, the temperature becomes 20-30 degrees hotter than San Francisco. This is because SF is known for its fog and wind, especially during the summer period.
Verdict
As you can see, San Diego is the less expensive place to live in our comparison of San Francisco vs San Diego, CA. With reduced crime, wonderful weather, and more employment, San Diego appears to be a great place to live. San Francisco may be the perfect city for you if you appreciate wonderful weather and want to be where there is lots of excitement in terms of entertainment. To afford to live and eat in the manner you desire, you will however have to budget more money.
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